New York Mold Contractor Licensing Rules

Two Types of New York Mold Licenses

New York issues two distinct license types under Labor Law Article 32:

Individual mold workers (not companies) must also hold personal mold certifications. NY DOL issues separate individual assessor and remediator certifications — the licenses in our directory represent company-level licenses.

The Conflict-of-Interest Rule

New York Labor Law §936 establishes the COI rule, and it is broader than most states:

• §936(2): No licensee shall perform both mold assessment and mold remediation on the same property.
• §936(3): No person shall own an interest in both the licensee who performs mold assessment services and the licensee who performs mold remediation services on the same property.

The Written Protocol Requirement

New York's law is especially strict about the written protocol: all mold remediation in New York must be preceded by a written protocol from a licensed mold assessment contractor. No remediation work can begin without it.

The protocol must specify the scope of work, containment procedures, and clearance criteria. After remediation is complete, a licensed assessor must perform clearance testing to confirm the work meets the protocol's standards. If clearance fails, additional remediation is required before the property is cleared.

What This Means When You Hire

1. Hire a licensed mold assessment contractor (SH125) to inspect your property and write a remediation protocol. Get this protocol in writing before any remediation work begins.
2. Hire a separate mold remediation contractor (SH126) to perform the work in the protocol. This contractor cannot be affiliated with the assessment contractor for the same property.
3. Schedule clearance testing with the assessment contractor (or a different assessor) after remediation is complete. NY law requires a clearance certificate before the property is considered remediated.

Can a Company Hold Both Licenses?

New York does not explicitly prohibit a company from holding both an SH125 and SH126 license. However, the ownership restriction in §936(3) effectively prevents a dual-licensed company from using both licenses on the same property — because one entity cannot own an interest in both the assessing and remediating licensee on the same job.

Contractors in our directory who hold both NY licenses are shown with both the "Remediation" and "Inspection & Assessment" badges. They may offer either service, but they cannot legally perform both for you on the same property.

How to Verify a New York Mold Contractor's License

Verify any New York mold contractor through the NY Department of Labor license verification system. Look for:

• License type: Mold Assessment Contractor License (SH125) or Mold Remediation Contractor License (SH126)
• License status: Active
• No disciplinary actions or violations

Our directory is sourced from NY DOL license data via the NY Open Data API. Verify directly with NY DOL before hiring — our data is periodically refreshed but may not reflect same-day status changes.