California Department of Consumer Affairs - Contractors State License Board (CSLB)


Please Note

We are a service company that can help you file with the California Department of Consumer Affairs - Contractors State License Board (CSLB). We are not associated with this nor any other government agency. We offer paid services and software to help you file. You are not required to purchase our service to file - you may file directly with this agency without using our service.


Contact Information

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 26000
Sacramento, CA 95826

Phone: (916) 255-3900

Web: Home Name search

Licenses

We track the following licenses with the California Department of Consumer Affairs - Contractors State License Board (CSLB) in order to provide compliance services to our clients. As a client, you see this and other Compliance Core™ data in License Manager in-line with your licenses.

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California Contractor License

Agency:California Department of Consumer Affairs - Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:Yes
Bond Requirements:
  • All contractors must have a $25,000 contractor's bond on file with CSLB.
  • An additional $25,000 qualifying individual's bond must be filed for contractors that are qualified by a responsible managing employee.
  • All LLC licenses are required to obtain a $100,000 surety bond as well.
  • A license that has been disciplined may be required to have an additional disciplinary bond on file with CSLB in an amount fixed by the Registrar at not less than $25,000 or more than $250,000.
Notes:

Exemptions: 

The following projects or individuals may be exempt from licensing:

  • A project for which the combined value of labor, materials, and all other costs on one or more contracts is less than $500. Work on a larger project, may not be broken down to smaller amounts of less than $500 in an attempt to meet the $500 exemption;
  • An employee who is paid wages, who does not usually work in an independently established business, and who does not have direction or control over the performance of work or who does not determine the final results of the work or project;
  • Public personnel working on public projects;
  • Officers of a court acting within the scope of their office;
  • Public utilities working under specified conditions;
  • Oil and gas operations performed by an owner or lessee;
  • Owner-builders who build or improve existing structures on their own property if they either do the work themselves or use their own employees (paid in wages) to do the work;
  • Sale or installation of finished products that do not become a fixed part of the structure;
  • A seller of installed carpets who holds a retail furniture dealer's license but who contracts for installation of the carpet with a licensed carpet installer;
  • Security alarm company operators (licensed by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services) who install, maintain, monitor, sell, alter, or service alarm systems (fire alarm company operators must be licensed by CSLB);
  • Persons whose activities consist only of installing satellite antenna systems on residential structures or property. These persons must be registered with the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair.
Qualifying Individual Requirements:
  • A qualifying individual, or simply "qualifier," is the person listed in CSLB records who meets the experience and examination requirements for the license. There must be a qualifying individual for every classification on each license issued by CSLB.
  • The license's qualifying individual is responsible for the employer's (or principal's) construction operations.
  • A person may act as a qualifying individual for more than one active license only if one of the following conditions exists:

    • There is a common ownership of at least 20 percent of the equity of each firm for which the person acts as a qualifier; or
      The additional firm is a subsidiary of or a joint venture with the first; or

    • The majority of the partners or officers are the same.

  • Even if he or she meets the above conditions, A PERSON MAY SERVE AS THE QUALIFYING INDIVIDUAL FOR NO MORE THAN THREE FIRMS IN ANY ONE-YEAR PERIOD. If a qualifier disassociates from the third firm, he or she must wait one year before associating with a new third firm.

  • A Responsible Managing Employee (RME) can only act as a qualifying individual for one active license at a time.

  • If you have an individual license, you may be the qualifier or you may designate a Responsible Managing Employee (RME).

  • If you have a partnership license, your qualifier may either be one of the general partners (who shall be designated as the qualifying partner) or the RME.

  • If you have a corporate license, your qualifier may be either one of the officers listed on the CSLB's records for your license (who shall be designated as the Responsible Managing Officer, or RMO), or an RME.

  • If your qualifying individual is a Responsible Managing Employee, he or she must be a bona fide employee of the firm and may not be the qualifier on any other active license. This means that the RME must be regularly employed by the firm and actively involved in the operation of the business at least 32 hours per week or 80 percent of the total business operating hours per week, whichever is less.

