How can I verify a shower conversion company's license and insurance in Georgia?
Executive summary
To verify a Georgia shower-conversion company’s license, use the Georgia Secretary of State’s license lookup / Professional Licensing Boards Division online tools; the state’s sites provide real-time license verification for contractors and trade-specific boards (Secretary of State resources and license lookup) [1] [2] [3]. To confirm insurance, the Attorney General’s Consumer Ed guidance says check the company website for policy disclosures, request a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming you as the certificate holder, and contact the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance to verify insurers or agents [4] [5] [6].
1. Check the state license database first — the official public record
Start at the Georgia Secretary of State’s licensing/verification pages: the Licensing Division and the verification portal allow searches by name or license number and reflect board actions and renewal status [1] [2] [3]. The Secretary of State hosts division pages for trade boards — for example, the Master and Journeyman Plumbers division publishes FAQs and licensing procedures — so use the relevant board if the work involves regulated trades [7] [8].
2. What to look for in the license record
A proper search result should show the entity or individual’s license type, status (active, suspended, expired), any disciplinary actions, and renewal dates; some boards let you purchase formal verifications through your GOALS account [7] [3]. Consumer-facing pages from the Attorney General explicitly point users to the Secretary of State site as the correct place to confirm whether a contractor “holds a business license with the State of Georgia” [4].
3. Insurance — company disclosures, COI, and independent checks
Georgia consumer guidance recommends first checking the contractor’s website for public liability policy information and, if nothing is posted, asking the company’s insurance agent for confirmation [4]. Industry pages and local installer advice reinforce asking for a Certificate of Insurance (COI) that lists your address and shows current coverage — a COI is what insurers and homeowners use to process claims if damage occurs [9] [9].
4. Verify insurers and agents through state insurance resources
To validate that an insurer or agent is licensed in Georgia, use the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire’s agent/company search or company search tools; the Commissioner’s office oversees licensing for insurers and can confirm whether a carrier is authorized to write policies in Georgia [5] [6] [10]. The state site also advises using 1-800-GEORGIA to confirm official state websites when in doubt [11] [5].
5. Workers’ comp and obligations for businesses with employees
Under Georgia law, most residential/general contractors must carry general liability insurance, and businesses with three or more employees must carry workers’ compensation; the Attorney General’s consumer guidance flags these requirements and suggests consumers ask directly about workers’ comp coverage when employees will be working in the home [4].
6. Practical steps for consumers before signing a contract
Ask for: (a) the contractor’s exact name as shown in the Secretary of State record, (b) license number and board name so you can verify online, (c) a current COI explicitly naming you or your property address, and (d) the insurer/agent contact info so you can confirm the COI with the Georgia insurance department [4] [9] [5]. Industry how-to pieces also recommend insisting on written contracts, warranties, and COIs to screen out low-price operators who may be uninsured [12] [9].
7. Red flags and limits of public records
Red flags include a contractor refusing to provide a license number, refusing to produce a COI, or a license that shows suspended or expired status in the Secretary of State lookup [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not mention a single unified national registry for shower conversion firms — verification requires combining state license checks and insurer validation (not found in current reporting).
8. When things go wrong — reporting and escalation
If verification fails or you suspect false claims, the Consumer Ed site and relevant state offices guide next steps: report deceptive practices to the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and contact the Commissioner of Insurance for suspected insurance fraud; both agencies provide consumer resources on their sites [4] [10]. Use official contact channels — the state recommends 1-800-GEORGIA to confirm authentic state web pages and phone numbers before sharing personal or payment information [11] [13].
Limitations: state boards provide authoritative license status but may not list every subcontractor an installer uses; COIs can be forged, so consumers should confirm insurers via the Commissioner’s company or agent search [7] [6]. Sources disagree only in emphasis — licensing databases are the legal record (Secretary of State) while consumer guides stress practical insurance checks (Attorney General; Insurance Commissioner) — both are necessary to reduce risk [1] [4] [5].