How to check a contractor's license in California

Updated Oct 22, 2026 · data from CSLB's file dated Oct 20, 2026 · by Carlos Morones

It takes about two minutes. CSLB's Oct 20, 2026 file has 233,184 active licenses (here's how many licenses are active statewide, broken down by trade and county). Most are fine. The point of checking is to catch the few that aren't before you've handed over a deposit.

The 5 steps

1. Get the license number. California contractors have to put their license number on their ads, bids and contracts (B&P Code §7030.5). If someone won't give you one, that's your answer. Small jobs are the one exception: see jobs under $1,000.
2. Look it up. Use CSLB's Check a License page, the official real-time record. Or look up a license number or business name here, which shows the same file in plain English with the file date on it.
3. Read the status. You want "CLEAR," which means active with no suspension. Anything else (a bond suspension, a workers' comp suspension, expired, inactive) means stop and ask. Also look for a second status line. CSLB uses it for things like a workers' comp suspension that's pending but hasn't happened yet.
4. Check the bond and workers' comp. Every active license carries a contractor's bond. Make sure there's no cancellation date on it. Then look at workers' comp: either a policy is on file, or the contractor told CSLB they have no employees ("exempt").
5. Match the name and the class. The business name on the license should match your bid and contract. The class should match the job, like C-36 for plumbing, C-10 for electrical or C-39 for a roof.

Check a license now: CSLB license number

Look it up

What each line on the record means

Line	What it tells you
Primary status	CLEAR means active with no suspension. In the Oct 20, 2026 file, 233,186 records were CLEAR. The most common suspensions were for the contractor bond (7,033) and workers' comp (2,977).
Secondary status	A flag CSLB adds on top of the main status, such as "WC Susp Pending" (workers' comp suspension pending) or "Pending Case/CIT" (a case or citation is pending). The license can still be active.
Classifications	The kinds of work the license covers. One license can hold several classes.
Bond	The contractor's bond on file, the surety company, and a cancellation date if the bond is being canceled.
Workers' comp	A policy on file (with the insurer and expiration date), self-insured, or "exempt," meaning the contractor certified they have no employees.
Expiration	The date the license must be renewed. A license past this date can't be used to contract.

Red flags in CSLB's own file

These are real counts from the Oct 20, 2026 file, among the 233,184 active licenses. How we counted them.

• 4,153 active licenses carry "WC Susp Pending." CSLB has marked a workers' comp suspension as pending. The license is active today, but ask for a current workers' comp certificate or exemption before the job starts.
• 3,170 have a bond cancellation date on file. If the bond isn't replaced, the license gets suspended. Ask whether a new bond is in place, then check again.
• 18,040 expire within 90 days of the file date. That's usually just renewal timing, but on a long job it's worth checking the license is still current before the last payment.
• 4,852 business names are shared by more than one license (12,810 licenses in all). The number matters more than the name.

Does the class fit the job?

A single-trade job needs that trade's license: C-39 for a roof, C-36 for plumbing, C-10 for electrical, C-20 for HVAC. A B General Building contractor can take a job that needs two or more unrelated trades (an addition, an ADU, a full remodel). On a single-trade job like a stand-alone roof or a water heater swap, a B contractor needs the specialty license too or has to subcontract it to someone who has one. Framing and carpentry are the exception. That's from B&P Code §7057 and CSLB's B General Building Fast Facts.

Some trades have to carry workers' comp even with no employees: concrete (C-8), HVAC (C-20), asbestos abatement (C-22), roofing (C-39) and tree service (D-49). That's on CSLB's workers' comp page. If one of those shows "exempt," ask about it.

What a license check can't tell you

The license record says nothing about the quality of anyone's work, and CSLB's file doesn't show general liability insurance. CSLB says that coverage isn't required, but it's what pays for damage to your property, so ask for a certificate of insurance and call the insurer. CSLB's guide to finding the right contractor also says to get at least three written bids on the same scope of work, and to be wary of one that's far lower than the rest. For contracts, down payments, liens and cancellation rights, use the full before-you-hire checklist.

Questions people ask

Is checking a contractor's license free?

Yes. CSLB's Check a License page is free and needs no account. So is our license lookup, which reads CSLB's public file. Neither one asks for your name or phone number.

What if the contractor says they don't need a license?

For a job under $1,000 in labor and materials that needs no permit and where nobody is hired to help, they may be right. For anything else, California requires a CSLB license. The handyman guide walks through the rule with CSLB's bulletin.

Can a contractor use someone else's license number?

No. That's why you check that the business name on the license matches the name on your bid and contract. If the names don't match, ask why before you go further. CSLB's own record also lists the people tied to the license.

How often should I check?

Check before you sign and again before a big payment. Licenses get suspended, bonds get canceled and workers' comp policies lapse. In the Oct 20, 2026 file, 6,935 workers' comp policies were due to expire within 30 days.

Sources

• CSLB: Check a License
• CSLB: Finding the right contractor
• B&P Code §7030.5 (license number on ads, bids and contracts) and §7057 (B General Building)
• CSLB Fast Facts: What jobs B General Building can and cannot perform
• CSLB: Workers' compensation
• Counts: CSLB License Master file dated Oct 20, 2026, from the CSLB data portal. Methodology.

This is general information, not legal advice. California Trusted Pros isn't affiliated with CSLB. If anything here differs from CSLB's site, CSLB is right.