Indiana Contractor Licensing
Trade-by-trade licensing requirements for Indiana, sourced directly from the state regulatory board and maintained by Gabriel Giner, editor. We currently publish 18 published trade guides, with direct links to each underlying board, statute, or exam-provider resource.
Choose your trade
General Contractor
Indiana General Contractor — Local License or Registration (No State License)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Electrician
Indiana Electrician — Local License (No State License)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Plumber
Indiana Plumbing Contractor (and Journeyman Plumber)
Verified 2026-09-04
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HVAC Technician
Indiana HVAC — Local Contractor Requirements and Federal Section 608
Verified 2026-09-04
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Roofing Contractor
Indiana Roofing — Local Contractor Licensing and State Contract Rules
Verified 2026-09-04
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Painting Contractor
Indiana Painting Contractor Requirements (Local and Lead-Safety Rules)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Landscaping Contractor
Indiana Landscaping — Local Construction Rules and OISC For-Hire Credentials
Verified 2026-09-04
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Masonry Contractor
Indiana Masonry — No State License (Local Contractor Registration)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Concrete Contractor
Indiana Concrete Contractor — No Standalone State Concrete License
Verified 2026-09-08
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Carpentry Contractor
Indiana Carpentry — No State License (Local Contractor Registration)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Solar Installer
Indiana Solar — No State Solar Contractor License (Local Approval Path)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Low-Voltage Technician
Indiana Low-Voltage Requirements (Local Credentials and Project Approvals)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Fire Sprinkler Contractor
Indiana Fire Sprinkler Requirements (Plan Review and Local Permits)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Home Inspector
Home Inspector License
Verified 2026-09-30
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Pool Contractor
No state swimming pool contractor license — pool construction is regulated locally (municipal/county contractor registration and building permits) under the state Swimming Pool Code (675 IAC 20)
Verified 2026-07-10
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Handyman
No statewide handyman/contractor license — municipal regulation; statewide Home Improvement Contracts Act (IC 24-5-11) written-contract rule applies
Verified 2026-07-17
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Pest Control
Pesticide Business License (firm)
Verified 2026-07-28
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Septic Contractor
Local onsite sewage installer requirements
Verified 2026-09-30
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- Published guides
- 18
- Exam-backed
- 4
- Bond-backed
- 0
- Local / municipal
- 16
- Avg initial fee
- $78
How licensing works in Indiana
Indiana is not a one-size-fits-all licensing market. Across the 18 guides currently live on this state hub, 4 require a formal trade examination and 0 require a surety bond before the credential can issue. 16 of the published entries rely on city, county, or municipal registration rather than a single statewide credential, so contractors need to confirm the local building department or business-license office before bidding work.
The point of this state page is to give you a fast read on the regulatory model before you dive into a specific trade. Start with the trades grid below if you already know your specialty. If you are comparing jurisdictions, use the cost calculator for first-year cost and the reciprocity matrix for license portability.
Main boards and agencies
Indiana local building departments and permitting authorities
No state agency issues a general contractor license. The city or county with jurisdiction over the project determines local contractor licensing or registration and administers building permits.
Open agency siteIndianapolis/Marion County Board of Electrical Examiners
The Board carries out the local electrical-contractor licensing provisions for Indianapolis and Marion County. It does not issue a statewide Indiana license.
Open agency siteIndiana Plumbing Commission — Indiana Professional Licensing Agency
The Indiana Plumbing Commission, administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA), licenses Plumbing Contractors and Journeyman Plumbers statewide, approves apprenticeship programs, and conducts disciplinary proceedings under IC 25-28.5.
Open agency siteIndiana local building authorities, Indiana plumbing authorities, and US EPA
Indiana does not issue a statewide HVAC-contractor credential; local authorities administer HVAC/mechanical contractor requirements, permits, inspections, zoning, and business rules. The Indiana Plumbing Commission licenses plumbing work statewide, while EPA regulates refrigerant handling under Section 608.
Open agency siteIndiana local authorities and federal/state lead programs
Indiana does not publish a statewide painting-contractor license. Local governments control local business, contractor, and permit requirements. EPA administers the federal RRP program in Indiana, while the Indiana Department of Health licenses lead-abatement activities and professionals.
Open agency siteIndiana local building authorities and consumer-protection authorities
Indiana does not issue a statewide roofing-contractor credential. Cities and counties may establish contractor licensing, building permits, inspections, zoning, and local business requirements. Indiana consumer-protection law governs covered residential home-improvement contracts.
Open agency siteIndiana Department of Homeland Security — Fire and Building Safety
Indiana sets statewide building and electrical code rules and provides code-enforcement support. Local governments administer residential building oversight and permits where they have jurisdiction; utility interconnection is a separate process.
