Quick answer: New Hampshire regulates only a handful of trades at the state level through the Office of Professional Licensure & Certification (OPLC). Electricians are licensed by the Electricians' Board under RSA 319-C, and plumbers and fuel gas fitters are licensed by the Mechanical Licensing Board under RSA 153:27. There is no New Hampshire general contractor license, and no state license for roofers, painters, carpenters, landscapers, handymen or cleaners. Note the HVAC nuance: gas-fired work requires a fuel gas fitter license, but general heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration work is not a state-licensed trade in its own right.
The table below shows which of the common trades need a New Hampshire state license and which do not.
Which trades need a license in New Hampshire?
| Trade | State license required? | Licensing body |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber | Yes | State license required – Mechanical Licensing Board (OPLC), RSA 153:27. Categories include master plumber, journeyman plumber and plumbing apprentice. |
| Electrician | Yes | State license required – Electricians' Board (OPLC), RSA 319-C. Master and journeyman licenses plus registered apprentice; a license is required to work at 30 volts or more. |
| HVAC | Partial | No general HVAC license, but fuel gas work (natural gas/propane) requires a fuel gas fitter license from the Mechanical Licensing Board (RSA 153:27). Straight heating, cooling and refrigeration work is not separately state-licensed. |
| General Contractor | No | New Hampshire has no state general contractor license. Businesses register a trade name with the Secretary of State and follow local permit rules, but there is no OPLC contractor license. |
| Roofer | No | No state license for roofing. Local building permits still apply, and any electrical or gas work must be done by the appropriate licensed trade. |
| Painter | No | No state license for painting. (Federal EPA RRP lead-safe certification applies to firms disturbing paint in pre-1978 housing.) |
| Carpenter | No | No state license for general carpentry, framing, cabinetry or remodeling – unless the job includes a licensed scope such as electrical, plumbing or gas work. |
| Landscaper | No | No state contractor license for general landscaping or lawn care. Separate NH rules cover pesticide application and any plumbing/irrigation work. |
| Handyman | No | No state license for handyman work. A handyman may not perform electrical, plumbing or gas work reserved for a licensed trade. |
| Cleaner | No | No state occupational or contractor license required for residential or commercial cleaning. |
"Yes" means an OPLC-issued state license is required; "Partial" means only part of the trade (fuel gas work) is licensed. Unlicensed trades may still need to register a business/trade name and obtain local building permits, and may never perform work reserved for a licensed trade.
How New Hampshire licenses the trades
New Hampshire takes a light-touch approach to construction licensing. Unlike states such as Florida or California, it has no statewide general contractor license. Only a few safety-critical trades are regulated, and they are all administered by the Office of Professional Licensure & Certification (OPLC) in Concord. Two bodies do the work: the Electricians' Board, which licenses electricians under RSA 319-C, and the Mechanical Licensing Board (also called the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board), which licenses plumbers, fuel gas fitters and related roles under RSA 153:27.
Everything else – general contracting, roofing, painting, carpentry, landscaping, handyman services and cleaning – has no state license at all. A contractor in those trades typically just registers a business or trade name with the Secretary of State and complies with local building-permit and inspection rules.
Electricians: RSA 319-C
Electrical work is the most tightly regulated trade in New Hampshire. Under RSA 319-C, an active state license is required to perform electrical work at 30 volts or higher. The Electricians' Board issues master and journeyman electrician licenses, and apprentices work under the direct supervision of a licensed electrician. Master and journeyman applicants generally must complete about 8,000 hours of apprentice experience plus classroom education and pass a state-approved examination. Continuing education is required at renewal, including instruction on changes to RSA 319-C and its administrative rules.
Plumbers and gas fitters: RSA 153:27
Plumbing and fuel gas fitting are licensed by the Mechanical Licensing Board under RSA 153:27. The board issues master plumber, journeyman plumber and plumbing apprentice licenses, along with a family of fuel gas credentials – fuel gas fitter, fuel gas installation technician, fuel gas service technician, fuel gas piping installer, domestic appliance technician and hearth-system installation/service technician – plus water-treatment technician roles.
This is the board that many people think of as the source of an "HVAC license" in New Hampshire, but that framing is misleading: the state licenses the gas side of mechanical work, not HVAC as a whole.
