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Home Improvement Contractors (HIC) guide

Whether you are registering as a Home Improvement Contractor for the first time, or looking to change your DBA, find the information you need to be properly registered here.

In-person service for contractors is now available Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at One Federal Street, Boston (except on holidays).

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First time applicants

Once you've submitted all documents and fees, your HIC registration card should be available within a few weeks through your MA Contractor Hub account.

Contractors and subcontractors who perform home improvement work on an existing, 1- to 4-unit, owner-occupied, residential property in Massachusetts must register.

You can register as:

  • An Individual
  • A proprietorship
  • A partnership
  • A corporation

If filing under a trade name (also known as a Doing Business As (DBA), you must provide a current copy of the business certificate filed with the city or town clerk where your business is based.

You will have to pay a $150 registration fee and a separate mandatory payment to the Guaranty Fund based on the size of your company:

Number of employeesAmount
Zero to three (3) employees$100.00
Four (4) to ten (10) employees$200.00
Eleven (11) to thirty (30) employees$300.00
More than thirty (30) employees$500.00

Starting January 5, 2026, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation will no longer accept paper certified checks. Contractors should use the MA Contractor Hub to make any payments relating to their HIC registrations. 

Register online at the MA Contractor Hub.

Key Actions

Register as a Home Improvement Contractor  What work requires an HIC Registration, CSL License, or building permit? 

Additional Resources

Open PDF file, 1.38 MB,  Contractor Guide: MA Contractor Hub Portal (English, PDF 1.38 MB)

Renew your HIC Registration

Once you've submitted all documents and fees, you should be able to access your HIC card through your MA Contractor Hub account within 1-2 weeks. The renewal period begins 60 days prior to the expiration date.

You must renew your registration every two years and pay the $100 registration renewal fee. We strongly recommend you renew as soon as you are able. Building officials may not allow expired HIC registrants to pull permits.

Renew before your expiration date to save money and time. Per updated legal guidance and consistent with HIC statutes, regulations, and renewal notices, HIC registrations expire on the date of expiration. Failure to renew by the date of expiration will lead to extra cost and delays. Your ability to pull necessary municipal permits may also be impacted. 

Renew or reactivate your HIC number at the MA Contractor Hub. 

Important: Renewal applications received after your HIC registration expiration date will require you to reapply and pay the associated registration fee of $150, plus the Guaranty Fund fee based on the size of your company:

Number of employees Amount
Zero to three (3) employees$100.00
Four (4) to ten (10) employees$200.00
Eleven (11) to thirty (30) employees$300.00
More than thirty (30) employees$500.00

You must renew your registration every 2 years and pay a renewal fee of $100. 

Starting January 5, 2026, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation will no longer accept paper certified checks. Contractors should use the MA Contractor Hub to make any payments relating to their HIC registrations. 

Key Actions

Learn more about registration renewal  Log into your MA Contractor Hub account 

Additional Resources

Open PDF file, 1.38 MB,  Contractor Guide: MA Contractor Hub Portal (English, PDF 1.38 MB)

Change your registered address

If you need to change your address or phone number, email HICregistration@mass.gov.

Need a duplicate or extra HIC card?

Generate a duplicate card

If you lost your registration card, you can create a duplicate card through your MA Contractor Hub account.

Generate extra HIC registration cards

As a home improvement contractor, you can create extra cards to help your employees show proper identification while on the job. The fee for each supplemental card you need is $10.

You must provide the name, title, address and SSN of each officer/partner/employee that needs a supplemental card.

Please note that: 

  • The registration number will be the same as the original
  • The address given should be business location
  • Cards are available for:
    • Officers
    • Partners
    • Employees
  • The original card holder will still be liable for any work conducted

You can create and pay for supplemental cards through your MA Contractor Hub account.

Contractor Guide for MA Contractor Hub

This quick reference guide will help you use the MA Contractor Hub.

Change your DBA

Contractors must notify the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) if they do business under a DBA (also referred to as a fictitious name). If you're changing your DBA name, you'll need to email HICregistration@mass.gov and provide:

  • Your DBA name
  • Permanent address
  • A digital copy of the DBA certified from your local city or town clerk's office

Key Actions

Learn more about updating your DBA 

Registering as a Foreign Corporation

In order to lawfully do business in Massachusetts, state law requires a Foreign Corporation to file a certification of registration as an organization with the Secretary of State within 10 days after it starts to transact business in the Commonwealth. This certificate should be accompanied by a “certificate of legal existence or good standing issued by an authorized officer or agency in the jurisdiction of organization.”

All out of state corporations and LLCs applying for an HIC registration must first complete the foreign corporation registration process with the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

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