Do contractors need to be certified or licensed in mold remediation?

And when hiring, what should I look for?

I can’t speak for other states but for California they do. In California you can check the state website for their licenses and additional certifications like the mold cert at cslb.ca.gov.

yes , you need certification for mold and also lead . ask to see their certification certificate .most are issued by the state or a state authorized training center.