Massachusetts HIC Registration Renewal (Home Improvement Contractor)

At a glance

Who needs it

Contractors, subcontractors, partnerships and corporations that solicit, bid on or perform contracting work on an existing, owner-occupied residential property with one to four units

Not a CSL

An HIC registration is different from a Construction Supervisor License (CSL), and one can't stand in for the other. For CSL information, contact the Office of Public Safety and Inspections

Renews every

2 years. A certificate of registration is valid for two years from the date it's issued

When to start

30 to 60 days before your registration expires, to avoid business delays

Background check

Before approving a registration or a renewal, the office refers your identifying information to the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, which reports back only convictions for gross fraud or cheat

Renewal fee

$100, plus any outstanding balance on your account

Renew

Online only, in the MA Contractor Hub (contractorhub.mass.gov). Paper applications and paper certified checks are no longer accepted and are sent back. In-person help: One Federal Street, Boston, Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM (except holidays); you still register and pay in the Contractor Hub. Contractor Support Line: 617-648-2467; email for help: HICregistration@mass.gov

If it expires

You reapply and pay the $150 registration fee plus a Guaranty Fund payment based on how many people you employ: $100 for zero to three employees, $200 for four to ten, $300 for eleven to thirty, $500 for more than thirty. An expired registration may also affect your ability to pull municipal permits

Working unregistered

Operating without a registration (knowingly, willfully or negligently), failing to renew it, or operating while it's suspended or revoked can be punished by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both

Registration cards

Once your renewal is approved, generate a digital registration card in the MA Contractor Hub. Supplemental cards for officers, partners or staff cost $10 each, need each person's name, title, address and SSN, and carry the same registration number as yours; the original card holder is liable for any work done. Duplicate cards for lost or stolen ones are free

Keep it current

Update a changed business address, mailing address, phone number or email in the Contractor Hub within 30 days

Your number in use

Building permits, contracts and advertising for residential contracting must contain your active registration number. An ad for home construction or home improvement without it is a violation of the law

Not transferable

A certificate of registration isn't transferable

HIC or CSL work

The office's examples: an HIC registration alone covers ordinary repairs such as exterior painting, wallpapering or repairing an existing deck; building a deck or an addition to an existing home needs a CSL; a kitchen renovation may need both, not necessarily held by the same person. The contractor who signs the contract with the homeowner must be HIC registered. Whether a CSL or building permit is needed depends on the project: ask the building official

If suspended

A registration suspended after a hearing stays suspended for the term and until you ask in writing for it to be reinstated, show you met every condition of the suspension and have paid all fines in full

Out-of-state companies

Out-of-state corporations and LLCs applying for an HIC registration must first register as a foreign corporation with the Secretary of the Commonwealth

Each registration is valid for two years from the date it's issued, so it doesn't expire on a set statewide date: put your own date in your calendar.

How to renew

1. Check your registration's expiration date (a registration is valid for two years from its issue date).
2. Start the renewal online in the MA Contractor Hub 30 to 60 days before it expires.
3. Pay the $100 renewal fee and any outstanding balance on your account in the Hub (paper applications and paper certified checks are sent back).
4. Once it's approved, generate your new digital registration card, and supplemental cards ($10 each) for officers, partners or staff.
5. Keep your registration number on every building permit, contract and ad.

Deadline checklist

• 60 days outStart your HIC renewal online in the MA Contractor Hub.
• 30 days outIf you haven't renewed yet, do it now: pay the $100 fee and any outstanding balance.
• 7 days outCheck the renewal was approved and generate your new digital registration card.
• Expiration dateAn expired registration means reapplying: a $150 registration fee plus the $100 to $500 Guaranty Fund payment.

Put this renewal in your calendar

Know your expiration date? Download a free calendar file with reminders before it, no sign-up needed. It's made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us (your browser keeps it only if you follow the sign-up link, for your new ledger). A Google Calendar button sends just that one event to Google.

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

Frequently asked questions