Building permits in New York
2 jurisdictions, each with the department that issues, its portal and its phone number. Cities issue their own permits; counties cover unincorporated areas, which is the distinction that sends most contractors to the wrong office.
2 checked against the department's own page
Licensing
No statewide general-contractor license — requirements are local; e.g., NYC requires a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license plus DOB General Contractor registration, and Nassau/Suffolk/Westchester each license their own.
No statewide GC license (local licensing); NYC Dept. of Consumer & Worker Protection (DCWP) + NYC Dept. of Buildings (DOB)