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California contractor license statistics

Data as of CSLB's License Master file dated Oct 20, 2026 · re-run Oct 22, 2026 · methodology · download the CSV

Every number here comes from the public license file CSLB publishes on its data portal. We count it the same way the rest of the site does, so these totals match the listings. Want one contractor instead of all of them? Look up a single license.

The file only has licenses that are current or still renewable. Cancelled and revoked licenses aren't in it, so counts by issue year are survivors. City is the CSLB mailing address, not where the work happens.

The numbers

233,184

active contractor licenses

Status CLEAR, not marked inactive, not past expiration on the file date. How it's counted

225,351

active licenses with a California address

The ones this site lists. The rest have out-of-state or incomplete addresses. How it's counted

50.8%

of active C-36 plumbers are workers' comp exempt

8,786 of 17,279. Exempt means they told CSLB they have no employees. How it's counted

50.9%

of active C-10 electricians are exempt

13,710 of 26,923. For B general builders it's 57.2%. How it's counted

0.1% / 0%

of HVAC (C-20) and roofing (C-39) licensees are exempt

Those classes must carry workers' comp even with no employees, so almost none are. How it's counted

4,153

active licenses with "WC Susp Pending"

CSLB has marked a workers' comp suspension as pending. Still active on the file date. How it's counted

7,043

active licenses with any CSLB flag

A secondary status or a pending suspension date. These don't get the green License Verified stamp here. How it's counted

3,170

active licenses with a bond cancellation date

If the bond isn't replaced within 30 days of CSLB's notice, the license is suspended. How it's counted

232,952

active licenses show a $25,000 bond

That's 99.9% of active licenses. $25,000 has been the required amount since Jan 1, 2023. How it's counted

18,040

licenses expire within 90 days

Active licenses with an expiration date on or before Jan 18, 2027. How it's counted

6,935

workers' comp policies expire within 30 days

Active licenses whose WC policy expiration falls within 30 days of the file date. How it's counted

13.2 yrs

median age of an active license

Years since the original issue date, among active licenses. How it's counted

14,915

licenses first issued in 2025 are still active

Survivors only: licenses issued in 2025 and later cancelled aren't in the file. How it's counted

43,578

active licenses hold more than one class

18.7% of active licenses. How it's counted

4,852

business names are shared by 2+ licenses

12,810 licenses in all. Always check the number, not just the name. How it's counted

Workers' comp by trade

TradeActive, CA addressWC exemptExempt sharePolicy, self-insured or leasing
General Building & ADU licenses by city (B)100,20057,32557.2%42,393
Plumbing licenses by city (C-36)17,2798,78650.8%8,420
Electrical licenses by city (C-10)26,92313,71050.9%13,122
HVAC licenses by city (C-20)11,38780.1%11,375
Roofing licenses by city (C-39)5,39810%5,371
Solar licenses by city (C-46)1,08336533.7%713
Pools & Spas licenses by city (C-53)2,8101,14940.9%1,651
Landscaping licenses by city (C-27)11,9274,62738.8%7,229
Painting licenses by city (C-33)15,2118,01652.7%7,088
Concrete licenses by city (C-8)5,176110.2%5,162
Licenses holding that class, active with a California address. "Exempt" means the licensee certified to CSLB that they have no employees. Methodology.

CSLB requires these classes to carry workers' comp even with no employees: C-8 (11 of 5,297 active show exempt), C-20 (8 of 11,623 active show exempt), C-22 (1 of 317 active show exempt), C-39 (1 of 5,552 active show exempt), D-49 (7 of 2,655 active show exempt). Source: CSLB workers' comp page.

Active licenses by class (top 20)

ClassNameActive licenses
BGeneral Building103,315
C-10Electrical28,100
C-36Plumbing17,573
C-33Painting and Decorating15,508
AGeneral Engineering14,723
C-27Landscaping12,057
C-20Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning (HVAC)11,623
C-15Flooring and Floor Covering6,706
C-54Ceramic and Mosaic Tile6,071
C-39Roofing5,552
C-8Concrete5,297
C-7Low Voltage Systems4,672
C-6Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry4,235
C-9Drywall3,196
C-17Glazing3,037
C-53Swimming Pool2,850
D-28Doors, Gates and Activating Devices2,804
D-49Tree Service2,655
C-12Earthwork and Paving2,416
C-16Fire Protection2,212
A license with several classes counts once in each. All active licenses, any address. Methodology.

By county (top 15)

CountyActive, CA address
Los Angeles47,541
San Diego20,704
Orange19,332
Riverside15,792
San Bernardino10,701
Sacramento9,484
Santa Clara9,418
Contra Costa7,273
Alameda7,249
Ventura6,302
Sonoma5,367
San Mateo4,587
Placer4,557
Fresno4,135
San Francisco3,782
County on the CSLB record. Methodology.

By mailing city (top 15)

Mailing city is where the license is addressed, not everywhere the contractor works. Many contractors in the City of Los Angeles use a neighborhood name like Van Nuys or Sherman Oaks, so "Los Angeles" undercounts the city.

CityActive, CA address
Los Angeles licenses by trade6,413
San Diego licenses by trade5,810
San Jose licenses by trade4,916
Sacramento licenses by trade4,013
San Francisco licenses by trade3,781
Bakersfield2,665
Riverside2,628
Fresno2,457
Anaheim2,068
Santa Rosa2,049
Escondido1,728
Oakland1,566
Santa Ana1,477
Corona1,467
El Cajon1,414
Active licenses whose CSLB mailing address is in that city. Methodology.

First issued, by year (survivors)

Survivorship caveat: these are licenses first issued in each year that are still in the file. Licenses that were cancelled or revoked since are gone, so older years look smaller than they really were.

Year first issuedStill active
20166,090
20176,524
20187,816
20197,877
20206,215
20218,662
20229,870
202310,676
202412,901
202514,915
2026 (through file date)14,054
Active licenses by original issue year. Methodology.

Status, workers' comp, bond and business type

Primary status (all 245,368 records)Records
CLEAR233,186
Contr Bond Susp7,033
Work Comp Susp2,977
Liab Ins Susp790
Susp - No Qualifier243
SOS Suspension176
Family Sup Susp166
Judgement Susp150
EMP/WK Bnd Susp127
Out Liab Susp124
BOND Pay Susp113
JDG Entity Susp101
QUAL Bond SUSP67
BND Pay EN Susp38
O/L Entity Susp25
Citation Susp17
Discp Bond SUSP14
J V Entity Susp7
Cit Entity Susp7
ARB Suspension5
ARB Entity Susp2
As CSLB writes it. CLEAR includes a few expired or inactive records, which is why it's slightly above the active count. Methodology.
Workers' comp on file (active)Licenses
Workers' Compensation Insurance114,779
Exempt113,439
Leasing Firm, Temp Agency, etc3,213
License does not have current W/C1,150
Out of State397
Self-Insured205
(blank)1
Bond amount (active)Licenses
$25,000232,952
No amount in file112
$12,50058
$15,00027
$7,50016
$10,00011
$5,0008
What the bond covers: the $25,000 bond, explained.
Business type (active)Licenses
Corporation108,351
Sole Owner107,873
Limited Liability13,122
Partnership3,386
JointVenture449
(blank)3

Using these numbers

You're welcome to cite them. Please link to this page and say which CSLB file date you used. The CSV has every table above (counts only, no names or addresses). How each number is defined is on the methodology page. For how to check one contractor, see how to check a contractor license.

California Trusted Pros isn't affiliated with CSLB. CSLB's own records are the official source.