The HVAC nuance: gas is licensed, HVAC is not
New Hampshire does not issue a general "HVAC contractor" license. Straight heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration work is not defined as a licensed trade under RSA 153:27. What is regulated is fuel gas fitting – connecting, installing or servicing appliances and piping that burn natural gas or propane. So a technician installing a gas furnace, gas boiler or gas-fired rooftop unit needs the appropriate fuel gas fitter license, while a technician working purely on electric heat pumps, air handlers, ductwork or refrigeration circuits generally does not need a state trade license for that portion – though any electrical connections still require a licensed electrician. Always confirm the specific scope with the OPLC before quoting a job.
Trades with no New Hampshire state license
There is no state license for general contracting, roofing, painting, carpentry, landscaping, handyman work or cleaning. New Hampshire abolished a standalone plumbers' chapter (the old RSA 329-A was repealed in 2013 and plumbing folded into the Mechanical Licensing Board), and it never created a general contractor license in the first place.
Unlicensed does not mean unregulated. These businesses still commonly need to register a trade name with the Secretary of State, carry appropriate insurance, and pull local building permits. They also may not cross into a licensed scope: a roofer, carpenter or handyman cannot legally perform electrical, plumbing or fuel gas work reserved for a licensed trade. Painters working on pre-1978 housing must also follow the federal EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) lead-safe rule.
How to get licensed in New Hampshire
- Identify whether your work is a state-licensed trade in New Hampshire – only electrical (RSA 319-C) and plumbing/fuel gas (RSA 153:27) require an OPLC license; general contracting, roofing, painting, carpentry, landscaping, handyman and cleaning do not.
- If you are an electrician, plumber or gas fitter, build the required experience (for electricians, roughly 8,000 apprentice hours) and classroom education, working as a registered apprentice or trainee under a licensed professional.
- Apply through the OPLC online licensing portal to the correct board (Electricians' Board or Mechanical Licensing Board), submit your documentation and fees, and pass the state-approved examination for your license level.
- If your trade is not state-licensed, register your business or trade name with the New Hampshire Secretary of State (NH QuickStart), obtain any local business permits, and carry appropriate liability and workers' compensation insurance.
- For any project, confirm local building-permit and inspection requirements with the city or town, and keep licensed electricians, plumbers or gas fitters on any work that falls within their reserved scope.
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Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire have a general contractor license?
No. New Hampshire does not issue a state general contractor license. General contractors, roofers, carpenters and remodelers do not need a state trade license; they typically just register a business or trade name with the Secretary of State and follow local building-permit rules. Any electrical, plumbing or fuel gas work on the project must still be done by the appropriate state-licensed tradesperson.
Do HVAC technicians need a license in New Hampshire?
It depends on the work. New Hampshire has no general HVAC license. However, any fuel gas work – installing or servicing natural gas or propane furnaces, boilers, appliances or piping – requires a fuel gas fitter license from the Mechanical Licensing Board under RSA 153:27. Pure heating, cooling and refrigeration work is not a separately licensed trade, but any electrical connections still require a licensed electrician.
Which trades actually need a state license in New Hampshire?
Only a few. Electricians are licensed by the Electricians' Board under RSA 319-C, and plumbers and fuel gas fitters are licensed by the Mechanical Licensing Board under RSA 153:27. Both boards operate under the Office of Professional Licensure & Certification (OPLC). No state license exists for general contractors, roofers, painters, carpenters, landscapers, handymen or cleaners.
Does a handyman or painter need a license in New Hampshire?
No. New Hampshire does not license handymen, painters, carpenters, landscapers or cleaners at the state level. They can operate after registering a business or trade name and meeting local permit and insurance requirements. They may not perform electrical, plumbing or fuel gas work reserved for a licensed trade, and painters disturbing paint in pre-1978 housing must follow the federal EPA lead-safe (RRP) rule.
Sources: NH OPLC – Electricians' Board, NH OPLC – Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board, RSA 319-C – Electricians, RSA 153:27 – Mechanical Licensing Definitions, RSA 153:27-a – Mechanical Licensing Board, NH Secretary of State – QuickStart Business Registration, 2025. Licensing rules change — always confirm current requirements with the relevant state board and your local city before you work.