How to check a paving or concrete contractor, and spot the leftover-asphalt pitch

Which states license or register driveway contractors, where to look one up, the door-to-door paving pitch attorneys general warn about, and your right to cancel.

Updated October 15, 20264 checks113 official sources

Your checklist4 checks before you hire

1The leftover-asphalt pitch
2Your right to cancel
3What to ask before work starts
4Check the license or registration

Some states license concrete and paving contractors, some register every contractor, and some leave it to cities and counties. Here's what each state asks for, where to look a company up, and what to watch for when a crew knocks on your door.

The leftover-asphalt pitch

A crew turns up unasked, says it has asphalt left over from a job nearby, and offers to pave your driveway today. Tennessee's Division of Consumer Affairs has warned about a door-to-door driveway paving scam using leftover material.¹ Iowa's Attorney General has warned about asphalt scams by unsolicited crews with out-of-state plates.² The attorneys general of Idaho, North Dakota and Washington have issued paving scam warnings too.^3-5

You don't have to decide on the spot. Take the company's name, look it up in the table below where your state has a lookup, and get a written quote.

Your right to cancel

Many states let you cancel a sale made at your home for a few days after you sign:

Until midnight of the third business day: Florida, for sales over $25,^6-7 Massachusetts, for sales over $25 made away from the seller's place of business,⁸ Missouri,⁹ Nebraska, counted from notice,¹⁰ North Carolina,¹¹ Ohio,¹² South Carolina,¹³ Vermont,¹⁴ Virginia¹⁵ and West Virginia.¹⁶ In California it's the third business day, or the fifth for seniors.¹⁷
Pennsylvania: a home improvement contract, driveways included, can be cancelled within three business days of signing, wherever it was signed.¹⁸
Washington: a retail installment sale solicited in person at your home can be cancelled within three days.¹⁹
Maine: a door-to-door seller of home repairs, which include driveways, has to meet the state's home solicitation and home construction contract laws.^20-21
Maryland: a door-to-door seller who doesn't give you a completed contract and the cancellation statement commits an unfair or deceptive trade practice.²²
Montana: a seller at your door has to give their name, their business and what they're selling when they first speak to you, and show an ID card.²³

Arizona, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota and Oregon have home solicitation or door-to-door sales laws too.^24-31 We haven't read the other states' laws for this guide, so check with your state's attorney general.

What to ask before work starts

The company's license or registration number, and the state or local body that issued it.
A written quote that says how thick the concrete or asphalt will be, how deep the gravel base is, and how it's compacted.
Who will get the permit, if your driveway needs one. In New York, a contractor doing the work on a state highway driveway has to be listed on the permit and insured.³² Do you need a permit for a driveway? has each state's permit.

