Government is large, and sometimes overreaching, but there are a few arms of it that are actually really useful and can protect the citizenry — if you know where to look.

Earlier this month, Governor Phil Murphy signed a new law requiring the licensure of home improvement and home-elevation contractors. We’ve all heard horror stories of contractors who either take money and never finish the work or do such a poor job that a project simply falls apart. This issue, unfortunately, seems to be that much more prevalent after major storms or natural disasters like Superstorm Sandy leave people scrambling to make repairs. Thankfully, the majority of New Jersey’s contractors are decent, hardworking people, but consumers still need to be watchful against scams, fraud and dishonesty.

It is ultimately on each and every consumer to make sure that they are hiring licensed professionals — and not just for home improvement projects.

The advent of social media has made it easier for unethical people to create posts and advertisements for services that they can’t legally perform without the proper credentials. These listings range from fairly innocuous — though still troubling — offers by home-based nail techs, contractors, handymen and hairdressers to more inherently problematic ones by unlicensed individuals claiming to be therapists, educational consultants or financial professionals.

Facebook, X, Instagram and their ilk don’t have any type of vetting system in place to weed out posts from people posing as doctors, plumbers or athletic trainers, nor do they care about whether their advertisers are registered businesses, licensed professionally, or even real people — they only care about money. Unlike when you look at the advertisers in our newspapers — we know them (often for decades), and yes, we check the licensure of new advertisers when applicable.

While the experiences of friends and neighbors can be helpful, it is incumbent upon you, the consumer, to check the qualifications of anyone you hire. Luckily, New Jersey has a convenient website to help you do just that: newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/.

Not internet savvy? Not a problem. The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has a hotline — (800) 242-5846 — and they will be happy to assist.

They will also be happy to help you verify whether a charity is registered and in compliance with their state filings by calling the Charitable Registration Hotline at (973) 504-6215 or searching at njconsumeraffairs.state.nj.us/public-charity-search-results/.

The DCA is a rather unsung hero of our state government. Behind the scenes, they are not only responsible for investigating claims against licensed professionals; they monitor everything from professionals, to price gouging, to the regulation of boardwalk games of chance to make sure they are fair. They have actual power and operate from within the office of the state attorney general — so unlike your local “neighbors group” or even the Better Business Bureau, the DCA’s information is both reliable and consistently monitored. If you are the victim of a bad business, they can help.

So before you hire your next home improvement contractor, marriage counselor, hairdresser, or home appraiser — check them out before you write the check so you don’t get more (or less) than you bargained for.