Requirement Notes:

Examination Waivers and Exemptions
The examination may be waived if the qualifying individual is currently, or has been in the last five (5) years, actively engaged in the construction business and meets specific waiver requirements as mandated by law, or has been actively licensed in good standing or has passed the required exams in the classification for which they are applying. (See BPC sections 7065 – 7065.4 for a complete list.) If you are applying for licensure based on waiver of or exemption from the trade and Law and Business exams, you should complete the Application for Original Contractor License – Examination Waiver (7065) instead of this application.
In addition, the trade examination may be waived if the qualifier meets the requirements for reciprocity, please see CSLB’s website (www.cslb.ca.gov) for more information. If you are licensed in a state and classification recognized by the Board, please have the licensing agency from your state complete a “Request for Verification of License” form and submit it with this application. The Law and Business Examination will still be required if the applicant has not passed that examination within the last five (5) years. (See CSLB’s website for more information on reciprocity on the Applicants page.)

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Original Contractor License

Agency Fee:

$450 application fee. The initial license fee of $200 for sole owners or $350 for non-sole owner licenses should be submitted after you pass the examination.

Turnaround:

Processing Times

Original Ink:Required
Notarization Required?:Not required
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. File entity formation documents with the California Secretary of State - Business Programs Division.
  2. File an Application for Original Contractor License with the California Contractors State License Board.
  3. Pass the relevant exam for your classification.
  4. After passing the exam, submit the required contractor's bond, proof of insurance, and license fee to the California Contractors State License Board.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. File foreign qualification documents with the California Secretary of State - Business Programs Division.
  2. File an Application for Original Contractor License with the California Contractors State License Board.
  3. Pass the relevant exam for your classification.
  4. After passing the exam, submit the required contractor's bond, proof of insurance, and license fee to the California Contractors State License Board.
Required Attachments:
  • Fingerprint Requirements
  • For formal education, the applicant’s educational institution must submit a certified official
    transcript directly to CSLB in a sealed envelope. Degrees obtained outside of the United States must be translated, if in a language other than English, and evaluated by an accredited evaluation service in the U.S. 
  • For apprenticeship programs, applicants must submit a copy of their apprenticeship certificate and indicate the dates of the program where requested on the application.
  • If you are licensed in a state
    and classification recognized by the Board, please have the licensing agency from your state complete a “Request for Verification of License” form and submit it with this application.
  • Qualifying Indvidiual Experience document 
  • Certification of Work Experience - must be
    completed by the qualifying individual on the application and certified by a qualified and responsible person who has direct knowledge of the experience and time period listed.

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$450 for sole owner licenses (C-10 contractors are charged $470) and $700 for non-sole owner licenses (C-10 contractors are charged $720)

Due:

Biennially by the end of the month of issuance.

Original Ink:Required
Notarization Required?:Not required
Penalties:

Licenses not renewed by September 30 are forfeited and the holders of a forfeited license are considered unlicensed and may not practice. Restorations of forfeited licenses are accepted until November 30 of the even-numbered year with a penalty fee. After November 30, restoration is not accepted and a new application for a license is required.

Notes:

The application to renew a contractor license automatically is sent to current licensees by CSLB about 60 days before an expiration date.

Required Attachments:
  • Financial statement 
  • Worker's Compensation
    • List the top three workers' compensation classification codes for which the highest estimated payroll is reported on your policy
    • If you have fewer than three classification codes reported on the policy, you must provide every classification code (including suffix) reported on the policy
  • Credit reports of each officer/partner/manager/member 
  • Tax clearance 
  • Trade name registration (if applicable)  
  • RME appointment
  • Entity Registration 

Amendment
Application for Replacing the Qualifying Individual

Form:

Disassociation Request and Application for Replacing the Qualifying Individual

Agency Fee:

$230

Due:

A disassociation notice must be delivered and a replacement of the qualifier must be made within 90 days of disassociation to avoid a suspension of the license.

Original Ink:Required

Amendment

Form:
Filing Method:

Mail

Agency Fee:

$125

Original Ink:Required
Notes:
  • For licenses that do not have an officer on the license to disassociate and add other officers then the following steps must be taken: 
    • Only the President or CEO can sign themselves onto a license
    • Attach a letter with the application stating there are no current personnel to sign additional individuals onto the license
    • Once the President or CEO is added to the license, that individual can then disassociate others and add new officers to the license
  • All newly added officers must comply with the fingerprint requirements
  • Application expires after 90 days if the fingerprint requirements are not met

California Home Improvement Salesperson Registration

Agency:California Department of Consumer Affairs - Contractors State License Board (CSLB)

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Registration as a Home Improvement Salesperson

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$200

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$200

Due:

Biennially by the last day of the registration anniversary month.

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