- None stated at state level. Check your local law.
Do you need a state license in New York?
New York does not issue a statewide handyman license. Any license you need comes from the city or county where the job is, so the rules can change from one town to the next.
None stated at state level. Check your local law.
A home improvement license is needed in New York City and Buffalo, and in Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties. In NYC that is the DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license, a two year license with an exam.
How to get set up in New York, step by step
- Check whether the city or county you work in requires a home improvement license.
- If you work in NYC, apply to DCWP, pass the exam and join the Trust Fund or post a bond.
- In NYC, show workers compensation coverage or a state exemption certificate.
- Leave licensed trades to licensed pros where your town requires a trade license.
- Pull permits where your town or county requires them.
What it costs in New York
There is no state license fee for handyman work in New York. Ask the city or county where you work about any local fees.
Good to know in New York
- Customers have three days to cancel a home improvement contract, in writing.
Once you are cleared to work
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a handyman near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with your city or county before you file.
More for your trade: how handyman businesses run on Koira.