Contractor License Lookup MCP Server

Look up contractor licenses

lookup_contractor_licenses

Read-only

Look up contractor licenses across CA, TX, WA, OR, and LA by trade, city, county, name, or license number to verify status, expiration, owner, and contact details.

Instructions

Look up contractor licenses, or list licensed contractors by trade, from the public registers of the California, Texas, Washington, Oregon, and Louisiana state licensing boards. mode list: give states and trades (plumbing, roofing, hvac, electrical, general, and more), optionally cities or a county, and get one row per licensed contractor. mode lookup: give lookups such as WA | 04CONCL862CR or LA | Acadian Builders and get the matching license. Each row carries license number, status, active flag, issue and expiration dates, classifications, owners or qualifying parties, address, phone, and the board source link; each search ends with one free summary row. California name and number lookups are skipped because the CSLB license check page uses a reCAPTCHA. Skipped, blocked, or empty searches come back free with a row_status saying so. A run that does not succeed is returned as an error with its run ID. Read-only; requires an APIFY_TOKEN; Apify charges per license row returned.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`mode`	No	list (default): states and trades in, licensed contractors out. lookup: license numbers or business names in, their licenses out.
`cities`	No	List mode. Keep contractors in these cities; each city is searched separately.
`county`	No	List mode. Keep contractors in this county (CA, TX, and OR record county).
`states`	No	State codes: CA, TX, WA, OR, LA. In lookup mode, used for lines that name no state.
`trades`	No	List mode. Trade words such as plumbing, electrical, hvac, roofing, general, solar, landscaping, painting, concrete, or pool.
`lookups`	No	Lookup mode. One per line: a state code, a pipe, then a license number or business name, for example WA \| 04CONCL862CR or LA \| Acadian Builders.
`proxy_mode`	No	auto uses the Apify proxy and moves a refused request to residential addresses; residential uses residential only. A reliability choice; proxy use adds nothing to the price. Default auto.
`active_only`	No	Keep only active, unexpired licenses. Default true.
`max_results`	No	License rows per search, up to 5000. Each license row is billed. Default 100 in list mode, 10 in lookup mode.
`business_name`	No	List mode: keep only names that contain this text. Lookup mode: one more business name to look up.
`include_owners`	No	Washington: read the current principals of each license. Default true.
`license_number`	No	Lookup mode. One more license number, searched in states.
`max_charge_usd`	No	Optional. The run stops before any row that would take its charges over this amount.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv1.0.0Oct 24, 2026

TDQS

A4.9/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Beyond the read-only and open-world annotations, the description discloses authentication requirements, per-row billing, free summary and skipped/blocked/empty rows, error behavior with run IDs, and the California reCAPTCHA limitation. These are material operational traits an agent needs before invoking the tool.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Although dense, the description is appropriately sized for a 13-parameter tool and is front-loaded with purpose, then modes, then output and caveats. Every sentence adds actionable information; there is no filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With no output schema, the description fills the gap by enumerating the returned fields, summary row, row_status behavior, and error format. It also covers authentication, cost, and source limitations, leaving little an agent would need to infer.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already defines all 13 parameters, but the description adds useful operational meaning: lookup line syntax, trade examples, default row limits, billing consequences, proxy cost neutrality, and the max_charge_usd cutoff. It does not need to restate every schema detail, and the added context is valuable.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb and resource: look up contractor licenses or list licensed contractors by trade from named state public registers. It clearly distinguishes the two modes, list and lookup, so an agent can tell exactly what the tool does.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It explicitly explains when to use mode list, with states and trades, versus mode lookup, with piped state and license/business identifiers. It also warns that California name and number lookups are skipped because of a reCAPTCHA, which prevents a common incorrect attempt.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Deploy Server

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