How Do I Know If Laravel Is Installed?

The quickest way to know if Laravel is installed is to open your terminal and run php artisan version inside your project folder. If Laravel is installed, it prints the version number. There are a few other ways to confirm it too: checking composer.json, looking in the vendor directory, or simply starting the app. 

In short, a working Laravel install announces itself the moment you ask Artisan for its version. Setting up and verifying Laravel correctly is part of Acquaint Softtech's Laravel development services.

Here are the quick checks at a glance, and Laravel's official Artisan documentation covers the command-line tool behind most of them:

The command line is the fastest check. Open your terminal or command prompt and run:

laravel -v

If Laravel's installer is present, this shows its version. There is an important distinction here, though: laravel -v reports the global installer, while the version of a specific project comes from Artisan. So, to check what a particular app is running (which is usually what builders want), move into the project folder and run php artisan, version instead; it reads the version straight from the installed framework. You can also run composer show laravel/framework to see the exact installed release. These commands are part of everyday Laravel web application development at Acquaint Softtech.

You can also confirm it by inspecting the project files. Open composer.json in the project's root directory and look for laravel/framework under the require section; if it is listed, Laravel is a dependency. Then check the root for a vendor directory and open it; if a laravel folder is inside, the dependencies are installed. These file-level checks are second nature in custom Laravel development.

The surest confirmation is to run the app. From the project's root folder, run:

php artisan serve

A local link (usually http://localhost:8000) is displayed; click it, and your project opens in the browser, proving the installation works end to end. If the Laravel welcome page loads, you are good to go. 

If instead you see an error, it usually points to a missing dependency or an environment issue rather than a missing framework, so run composer install and check your .env file first. Getting a local setup running smoothly is the kind of call Laravel consulting services at Acquaint Softtech can help with.

The original advice here was Laravel 9 (released February 8, 2022), which was the latest at the time. That has moved on: the current version is Laravel 13 (released March 2026, needing PHP 8.3 or newer), and new major versions now arrive roughly once a year. 

For any new project, start on the latest supported version; the reasons are covered in 5 reasons to upgrade to Laravel 13 today.

How do I check my Laravel version? Run php artisan, version in the project. What does laravel -v show? The installer's version, not the project's. Where is the version stored? In composer.json and the installed framework. 

Can I check it in code? Yes, App::version() returns it. How do I know it works? Run php artisan serve and open the link. Moving an older project to the latest release is handled by Laravel upgrade services at Acquaint Softtech.

Once you know which version you are on, it is worth keeping it current for security and new features; the process is walked through in the guide on how to upgrade your Laravel app from legacy versions. Regular updates also help maintain compatibility with modern PHP versions and third-party packages. Testing changes before deployment reduces unexpected errors and keeps your application running smoothly.

In short, to know if Laravel is installed, ask Artisan with php artisan, version, check composer.json and the vendor folder, or simply run the app; any one confirms it. To set up, verify, or upgrade your Laravel project, you can hire Laravel developers from Acquaint Softtech, an Official Laravel Partner, to get everything running right.

That is how you know if Laravel is installed: the version prints, the dependency is listed, the vendor folder is there, and the app boots in the browser. Any of these checks confirms a working installation, and php artisan version is the fastest of them. With that confirmed, builders can move straight on to building their application, ideally on the latest supported Laravel version.