Open agency siteIndianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — City of Indianapolis / Marion County
BNS issues municipal contractor, electrical, and HVAC licenses for Indianapolis and Marion County. Indiana has no state license for these trades, so BNS is the dominant licensing authority for Central Indiana.
Open agency siteOffice of Indiana State Chemist, Purdue University, and local authorities
OISC licenses pesticide businesses and personnel for for-hire pesticide and covered turf-fertilizer work. Indiana does not issue a statewide landscape-contractor credential; cities and counties separately regulate local contractor registration, permits, zoning, irrigation/cross-connection work, inspections, and local business requirements.
Open agency siteIndiana Department of Homeland Security — Building Plan Review and Code Enforcement
IDHS Building Plan Review reviews Class 1 structure plans for compliance with the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission’s rules. Its fire-suppression process evaluates project filings; it is not presented by IDHS as a statewide fire-sprinkler contractor license.
Open agency siteIndiana local building and fire authorities; IDHS Building Plan Review
IDHS reviews applicable Class 1 construction-plan filings, including fire-alarm submissions. Local building and fire authorities determine local permits, inspections, and any local contractor or alarm-business credential. IDHS does not publish a statewide low-voltage contractor license on the reviewed materials.
Open agency siteOffice of Indiana State Chemist (Purdue University), Pesticide Program
State regulatory agency (Office of Indiana State Chemist and Seed Commissioner, housed at Purdue University) that administers all pesticide business licensing, commercial applicator certification and licensing, registered technicians, and wood-destroying-pest inspector licensing in Indiana under IC 15-16-5 and 355 IAC 4.
Open agency siteIndiana Professional Licensing Agency / Indiana Plumbing Commission (statewide trade licensing only); contractor/home-improvement regulation is municipal, with statewide consumer-protection enforcement by the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division
Indiana has no statewide general-contractor or handyman license — general-contractor and home-improvement licensing is done by individual cities and counties. IPLA and the Plumbing Commission license the only construction trade regulated at the state level (plumbing) under IC 25-28.5. Statewide, the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division enforces the Home Improvement Contracts Act (IC 24-5-11), which governs written home-improvement contracts but is not a license.
Open agency siteIndiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission (Indiana Department of Homeland Security) — for pool construction standards; Indiana Professional Licensing Agency / Plumbing Commission — for the plumbing trade license
Indiana does not license swimming pool contractors at the state level; no state general, residential, or pool-specialty contractor license exists. The Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission promulgates the Indiana Swimming Pool Code (675 IAC 20) governing pool construction standards but does not license builders. Contractor registration and qualification for pool building are handled by local county and municipal building departments through the permit process. The only state-issued construction trade license that applies to pool work is the plumbing contractor license issued by the IPLA/Plumbing Commission; electrical work is licensed locally.
Open agency siteHome Inspectors Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency)
The Home Inspectors Licensing Board, administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA), sets standards and issues home inspector licenses statewide.
Open agency siteIndiana local building and contractor authorities
Indiana leaves construction-contractor licensing other than plumbing to local authorities; project jurisdictions issue their own permits and registrations.
Open agency siteIndiana Department of Health / local health departments
Use the cited agency guidance for the named installer pathway and the authority responsible for each project.
Open agency site
Compare Indiana against other states
Every trade above also has a national comparison hub showing how Indiana's exam, bond, fee, and experience requirements stack up against the other 50 jurisdictions.
- GC by state
- Electrician by state
- Plumber by state
- HVAC by state
- Roofing by state
- Painting by state
- Landscaping by state
- Masonry by state
- Concrete by state
- Carpentry by state
- Solar by state
- Low-Voltage by state
- Fire Sprinkler by state
- Home Inspector by state
- Pool by state
- Handyman by state
- Pest Control by state
- Septic by state
States bordering Indiana
Licensing rules change at the state line. Contractors bidding work across the border should review the neighboring hub before assuming Indiana's requirements carry over.
Best starting points in Indiana
Budget
Estimate first-year cost
Compare filing fees, bond premiums, insurance assumptions, and renewal cost before you apply.
Mobility
Check reciprocity pathways
See whether this state accepts NASCLA or uses bilateral reciprocity for the trade you hold now.
Research
Search related guides
Jump directly to linked state and trade pages if you are comparing multiple jurisdictions side by side.
Related reading
Original analyses drawn from our national dataset that put Indiana's rules in context — how its requirements compare, what a record means for eligibility, and how to carry a license across state lines.
Can you get a contractor license with a criminal record?
A 50-state breakdown of background checks, which offenses actually disqualify, and how long a conviction counts.
Contractor license difficulty index
Where each state ranks on exam, experience, and bond burden — hardest to easiest.
License costs ranked by state
Cheapest to most expensive states once fees, bond, and first-year insurance are counted.
How to transfer a license to another state
Which states accept NASCLA or bilateral reciprocity, and what re-testing each requires.