How to Verify a California Contractor's License

California puts the trade on the license itself. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) issues one contractor license and stamps it with a classification, so the same lookup that confirms a plumber also confirms a roofer or a pool builder.

CSLB's rule is not a trade list. In its own words, anyone who contracts to perform work on a project that requires a building permit, or uses employee labor or worker(s), or contracts for work valued at $1,000 or more for combined labor and materials costs must hold a current, valid license from CSLB. And the number is supposed to follow the contractor around: contractors are required to have their license number on their business card and on all bids and contracts.

Where to check

The official tool is CSLB's Check a Contractor License or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) Registration page. It searches by license number, by business name, by the name of a person on the license, and by a salesperson's registration number or name. On the number itself, the page says a California contractor license number doesn't contain alphabetic characters and that you should begin entry of your license number at the left position and don't exceed 8 digits.

CSLB does not support a direct link to an individual record, which is why every California listing on this site shows the number for you to paste into that form.

Get the number from the person in front of you

Search by number, not by name, whenever you can. CSLB's advice for the bid visit: when the contractor comes to your house to give you a bid, ask to see their pocket license, along with a picture I.D. Then make sure the person you're dealing with is the same person on the license. A salesperson holds a different credential, a registration, not a license: those people must be registered with CSLB as a Home Improvement Salesperson. Ask to see the registration card, along with a picture I.D. The same lookup page checks that registration number.

How to read the record

Status. The one status that means the license is in good standing is CLEAR. CSLB has no "expired" status. Its other status values are suspensions, with names such as contractor bond suspension, workers' compensation suspension and liability insurance suspension. A license can read CLEAR and still be past its expiration date, so read the expiration date as a second check.

Classification. A license can carry more than one classification, and the trade you are hiring for has to be on it. Class B is General Building Contractor, and CSLB is specific about its limits: a general building contractor also may contract for specialty work, but must hold a specialty license for that work or actually have a specialty contractor do the work. The only exception is if the job requires more than two types of work on a building. By that rule, a Class B contractor bidding a reroof alone needs a C-39 on the license, or a C-39 contractor doing the work.

Contractor bond. CSLB says licensed contractors are required to have a contractor license bond of $25,000. The amount is the same for nearly every licensee, so it tells you nothing about one contractor against another. When the bond is the problem, the status reads as a contractor bond suspension rather than CLEAR.

Workers' compensation. In California, if a contractor has employees, they are required to carry workers' compensation insurance. The record shows a workers' compensation policy, an exemption, or a note that the license does not have current cover. An exemption is a lawful statement that the licensee has no employees, not a red flag by itself; it becomes one when the contractor brings employees to your job under a license marked exempt. For C-20 HVAC, C-39 roofing and C-8 concrete, California requires the cover for the classification regardless, so expect a policy. One more thing: commercial general liability insurance is not required; however, it covers damage to your property. The workers' compensation field is not liability cover, so ask for a liability certificate separately.

The credential names, trade by trade

The names below are the state's own, from CSLB's classification list and Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, for every trade this site lists in California:

• Home systems: C-36 Plumbing, C-10 Electrical, C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning, C-39 Roofing, C-2 Insulation and Acoustical, C-46 Solar, C-7 Low Voltage Systems, C-42 Sanitation System (septic), C-57 Well Drilling.
• Building and renovation: B General Building (general contractors), C-33 Painting and Decorating, C-8 Concrete, C-54 Ceramic and Mosaic Tile, C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering, C-9 Drywall, C-17 Glazing, C-29 Masonry, C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry, C-35 Lathing and Plastering (stucco), and D-28 doors, gates and activating devices, a limited specialty under C-61.
• Outdoor: C-27 Landscaping, C-53 Swimming Pool, C-13 Fencing, C-12 Earthwork and Paving, and tree work under C-49 Tree and Palm or the older D-49 Tree Service limited specialty.
• Pest control: not a CSLB license at all. See below.

Four California traps

1. The name search misses sole owners. Many California licenses are held by one person under their own name, and CSLB files those surname first. The lookup page's own tip: if you cannot find the license by using the business name, and it contains a first and last name, type the last name first.
2. Two codes for one trade. California renamed tree work to C-49 Tree and Palm in 2024, and older D-49 Tree Service licenses are still being converted, so a tree contractor may legitimately show either code. Garage doors run the other way: California has no garage door classification, and a door and gate contractor should show D-28, doors, gates and activating devices.
3. Pest control is a different board. Structural pest work is licensed by the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) under the Department of Consumer Affairs, separately from CSLB, so a CSLB search will not show the license of a pest control company. Use the SPCB licensee search or the department-wide DCA License Search, where each license record will reflect if a license is current, expired, or has been subject to disciplinary action like suspension or revocation. The board numbers company registrations and branch office licenses in separate series, so the same number can belong to two unrelated companies: match the name and the license type as well.
4. The contract must carry the number too. The contract also must identify the contractor, and give their address and license number. Compare it with the one you looked up: same license, same business name.

What this site checks for you

Every California contractor listing here, pest control aside, is built from CSLB's own license file. A company appears on a trade page only when its license reads CLEAR, is unexpired on the data date, and carries the classification for that trade. Each listing shows the license number so you can run the same check yourself, and the methodology page spells out the rest. Start from the California hub to find a city.