Do I need a license to be a handyman in Indiana?

The honest answer is: it depends on what you put your hands on, and where. Hanging a door, patching drywall, mounting a TV and rebuilding a deck rail sit in a different world than wiring a panel or repiping a bathroom. Skilled trades like electrical, plumbing and HVAC are the ones that typically bring licensing and permits into it, and the rules can come from the state, the county or the city depending on the work.

So don't ask the internet — including us. Ask the building or planning department for the town you're working in, and ask it in the shape of your actual jobs: "I'm doing X, Y and Z for pay — what do you require of me?" Get the answer before you quote work you can't legally finish, because a permit problem is a lot more expensive than a phone call.

The business side is not in doubt, and it's the part most handymen skip: a registered business, a real name, an invoice, a number people can actually reach, proof of insurance when a customer asks. That's what turns "the guy who does stuff" into the outfit people recommend at church.

Builders, not lawyers. Confirm licensing with your city, county and the state before the first paid job.