Published October 21, 2026
Search the name or license number in the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation License Lookup before you sign with an agent, book a home inspector or accept a contractor’s bid. DPOR describes the tool as a way to verify license status and check disciplinary history, and Virginia law requires a license for real estate brokers and salespersons, home inspectors and contractors.
The check takes a few minutes and costs nothing. This guide shows what each search screen asks for, what the Code of Virginia requires for each of the three professions, and what DPOR can and cannot do if something goes wrong. It is general information, not legal advice. Whether you are buying in the city of Richmond, Henrico County or Chesterfield County, the same state license rules apply.
The five-minute check
- Open the License Lookup. It has three tabs: License Search, Advanced License Search and Disciplinary Action Search.
- Start simple. The basic search takes a name, license number, address or license type in one box. A license number is the cleanest search because it removes name spelling problems.
- Narrow it if the name is common. The Advanced License Search has separate fields for license number, name, location, board and license type.
- Check the disciplinary tab separately. It is its own search, so a license record and a disciplinary search are two different looks.
- Write down what you saw and the date. The page we viewed on October 21, 2026 said its license information was last updated that day at 2:50 a.m. Eastern. Data can change after that.
What the Code requires, by profession
| Who | What Virginia law says | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate agent, firm or team | Code of Virginia 54.1-2106.1: a firm needs a firm license, an individual acting as a broker needs a broker’s license, an individual acting as a salesperson needs a salesperson’s license, and a team needs a business entity salesperson’s license. | The right license type for the role, and the firm they work under. The Virginia Real Estate Board issues these licenses. |
| Home inspector | 54.1-503: unlawful to perform a home inspection for compensation on a residential building without a home inspector license. New residential structures require a license with the new residential structure endorsement. 54.1-517.2 sets requirements for licensure. | A home inspector license, plus the endorsement if the house is new. The Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors is the board. |
| Contractor | 54.1-1103: no person may engage in or offer to engage in contracting work in the Commonwealth unless licensed under that chapter. | The class (A, B or C) and the classification or specialty. DPOR’s Board for Contractors page says the class sets the value of contracts a licensee may perform and the specialty sets the type of work. |
A license matching the job matters as much as a license existing. A contractor may be licensed for one kind of work and not the one you are hiring them for, and a class that fits a small repair may not fit a large addition. We are not listing the dollar limits for each class because we have not read the regulation that sets them. The Board for Contractors page tells you where to find them, and the lookup should show the class.
Get the Richmond closing-timeline checklist
Tell us you want the checklist and we will send a closing timeline that shows where your inspection, your repair-bid requests and your closing date fall, so you know which licenses to check and by which day.
Which check fits which moment in a purchase
Before you choose an agent. Look up the person and the firm, then read the agreement before you sign it. Our guide to choosing a real estate agent in Richmond covers questions to ask, and the buyer agency agreement in Virginia covers what you sign. Because a team needs its own license and may use unlicensed assistants, ask who will do what.
Before you book an inspection. Look up the inspector by name and license number. For a new build, confirm the endorsement, and read phase inspections on Richmond new construction. Then read what a home inspector will not cover so you know which add-on specialists to look up separately, and how to negotiate repairs after an inspection for what comes next.
Before you accept a repair bid. Look up the contractor by license number and compare the class and specialty to the work. If you are buying a house with work done by someone else, buying a home with unpermitted work explains why paperwork matters. For vendors we point clients to, see our local vendors page. We still suggest you run the same lookup on anyone we mention.
What the lookup cannot tell you
A license is a minimum, not a recommendation. DPOR says regulatory boards set the minimum competency standards needed to practice without harming the public. A license tells you someone has met that minimum and is on record. It does not tell you how fast they answer, how they price, or how they treat clients. Ask for references and a written scope. A lookup also does not cover every trade, since the General Assembly decides which occupations are regulated.
One more caution. DPOR has posted a notice that scam emails falsely appearing to come from the agency are circulating, and it says not to click links in them or give personal information. If you are checking a license, type the address into your browser yourself.
If something goes wrong: what a complaint can and cannot do
DPOR’s File a Complaint page is plain about the limits. The Compliance and Investigations Division reviews consumer reports to decide whether DPOR is authorized to process them, and it only processes complaints against people or businesses subject to its boards’ laws or regulations. DPOR and its boards cannot require anyone to refund money, correct deficiencies or provide other personal remedies, and in some cases private legal action may be the only recourse. DPOR cannot give legal advice.
So a complaint is a way to ask the regulator to review a licensee’s conduct, not a way to get your money back. If you lost money, DPOR’s Recovery Funds page says the Contractor and Real Estate Transaction Recovery Acts provide relief to eligible consumers who lost money through a licensed contractor’s or real estate professional’s improper and dishonest conduct, and that filing a claim does not guarantee payment. For which route fits your situation, ask a Virginia real estate attorney. The DPOR consumer resources page collects the lookup, guides and complaint links in one place.
If you are still shopping for a home, a saved property search is a good start, our buyer page explains how we work, and our preferred lenders page lists lenders if you need to plan financing around your inspection dates.
Ask for the closing-timeline checklist
The same offer, restated: request our Richmond closing-timeline checklist and see where your inspection, repair bids and closing date fall, so you can run the license check at the right time.
Frequently asked questions
Does a real estate team need its own license?
Yes. Code of Virginia 54.1-2106.1 says a group of one or more brokers or salespersons may not act as a real estate team without first obtaining a business entity salesperson’s license from the Board. The same section lets a team hire unlicensed assistants as employees or independent contractors, so ask what the person you are dealing with is licensed to do.
Can any licensed home inspector inspect a brand-new house?
Not under the Code. 54.1-503 makes it unlawful to inspect any new residential structure for compensation without a home inspector license that carries the new residential structure endorsement. The section defines a new residential structure as one where the first conveyance of record title to a purchaser has not occurred, or a purchaser has not taken possession, whichever is later.
Does a clean search mean a contractor or agent has no complaints?
Not necessarily. DPOR describes the lookup as a way to verify license status and check disciplinary history. We did not find a statement that it lists complaints that did not lead to action, so treat a clean result as one data point and keep asking questions.
Does DPOR license every kind of home service?
No. DPOR says the General Assembly decides which professions and occupations require licensure or certification. If a trade does not appear in the lookup, that may mean it is not regulated by DPOR, not that the person is unlicensed. Check the DPOR consumer page or ask your attorney.
Can DPOR make a contractor refund my money?
No. DPOR’s complaint page says DPOR and its regulatory boards cannot require any individual or business to refund money, correct deficiencies or provide other personal remedies, and that in some cases private legal action may be the only recourse. DPOR also cannot provide legal advice.
Is there any fund that repays people who lose money to a licensed contractor or agent?
DPOR says the Contractor and Real Estate Transaction Recovery Acts provide relief to eligible consumers who incurred losses through the improper and dishonest conduct of a licensed contractor or real estate professional. The funds are paid for by licensee assessments, not tax revenue, and filing a claim does not guarantee payment.
Who reviews a complaint, and how do I reach them?
DPOR’s Compliance and Investigations Division reviews consumer reports to decide whether DPOR is authorized to process the complaint, and it only processes complaints against people or businesses subject to its boards’ laws or regulations. The complaint page lists a phone number of (804) 367-8504 and an email of [email protected].
I got an email that appears to be from DPOR asking for information. What do I do?
DPOR posted a notice that scam emails falsely appearing to come from the agency are circulating. It says not to respond to or forward them, click links, or provide personal information, and to verify the sender’s email address. Go to the DPOR site yourself rather than through an email link.
