The state attorney general this morning announced an initiative designed to protect homeowners from hiring unscrupulous contractors.

Coming on the heels of a new law that took effect yesterday requiring home improvement contractors to register with the state, Tom Corbett announced a program to allow consumers to verify those credentials.

Anyone hiring a contractor can contact the AG's office to check the registration status. Further, consumers will be able to do searches in their communities to find contractors who have already registered.

Businesses that perform more than $5,000 in work each year must register. In addition, they must include their state registration number on all estimates, contracts and advertisements. Further, the new law provides that for any job exceeding $500, a written contract between the company and customer must be executed.

When they register, contractors must also disclose any past criminal or civil actions filed against them. If any of the information included is false, Mr. Corbett said, the contractor could be charged with a crime.

Consumers can call 1-888-520-6680 or go to www.attorneygeneral.gov to verify registration.

Contactors can also register online or mail an application to the state office.

So far, nearly 32,000 state contractors have registered.