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How to Verify a Professional's License in Richmond?

Hiring a licensed professional is always a good idea if you want your project to be performed to professionally accepted standards. There are currently about 317,800 licensed professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia, all of whom are qualified to practice in Richmond. These professionals include contractors, engineers, and architects, and they are licensed through the 20 boards of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. To verify the license of a professional in Richmond, you may use the License Lookup portal maintained by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.

When executing certain projects, such as construction, renovations, or other building-related contracts in Richmond, you may also require a permit. To find out what permits are required and details on how to obtain permits in Richmond, you may email the Richmond Permit Center or call the center at (804) 646-4169.

Do Richmond Neighborhood Councils
Issue Permits?

Richmond is divided into nine voter districts in which the city's inhabitants reside. It also has a city council that is responsible for passing and amending local laws, approving the city's budget, and providing policy and government oversight. Voter's in each of the city's nine districts elect a representative to the city council to make up a total of nine council members. To find out what voter district you belong to and also obtain more information on your council representative, you may access the city's District Maps online.

The functions of the Richmond city council do not extend to the issuance of home improvement or construction permits. However, it reviews zoning and land use within the city. On the 1st of March 2021, the city approved the sale of the Public Safety Building at 510 North 10th Street to make way for a new $325 million redevelopment project downtown. It is estimated that the new development will generate significant income for the city, including nearly $60 million of real estate tax in 25 years. There are also plans to reduce the housing deficit within the city and construction is underway for the renovation and conversion of a 12 story building at 629 East Main Street into 188 apartment units.

How to File an Unfair Business
Complaint in Richmond?

Unfair business complaints in Richmond, Virginia may be filed on the basis of fraud, illegal practices, and other sharp practices by businesses or professionals. You may file an unfair business complaint with the Attorney General of Virginia or the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation(DPOR).

Complaints may be made to the Attorney General's office using an online complaint form or by downloading a complaint form and sending it to

• Office of the Attorney General of Virginia
• Consumer Protection Section
• 202 North Ninth street
• Richmond, VA 23219

Not all complaints may be handled by the Attorney General's Office and you can confirm if your complaint falls under one of the categories handled by the Attorney General using the Agency Search tool provided by the Office. When a complaint is received by the Attorney General it is reviewed and may be forwarded to a more appropriate agency to handle. A copy of the complaint will be sent to the business and the office will serve as a mediator between both parties.

Complaints that are made to the DPOR must be in relation to professionals licensed by one of the boards under it. You can make complaints by filling the DPOR's online complaint form or by sending a downloaded complaint form to

• Compliance and Investigations Division
• Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
• 9960 Mayland Drive
• Suite 400
• Richmond, VA 23233-1463

When a complaint is received by the DPOR, a review is carried out to determine if a violation of board regulations or laws has occurred. If an investigation determines that there has been a violation, the appropriate board will take the necessary disciplinary action against the business or professional.

It is important to note that the DPOR and the Attorney General's Office do not have the power to enforce private remedies like refunds or compel a business to correct deficiencies. If you are unsatisfied with the resolution by the DPOR or the Attorney General's Office, you can seek personal remedies available by filing a legal claim at a Richmond Small Claims Court.