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Does a painter need a license in Virginia?

Usually yes. In Virginia a painter doing paid work valued at $1,000 or more needs a contractor license with a painting or general building classification, and in pre-1978 homes EPA lead-safe certification. A homeowner painting their own primary residence is exempt. Look up the license on DPOR before hiring.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Ask for the license details

    Ask the painter for their Virginia license number, class and specialty.

  2. Step 2: Look it up with DPOR

    Look the license up on DPOR's license lookup rather than relying on a business card.[7]

  3. Step 3: Check the class against the job

    Confirm that the class fits the size of the contract, and that the specialty covers painting.[1]

  4. Step 4: Ask about lead-safe certification

    If the house was built before 1978, ask whether the firm is lead-safe certified.[8]

  5. Step 5: Get a written contract

    Insist on a written contract for the work.[7]

Yes for most paid work, no for painting your own home

A painter working for homeowners in Virginia needs a contractor license once the work is large enough. If you are painting your own home, you do not.

The law starts with a plain rule: no person shall engage in, or offer to engage in, contracting work in the Commonwealth unless he has been licensed.[2] A contractor is anyone who, for a fixed price, commission, fee, or percentage undertakes to bid upon, or accepts, or offers to accept, orders or contracts for performing the construction, removal, repair, or improvement of any building or structure, so repainting counts as work done for a fee.[1]

When the license is required

The Board for Contractors says that if the work you are considering is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia contractor's license is required for the license category in which the contractor is to work.[7] The statute sets the lowest license class, Class C, for a single contract or project over $1,000 but less than $30,000.[1] Class B starts at $30,000 and Class A at $150,000 for a single project.[1]

A paint roller on an extension pole painting a brick wall orange-red
Photo: Michael Cory, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A small job under $1,000 falls below the Board's threshold. A whole house, several rooms or a repeat contract may well be over it.

Which license a painter holds

A license has two parts: the class (A, B or C), which sets the size of contracts that may be performed, and the classification or specialty, which sets the type of work allowed.[6] For painting, the specialty is painting and wallcovering contracting (PTC), defined as the application of materials common to the painting and decorating industry for protective or decorative purposes, which includes surface preparation, caulking, sanding, and cleaning preparatory to painting and covers both interior and exterior surfaces.[4]

A general building license can also cover the work. The regulations say the CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties also provide for this function.[4] Home improvement contracting (HIC) is defined as the service that provides for repairs or improvements to dwellings and townhouses.[4]

There is no separate tradesman card for painters. Virginia defines a tradesman as someone working for the public in the trades of electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and painting is not among them.[5]

The homeowner exception

The licensing law does not apply to a person who performs or supervises the construction, removal, repair, or improvement of no more than one primary residence owned by him and for his own use during any 24-month period.[3] That covers painting your own home. The wording is limited to a residence you own and use yourself, so it does not obviously reach someone else's home.

Older homes need lead-safe certification as well

A contractor license is not the only credential. EPA's rule says anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices, and this includes all firms, even sole proprietorships.[8] If your house was built before 1978, ask the painter for their lead-safe certification as well as their Virginia license.

How to check a painter

  1. Ask for the license number and the class and specialty on it.
  2. Look it up on DPOR's license lookup. A license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor's license is valid.[7]
  3. Ask for a written contract; Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide one for residential work.[7]
  4. Ask about lead-safe certification if the house predates 1978.

Hiring a licensed contractor makes you eligible to receive monetary compensation from the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund in case of improper or dishonest conduct.[7] By contrast, if you contract with someone who does not hold a license, the Board for Contractors may not be able to help you resolve a complaint.[7]

Stop and call a pro if

  • A painter says no license is needed for a larger job. Check the dollar amount against the $1,000 threshold, and look up the license yourself.[7]
  • The house predates 1978 and the work will sand, scrape or strip paint. Hire a lead-safe certified contractor.[8]
  • The painter wants a large deposit or will not put the price in writing. The Board's rule of thumb is a deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less.[7]

Next steps

Before you get quotes, read how much it costs to paint a room in Virginia. If you are doing it yourself, see how to paint a room without getting paint on the ceiling. More are in painting answers, and you can browse the painting category.

When you are ready, describe the job and local painters will quote it.

Common questions

Do I need a license to paint my own house?
No. Virginia's contractor licensing law does not apply to a person who works on no more than one primary residence owned by him and for his own use during any 24-month period.
Does a handyman need a license to paint a room?
If the work is valued at $1,000 or more, yes, a Virginia contractor license in the right category is required, whatever the person calls themselves. Below that, no license is required by that threshold, but get a written contract.
What license should a painter have?
A contractor license with the painting and wallcovering (PTC) specialty, or a general building or home improvement license that also covers painting, in a class that fits the size of the job.
How do I check a painter's license?
Look up the number on DPOR's license lookup. A number printed on a card or advertisement does not mean the license is valid.
Does a painter need lead-safe certification?
In a home or child-occupied facility built before 1978, yes. EPA's rule requires anyone paid to disturb paint there to be certified in lead-safe work practices, including sole proprietors.
What if I hire an unlicensed painter?
The Board for Contractors may not be able to help you resolve a complaint, and you would not be eligible to claim from the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund.

Sources

  1. [1] Va. Code § 54.1-1100. Definitions, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] Va. Code § 54.1-1103. Necessity for license, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] Va. Code § 54.1-1101. Exemptions; failure to obtain certificate of occupancy; penalties, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] 18VAC50-22-30. Definitions of specialty services (Board for Contractors Regulations), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] Va. Code § 54.1-1128. Definitions (Tradesmen), Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
  6. [6] Board for Contractors, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  7. [7] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.
  8. [8] Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.

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