Check the license or registration

State	What the state asks for, and where to check
Alabama	The general contractor license covers paving and concrete, but only for jobs of $100,000 or more, so a typical driveway needs no state license.^33-34 Check a general contractor license with the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors.
Alaska	Every contractor registers with the state, and Concrete and Paving is one of the specialty trades. A handyman registration covers jobs of $10,000 or less.^35-36 Check a contractor registration with the Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
Arizona	Asphalt paving, sealcoating and concrete each have their own license classes, and a casual or minor job under $1,000 can be exempt, but not when it needs a local building permit or is part of a larger job, or for someone who advertises without saying they aren't licensed.^37-38 Check a contractor license with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
Arkansas	A Home Improvement specialty license, with Concrete or Base and Paving classes, is needed for single-family residential work over $2,000.³⁹ The board's find a licensed contractor page links its search.
California	C-12 Earthwork and Paving and C-8 Concrete are the license classes, and sealcoating falls under C-32.^40-42 A job under $1,000 in total that's casual or minor, needs no building permit and is done without hired help is exempt.⁴³ Check a contractor license with the Contractors State License Board.
Colorado	There's no state contractor board, and the Attorney General tells homeowners to check city or county licensing.⁴⁴
Connecticut	Home improvement contractors register with the state, and the definition lists driveways and patios. There's no paving or concrete class.^45-46 Check a home improvement contractor registration with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
Delaware	Contractors need a state business license and a Department of Labor registration, with no paving or concrete class.^47-48 Check a construction contractor registration with the Delaware Department of Labor; also check a contractor business license with the Delaware Division of Revenue.
District of Columbia	Home improvement contractors need a Basic Business License in the Home Improvement Contractor category.^49-50 Check a basic business license in DC's open data table.
Florida	There's no state license for driveway work, and since July 1, 2021 a city or county generally can't require one for driveway installation.⁵¹
Georgia	Asphalt paving and cast-in-place concrete are on the state board's list of exempt specialty trades, and local business licenses and permits apply.⁵²
Hawaii	C-3 Asphalt paving and surfacing, which names driveways and seal coating, C-3a Asphalt concrete patching, sealing and striping, and C-31a Cement concrete are the license classes.⁵³ A license is needed over $1,500 or when a building permit is needed.⁵⁴ Check a contractor license with the Hawaii Contractors License Board.
Idaho	Contractors register with the state for projects of $2,000 or more, with no trade class.^55-56 Check a contractor registration with the Idaho Contractors Board.
Illinois	There's no state license for paving or flatwork. Cities may require a permit.⁵⁷
Indiana	There's no state license for paving or flatwork, and the Attorney General says licensing varies by community.⁵⁸
Iowa	Anyone earning $2,000 or more a year from construction registers with the state, with no trade class.^59-60 DIAL's contractor page links its public registration search.
Kansas	There's no state paving or concrete license. Some counties license contractors, such as Johnson County, which has no paving or concrete class.⁶¹
Kentucky	There's no state paving or concrete license. A 2026 bill to create state contractor licensing was sent to committee.⁶²
Louisiana	Commercial classes for driveways and concrete apply above $50,000. Home improvement work on an existing home from $7,500 to under $50,000 needs home improvement registration, and $50,000 or more a residential license.^63-66 Check a license or registration with the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors.
Maine	The Attorney General says Maine doesn't license home contractors.⁶⁷
Maryland	The Maryland Home Improvement Commission licenses residential work, and the law names building or replacing a driveway next to a home as home improvement.⁶⁸ Check a home improvement license with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission.
Massachusetts	Contractors who work only on asphalt and driveway installation and upkeep, or ground-level patios, don't have to register as home improvement contractors.⁶⁹
Michigan	Laying concrete on a home's property needs a Maintenance and Alteration (concrete) or residential builder license, unless the job is under $600. We found no state credential for asphalt paving.^70-71
Minnesota	A business that does only paving or only concrete is exempt. One offering two or more skills needs a residential building contractor or remodeler license.^72-73
Mississippi	Residential work over $10,000 needs a residential remodeler license, which has no paving or concrete class.^74-75 Check a license with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors.
Missouri	There's no state contractor board for this work, and some cities register contractors.^76-77
Montana	One construction contractor license, with no trade classes.⁷⁸ Check a construction contractor license with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
Nebraska	Every contractor registers, with no trade classes, though someone earning less than $5,000 a year from construction isn't covered.^79-80 Check a contractor registration with the Nebraska Department of Labor.
Nevada	A-16 covers paving driveways, A-8 sealing and striping, and C-5 concrete. A repair under $1,000 can be exempt, but not when it needs a building permit or is part of a larger job.^81-83 Check a contractor license with the Nevada State Contractors Board.
New Hampshire	There's no state contractor board for general, home improvement, paving or concrete work.⁸⁴
New Jersey	Home improvement contractors register with the state, and the rules name driveways, sidewalks and patios.⁸⁵ Check a home improvement contractor registration with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
New Mexico	GA-2 covers patching and sealcoating driveways, and GS-4 concrete for walkways and driveways.⁸⁶ A handyman doing casual, minor work worth no more than $7,200 a year is exempt.⁸⁷ Check a contractor license with the New Mexico Construction Industries Division.
New York	There's no state contractor license. Some counties and cities license home improvement contractors, and those licenses cover driveways where they exist, as in New York City.⁸⁸
North Carolina	Paving falls under the Highway classification and driveway flatwork under Highway or Residential, but a license is needed only for projects of $40,000 or more, so most driveway jobs need none.^89-90 Check a general contractor license with the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.
North Dakota	A contractor license is needed when a job is over $4,000, in classes by contract size, with no trade classes.⁹¹ Check a contractor license with the North Dakota Secretary of State.
Ohio	There's no state license: the state board covers five commercial trades only. Local building and health departments regulate residential contractors.⁹²
Oklahoma	There's no state license for driveway work.⁹³
Oregon	The Construction Contractors Board licenses contractors, and the law covers roads and improvements attached to real estate. A job under $1,000 that's casual or minor is exempt.⁹⁴ Check a contractor license with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board.
Pennsylvania	Contractors doing $5,000 or more of home improvement a year register with the Attorney General, and the law lists driveways and patios.¹⁸ Check a home improvement contractor registration with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
Rhode Island	Contractors register with the state board, and the law names driveways, patios and sidewalks.⁹⁵ Check a contractor registration with the Rhode Island Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board.
South Carolina	Asphalt paving and concrete subclasses name driveways, but a license is needed only above $10,000.^96-97 Check a contractor license with the South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board.
South Dakota	There's no state contractor license for this work. Some cities, such as Sioux Falls, license contractors for sidewalks and driveway approaches in the right-of-way.⁹⁸
Tennessee	Paving and concrete classes apply to a contractor who contracts directly with you for a job of $25,000 or more.^99-100 Check a contractor license with the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.
Texas	There's no state license for driveway work.^101-102
Utah	S260 Asphalt and Concrete covers asphalt, sealcoats and concrete flatwork in one class.¹⁰³ Check a contractor license with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing.
Vermont	Residential contractors register to contract with a homeowner for more than $10,000, and the law names paving.¹⁰⁴ Check a residential contractor registration with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation.
Virginia	PAV Asphalt Paving and Sealcoating names driveways, and CEM covers concrete. A Class C license is needed for a contract over $1,000, and Class B or A for larger ones.^105-106 Check a contractor license with the Virginia Board for Contractors.
Washington	Contractors register with a specialty, Paving/Striping, which includes seal coating, or Concrete.¹⁰⁷ Casual, minor jobs under $500 are exempt, unless they're part of a larger job or the person advertises as a contractor.¹⁰⁸ Check a contractor registration with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
West Virginia	The Concrete Contractor class names driveways and parking areas, and paving falls under other classes. A license is needed for residential jobs of $5,000 or more.^109-110 Check a contractor license with the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board.
Wisconsin	There's no state paving or concrete credential. Some cities, such as Milwaukee, license concrete contractors.¹¹¹
Wyoming	There's no state contractor board. Cities such as Cheyenne and Casper license contractors.^112-113

Where the state has no license or registration, ask your city or county whether it licenses contractors.

Each company on this site is listed with its phone number where it has one. You can also send a request through the request form.

Licensing rules and lookups from state licensing boards, attorneys general and legislatures, checked September 2026.