Guide · The Honest One

How to verify your FORTIFIED roofer in Oklahoma

Most roofing sites tell you to check a roofer's license. In Oklahoma that advice misses, because there is no residential roofing license to check. What protects you here is a specific set of credentials you can verify yourself, and knowing them is the single best defense against a bad hire after a storm. This guide is the honest version.

Is there a roofing license in Oklahoma

No. Oklahoma roofers register with the Construction Industries Board under the Roofing Contractor Registration Act. The Residential Roofing Endorsement created by House Bill 1628 becomes required for residential roofing work on January 1, 2028, and a roofer earns it by passing a CIB-approved exam. Both sit on the registration. Neither is a license or a state certification, so anyone advertising a state roofing license or a state certification is describing something that does not exist. The right question is not about a license, but whether they are registered, endorsed, and, for grant work, rostered.

Source: Oklahoma CIB, endorsement notice and oklahoma.gov/cib; House Bill 1628, Senate Bill 1873 and House Bill 3800.

The four things to verify

CIB registration and the endorsement. Confirm the roofer is registered with the Construction Industries Board on the CIB lookup, and ask whether they hold or have applied for the Residential Roofing Endorsement that becomes required on January 1, 2028.
The OKReady roster. For grant work, confirm the roofer is on the published state roster at oid.ok.gov/okready-contractors.
The IBHS credential. Confirm FORTIFIED experience in the IBHS directory at fortifiedhome.org, and confirm the evaluator is independent of the installer.
Insurance. Ask for a current certificate of insurance direct from the carrier.

The HB 1628 endorsement, explained

The Residential Roofing Endorsement is the newest piece, and its dates moved after the bill passed. Under House Bill 1628 as amended by Senate Bill 1873 and House Bill 3800, the transition period opens January 1, 2027 and the endorsement is required for residential roofing work from January 1, 2028. A roofer earns it by passing a CIB-approved exam, scored at least 70 percent and administered by PSI. Roofers registered and in good standing on or before January 1, 2027 can instead be grandfathered in, by applying and either passing the exam or completing 10 hours of approved continuing education, and that route closes January 1, 2028. So today a roofer who does not hold it is not doing anything wrong. It is a genuine step up in accountability, and from January 1, 2028 it gives you one more real thing to confirm, but it is still an endorsement on a registration, not a license.

Red flags after a storm

A door knocker pressuring you to sign a contract the day after a hailstorm.
A refusal to put the FORTIFIED upgrades as separate, itemized lines in writing.
A claim that the company's own staff performs the FORTIFIED evaluation. It must be independent.
Anyone promising a tornado-proof roof. FORTIFIED is a high wind and hail standard, not a tornado rating.

A free quote brings in rostered local roofing professionals, and the OKReady quotes page covers choosing among your three bids. The FORTIFIED retrofit page covers the work itself, and the Oklahoma FORTIFIED Roofing Guide is the hub.

Before You Sign Anything

Verify your FORTIFIED roofer and grant eligibility in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has no residential roofing license, so a homeowner's protection is what they check themselves. Four real credentials, in the order you confirm them:

1. CIB registration and the new endorsement

Oklahoma roofers register with the Construction Industries Board under the Roofing Contractor Registration Act. That registration is what a roofer must hold today. House Bill 1628, as amended by Senate Bill 1873 and House Bill 3800, adds a Residential Roofing Endorsement earned by a CIB-approved exam, and the CIB says it becomes required for residential roofing work on January 1, 2028, after a transition period that opens January 1, 2027. So confirm the registration now, and ask whether the roofer holds or has applied for the endorsement. Both sit on the registration, not a license.

Basis: Oklahoma CIB, endorsement notice and oklahoma.gov/cib; House Bill 1628, Senate Bill 1873 and House Bill 3800.

2. The OKReady approved roster

Grant-funded work must be done by a contractor on the state OKReady approved roster, and the grant asks you to pick three of them for bids. Confirm the roofer is on the published list before you sign anything.

Verify at oid.ok.gov/okready-contractors.

3. The IBHS FORTIFIED credential

The designation is not the roofer's word. An independent IBHS-certified evaluator documents the work, and IBHS itself issues the certificate to the property. IBHS lists FORTIFIED-trained professionals and evaluators in a public directory.

Directory: fortifiedhome.org.

4. A current certificate of insurance

Ask for a current certificate of insurance direct from the carrier, plus a written, itemized estimate that lists the FORTIFIED upgrades separately from the base re-roof. The itemized line is how you confirm the sealed deck and enhanced nailing are actually in the job.

Ask the contractor and confirm with the insurer named on the certificate.

Three questions to ask before you sign

What is your CIB roofing registration, and do you hold or have you applied for the Residential Roofing Endorsement, so I can check both?
Who performs the FORTIFIED evaluation, and is that evaluator independent of your company?
Will the written estimate itemize the FORTIFIED upgrades separately from the base re-roof?

Questions and Answers

Verifying an Oklahoma roofer

Is there a roofing license to check in Oklahoma?

No. Oklahoma has no residential roofing license. Roofers register with the Construction Industries Board, and a Residential Roofing Endorsement earned by exam becomes required for residential work on January 1, 2028. Neither is a license, so what you verify is the registration, the endorsement, the OKReady roster spot for grant work, the IBHS credential, and insurance.

What is the HB 1628 endorsement?

House Bill 1628 created a Residential Roofing Endorsement that a roofer earns by passing a CIB-approved exam. Senate Bill 1873 and House Bill 3800 then moved the dates: the transition period opens January 1, 2027, and the endorsement is required for residential roofing work from January 1, 2028. Roofers registered and in good standing on or before January 1, 2027 can be grandfathered in, until January 1, 2028. It sits on the CIB registration; it is not a separate license or a state certification.

How do I confirm a roofer is on the OKReady roster?

Check the published list at oid.ok.gov/okready-contractors and confirm the name is current before you sign. Roster placement is set by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is the gate for grant-funded work, so it is worth confirming yourself.

What are the red flags to watch for?

A door knocker pushing you to sign the day after a storm, a refusal to itemize the FORTIFIED upgrades in writing, a company that says its own staff performs the FORTIFIED evaluation, or anyone promising a tornado-proof roof. Slow down, verify the credentials, and get the written estimate.