How to Fill Out the LIC6 Form: NYC Contractor Registration via DOB NOW

The LIC6 form is the application the NYC Department of Buildings uses to issue a general contractor registration for work on residential buildings with one, two, or three dwelling units. You complete and notarize the PDF, assemble a package of identification, insurance, and financial documents, and upload everything through the DOB NOW: Licensing portal with a $300 fee. Since September 2021, the agency no longer accepts paper or walk-in submissions for new registrations.1NYC Department of Buildings. Obtain a General Contractor Registration

Who the LIC6 Covers

The registration applies to anyone — individual, corporation, partnership, or other business entity — that applies for a permit to construct a new residential structure containing no more than three dwelling units.2NYC Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code Article 401 – General If you pull the permit, you need the registration.

A few groups are specifically excluded: tradespeople who already hold a DOB license (plumbers, electricians) and work only within that license’s scope, homeowners building a residence for their own occupancy, and subcontractors working under a registered general contractor’s permit. Larger projects fall outside the LIC6 entirely and require a separate Safety Registration on the LIC7, covered at the end of this article.

Qualifications to Meet Before You Apply

Every item below is a hard gate. Falling short on any one stops the application.

  • You must be at least 18 and able to read and write English.
  • You must satisfy a moral character review. A criminal record is not an automatic bar, but it draws closer scrutiny during the background investigation.
  • Your business must show financial solvency: three consecutive business bank statements with ending balances of at least $25,000 each, or a notarized, bank-stamped letter confirming the company held that minimum for three months.
  • If the business is a corporation or LLC, it must be in good standing under New York State law.
  • Neither you nor any business affiliated with you can have outstanding OATH penalties tied to your name or to any current or prior DOB-issued license.

The $25,000 rule catches people out. If the account dips below the threshold in any of the three months, the clock restarts, and you need a fresh three-month qualifying stretch before you can file.1NYC Department of Buildings. Obtain a General Contractor Registration

Documents and Insurance to Assemble

Build the whole file before you log in. Missing a single item bounces the application during intake.

Identification and Business Proof

For yourself: a government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, current passport, or permanent resident card) and your Social Security card, both as clear PDF scans. For the business: original IRS proof of your Employer Identification Number or Federal Tax Identification Number. The IRS issues an EIN free through its online application during business hours.3Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number

You also need original proof of your business address. The DOB accepts a utility bill (electricity, gas, or water), a bank statement, a deed, or a lease. Cell phone bills and credit card bills are explicitly rejected.1NYC Department of Buildings. Obtain a General Contractor Registration

Supplemental Forms and Letters

  • LIC50 or LIC51, the supplemental application that accompanies the LIC6.
  • The state Child Support Certification Form.
  • A notarized corporate letter on company letterhead listing the name, home address, phone number, Social Security number, and ownership percentage for every corporate officer, partner, or stakeholder.
  • The three months of qualifying business bank statements described above.

Entity-specific documents vary by structure. Corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and sole proprietors each face a slightly different checklist, and out-of-state businesses have their own supplements.1NYC Department of Buildings. Obtain a General Contractor Registration

Insurance Certificates

Three coverages are mandatory, each on a specific form:

  • General liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, on an ACORD 25 certificate.
  • Workers’ compensation, on Form C-105.2 from a private carrier or Form U-26.3 from the New York State Insurance Fund.
  • Disability benefits, on Form DB-120.1, certifying compliance with New York’s Disability Benefits Law.

Every certificate must list the certificate holder as: NYC Department of Buildings, Attn: Licensing & Exams Unit, 280 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.4NYC Department of Buildings. Licensing Insurance Guidelines The business name on each certificate must match the name on the LIC6 exactly. If it doesn’t, the licensing unit will reject the submission at intake.

