California contractor license lookup.

How the CSLB search works

CSLB's page lets you look up a contractor license or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) registration, including complaint disclosure. You can search by contractor license number, by business name (up to 50 names returned), by a person's name (up to 100) or by an HIS registration number.

CSLB's search tips: begin entering the number at the left and do not exceed 8 digits; a contractor license number contains no alphabetic characters; an HIS registration is up to 8 digits plus the letters “SP”. If a business name contains a first and last name, CSLB says to type the last name first (for example “Smith John Con” for John Smith Construction). Its database is unavailable from Sunday 8 p.m. to Monday 6 a.m. for scheduled maintenance.

Bond and insurance

Since January 1, 2023 the contractor license bond, the bond of a qualifying individual and the disciplinary bond are $25,000 (Senate Bill 607), per CSLB. A disciplinary bond is required to reinstate or reissue a license that was revoked, and in some cases suspended; it may not be less than $25,000 or more than 10 times the license bond and must stay on file at least two years.

CSLB says a license bond is canceled 30 days after CSLB receives a cancellation notice; if no reinstatement or replacement bond arrives within those 30 days the license is suspended. Some contractors file a cashier's check instead of a surety bond. A consumer can identify the surety through the “Contractor's Bond History” link on the license detail page.

For workers' compensation, active licensees must either file a certificate of workers' compensation insurance or a signed exemption certifying they have no employees. CSLB states that active C-8 Concrete, C-20 HVAC, C-22 Asbestos Abatement, C-39 Roofing and C-61/D-49 Tree Service contractors must carry workers' compensation whether or not they have employees.

Reciprocity

The CSLB pages reviewed for this guide do not describe reciprocity for contractors licensed in other states. Ask CSLB directly before assuming an out-of-state license carries over.

What a status can mean

This guide does not reproduce CSLB's status labels. What CSLB does document: a lapsed license bond leads to suspension after the 30-day notice period, and the search result includes complaint disclosure. Read the status and any disclosure on the record itself, and compare the license class to the work you are hiring for.

Sources

• CSLB: Check a Contractor License or HIS Registration (retrieved October 2026)
• CSLB: Bond Requirements (retrieved October 2026)
• CSLB: Bond Basics (retrieved October 2026)
• CSLB: Workers' Compensation Requirements (retrieved October 2026)