License Lookup Guide
How to find the company behind a permit applicant name.
Why don’t I recognize the name?
Permits in Boston are filed under the name of a licensed individual, not the company they work for. A permit pulled by “John Smith” might actually be the work of Smith & Sons Plumbing, Inc. — but the company name doesn’t appear in the permit data.
To connect an applicant name to a company, you need to look up their license number in the state’s licensing database.
Step 1: Find the license number
Reputable companies list their license numbers on their website, usually in the footer or on an “About” page. In Massachusetts, they typically look like:
Master Plumber LIC #12345
Corporate Plumbing LIC #12345-PL-C
Master Electrician LIC #A12345
If the company doesn’t list a license number on their site, you can try searching the state databases below by the individual’s name directly.
Step 2: Look up the license
Massachusetts uses two separate databases depending on the trade. Use the one that matches the license type:
Plumbers & Gas Fitters
Plumbing and gas fitting licenses are managed by the Division of Occupational Licensure (MADOL). You can search by license number alone — no name required.
MADOL License Search →Electricians, Construction Supervisors & Other Trades
All other trade licenses (electrical, construction supervisor, sheet metal, etc.) are looked up through the eLicensing portal. Search by the individual’s name — searching by license number does not appear to work on this site.
eLicensing Lookup →Tips
- Corporate vs. individual licenses — a license number ending in something like
-PL-Cindicates a corporate license. The individual master license holder is usually listed alongside the corporate record. - Multiple license holders — larger companies may have several licensed individuals pulling permits. Searching the company name on this site may not find them all; try searching for the company name on their website and looking up each license holder.
- Name variations — the applicant name in the permit data may not exactly match the name in the state database. Try searching with just a last name if a full name search doesn’t return results.