You don’t fill out the workers’ compensation or disability certificates yourself. Your carrier or its licensed agent issues the C-105.2 or U-26.3 directly, so give them the DOB holder address above and allow a few business days.5New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. Certificate of NYS Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Filling Out the LIC6

Download the LIC6 PDF from the DOB’s licensing applications page.6NYC Buildings. Licensing Applications and Forms The form must be fully typed, completed, and notarized before upload.1NYC Department of Buildings. Obtain a General Contractor Registration

The top section collects personal information for every principal: last name, first name, middle initial, Social Security number, date of birth, home address, and percentage of control. Each officer or partner is listed.7New York City Department of Buildings. LIC6 NYC General Contractor Registration Form

The business section asks for company name, business address, phone and fax, city, state, zip, and EIN. Confirm the business name here matches your insurance certificates and your New York State corporate filing character for character.7New York City Department of Buildings. LIC6 NYC General Contractor Registration Form

The background investigation questionnaire takes up most of what remains. You answer yes or no on criminal convictions or guilty pleas, outstanding penalties owed to the City of New York, unpaid fines or fees tied to any company you’ve been associated with under a DOB-issued license, and whether any license, certification, or registration has ever been suspended, revoked, or denied.7New York City Department of Buildings. LIC6 NYC General Contractor Registration Form A “yes” doesn’t necessarily sink the application, but it triggers added scrutiny and slower processing. Answer truthfully. The investigation surfaces what you leave out, and a false statement is far worse than a disclosed one.

Once the form is complete, sign it in front of a notary. The notarized original is what you’ll scan and upload.

Submitting Through DOB NOW

All new general contractor registration applications go through DOB NOW: Licensing at nyc.gov/dobnow. Paper and walk-in submissions are not accepted.1NYC Department of Buildings. Obtain a General Contractor Registration Create a DOB NOW profile first if you don’t have one. The agency publishes a step-by-step guide for new license applications on its portal page.8NYC Department of Buildings. DOB NOW Licensing

Upload each document as a clear PDF into its designated field. The portal has separate slots for the LIC6, photo ID, insurance certificates, bank statements, and so on; don’t combine files unless the system tells you to. The registration fee is $300.9NYC Department of Buildings. General Contractor Registration

After payment and submission, the application enters review. Investigators verify your documents, run the background check, and confirm insurance and financial solvency. Track progress through the DOB NOW dashboard; the department sends approvals and requests for additional information by email tied to your portal account. Processing runs several weeks at minimum and varies with volume.

After Approval: Pickup and Renewal

If you pass the background investigation and meet every qualification, DOB NOW emails you an approval with pickup instructions for your registration card. You have one year from the approval date to collect it. Miss that window and the portal automatically closes the application as a denial, forcing you to restart the entire process.1NYC Department of Buildings. Obtain a General Contractor Registration All documents, especially insurance certificates, must still be active on the day you pick up the card.

A general contractor registration expires on its third anniversary. The commissioner may adjust the expiration date to spread renewals across the calendar year, so your actual expiration can shift slightly.10New York City Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code 28-418.1.1 – Expiration of Registration Renewal runs through DOB NOW: Licensing with its own guided workflow. Keep insurance coverage continuous; a gap between registration and renewal is a period where you cannot legally pull permits or perform the work.

When You Also Need a Safety Registration

The LIC6 covers general contracting on buildings of one to three dwelling units. Larger or more complex projects require a separate Safety Registration filed on the LIC7. That requirement is triggered by new buildings of any size, enlargements exceeding 25 percent of an existing building’s floor area, adding three or more stories, demolishing more than half a building’s floor area, removing entire floors, full demolitions, or placing 2,000 or more cubic yards of concrete.2NYC Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code Article 401 – General

Safety registrations carry three endorsements, selected to match your scope: Demolition (DM) for full or partial demolition, Concrete (CC) for placing 2,000 or more cubic yards in connection with excavations, foundations, or superstructures, and Construction (CN) for qualifying construction work that falls outside those thresholds. If your business later expands into demolition or large concrete jobs, add the appropriate endorsement at that time.11NYC Department of Buildings. LIC7 Instructions Many contractors end up carrying both the LIC6 registration and a safety registration, depending on the mix of jobs they take.