TradesAPI provides structured access to publicly-available state government licensing records about business entities and the natural persons (such as sole proprietors and qualifying individuals) associated with them. TradesAPI is not a consumer reporting agency as defined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(f), and the data we provide is not a "consumer report" under 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(d). Because the data is not assembled or used as a factor in any individual consumer's eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, or similar purposes, it does not fall within the FCRA's definition of a consumer report.
This non-CRA posture depends on customers using the service only for the permitted business purposes described below and refraining from any FCRA-regulated use. Misuse converts otherwise public-record data into a regulated consumer report under FCRA case law and exposes both the customer and TradesAPI to liability.
"FCRA-regulated purpose" means any use of data that would cause the data, in whole or in part, to constitute a "consumer report" under 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(d), including any of the permissible purposes enumerated in 15 U.S.C. § 1681b. This includes employment, credit, insurance, tenant screening, and government licensing decisions about individual consumers, regardless of whether the customer would otherwise be considered a Consumer Reporting Agency.
Business-to-business verification of contractor licenses, including:
You may not use TradesAPI, in whole or in part, for any FCRA-regulated purpose, including but not limited to:If you need this data for an FCRA-regulated purpose, you must obtain it from a licensed Consumer Reporting Agency that has FCRA-compliant procedures, dispute resolution, and accuracy controls. TradesAPI is not that agency.
- Employment screening, pre-employment background checks, or promotion/retention/reassignment decisions about individuals
- Credit eligibility, credit grant, credit review, or other consumer credit decisions
- Insurance underwriting, eligibility, premium-setting, or claims-eligibility decisions about individual consumers
- Tenant or housing screening decisions, including landlord/property-owner decisions to rent or lease residential property
- Eligibility for a license, professional certification, or other government benefit where the grantor is required by law to consider the applicant's financial responsibility or character (15 U.S.C. § 1681b(a)(3)(D))
- Eligibility for any personal (non-business) credit, insurance, product, or service primarily for personal, family, or household purposes
- Volunteer screening, childcare or elder-care provider screening, or any other individual background check where the subject is a natural person being evaluated for a role
- Any other "permissible purpose" listed in 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, or any use where the data would be used in whole or in part as a factor in establishing the consumer's eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, or any other purpose authorized under § 1681b
We monitor usage patterns for signs of prohibited use (e.g., aggregation patterns, rate-limit bypass, suspicious volume against single licensees). Suspected violations result in immediate suspension without refund. Confirmed violations may be reported to relevant authorities where we are required or permitted by law to do so.
Report suspected abuse by others or concerns about your own compliance to hello@tradesapi.com.