California Contractor License Lookup

About California contractor licensing

California has one of the strongest homeowner-facing contractor systems in the country. The Contractors State License Board, or CSLB, maintains a detailed public lookup that lets you confirm license class, bond, workers' compensation coverage, and disciplinary information before a project starts. For homeowners, California's system is unusually transparent and worth using carefully.

How licensing works in California

California requires statewide licensure for most construction work over the state's low threshold, and the license class matters. Class A covers general engineering, Class B covers general building, and Class C includes more than 40 specialty trades. CSLB also ties licensure to consumer protections such as a contractor bond, and workers' compensation coverage is required when the business has employees. For homeowners, that means the right question is not just whether a contractor is licensed, but whether the contractor holds the right class and current coverage for your project.

What to verify in California

Use the CSLB Check a License tool and search by license number, business name, or personnel name. Confirm the license is active, review the class code, and check the bond section; California requires a contractor bond, and many homeowners also review workers' compensation status. The CSLB record may show complaint disclosures, personnel, address, and classifications. If a company is selling a whole-home remodel under one contract, make sure a Class B or appropriate specialty combination actually appears on the record.

State-specific tips

• › Ask for the CSLB number before the first meeting; in California, serious contractors usually provide it without hesitation.
• › For employee-based companies, check workers' compensation on CSLB instead of relying on a verbal claim that everyone is insured.
• › If a contractor only holds a C specialty license, confirm that the proposed contract does not exceed what that classification legally covers.
• › Use the bond information as a credibility check; California's $25,000 contractor bond is part of the consumer-protection framework.
• › For home improvement salesperson activity, verify the exact company and salesperson relationship when someone other than the owner is selling the job.