How to check a contractor's license in California

Why a quick lookup is worth the time

A license number printed on a truck or a business card proves very little. CSLB says so on its own page on finding the right contractor: seeing a number does not mean the license behind it is valid. Numbers get copied from other businesses, licenses expire, and a license can be suspended while the owner keeps working. The only way to know is to look it up on the day you are about to sign, not the week you first met.

The lookup is free, takes no account, and works on a phone. If you would rather talk to a person, CSLB answers the same questions at (800) 321-2752.

Step 1: Get the details you will search with

Before you search, collect three things from whoever you are talking to:

1. The license number. A California contractor license number is digits only, with no letters, and is at most 8 digits long. If someone hands you a number with letters in it, it is not a contractor license number.
2. The business name exactly as it appears on the bid. You will compare it with the name on the record.
3. The name of the person at your door. A salesperson who is not the owner should also give you a Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) registration number.

Ask for these in writing. CSLB notes that contractors must put their license number on their business cards and on all bids and contracts, so a contractor who balks at writing it down is already telling you something.

Step 2: Search the Check A License page

Open CSLB's Check A License page. It offers five ways to search. Use the license number when you have it; the other searches help when you only have a name, or when you want to confirm the number matches the person.

By license number

Type the digits starting from the left, with no spaces or dashes. This gives you one exact record, which is why it is the search to rely on.

By business name

The contractor name search returns up to 50 matches. CSLB's tip is to type only the first 10 to 15 letters of the name, leave out commas and periods, and keep apostrophes. Several businesses often share similar names, so match the city and the license number before you trust a result.

By a person's name

The personnel name search looks for owners, officers and qualifiers by last name, then first name, and returns up to 100 matches. If a full name finds nothing, try the last name alone. Spaces count, so "Van Dyke" and "VanDyke" are different searches.

Salesperson (HIS) registration

Anyone selling home improvement work for a contractor has to be registered with CSLB as a Home Improvement Salesperson. Their number has up to 8 digits followed by the letters SP. You can search it directly or by the salesperson's name. CSLB suggests asking to see the registration card along with a photo ID, and checking that the face matches.

One practical note: CSLB's database goes down for scheduled maintenance from Sunday at 8 p.m. until Monday at 6 a.m. If a Sunday-night search fails, that is the reason, not the contractor.

Step 3: Read the license record field by field

The license detail page is short, but each block answers a different question. The top line shows the date and time the data was pulled, so you know it is current.

Business information

This shows the business name, address of record, phone number, entity type (sole owner, corporation, partnership and so on), issue date and expiration date. Check that the name and city match the bid in your hand. A different name, or a record in a city the contractor has never mentioned, is worth a direct question.

License status

You want to see that the license is current and active. A license can also show as expired, inactive or suspended. CSLB's page on suspended licenses is clear that a contractor may not contract for work with an inactive or suspended license. Common reasons for a suspension include a cancelled bond, a lapsed workers' compensation policy, a civil judgment that was not resolved in time, or a violation of the Contractors License Law. Any of those deserves an explanation before you sign.

Classifications

This is the list of trades the license covers, shown as codes such as B, C-10 or C-36. The classification has to fit your job, which the section on B and C licenses below explains.

Bonding information

Licensed contractors must keep a contractor license bond on file with CSLB. The record shows the bond number, amount, and effective and cancellation dates, with a link to the bond history. Keep the size in perspective: CSLB points out that the bond often will not cover several claims or a large project, and that a bond does not vouch for a contractor's honesty or skill. It is a minimum, not a safety net.

Workers' compensation

If a contractor has employees, California requires workers' compensation insurance, and CSLB warns that you could be held responsible if an uninsured worker is hurt on your property. The record shows either a policy (insurer, policy number, dates) or an exemption stating the contractor has no employees. Some trades must carry the coverage even with no employees, among them C-8 Concrete, C-20 heating and air conditioning, C-39 Roofing and C-61/D-49 Tree Service, as listed on CSLB's workers' compensation page. If a crew of several people shows up and the record says "exempt," ask why.

Complaints, judgments and legal actions

Not every complaint appears on the record. The page itself notes that complaint disclosure is restricted by law (Business and Professions Code section 7124.6) and that only construction-related civil judgments reported to CSLB are shown (section 7071.17). Arbitrations are not listed unless the contractor failed to follow the award. When a record does show a citation, an accusation or a disciplinary action, open the link and read what happened. A clean page is a good sign, not a promise.

Does a small job need a licensed contractor?

California has a minor work exemption, and its limit changed recently. According to CSLB industry bulletin #24-07, starting January 1, 2025, Assembly Bill 2622 raised the line from $500 to $1,000. Below $1,000, an unlicensed person may do the work only when two conditions both hold: the job needs no permit of any kind, and that person does not hire anyone to help.

So a water heater swap that costs well under $1,000 but needs a permit still needs a license, and so does a small job where the worker brings a helper. Unlicensed people may advertise for work up to $1,000 only if the ad says they are not licensed. That is why our handyman page talks about small jobs and permits together: the price is only half the test.

B general building or a specialty C license?

CSLB licenses contractors in 45 classifications, according to its page What Type of Contractor Do I Need? Most of them fall into two groups that matter for homeowners.

Specialty contractors (C)

A specialty contractor is hired for one trade. When the job is one trade, look for the matching code. Some common ones from CSLB's classification list:

• C-10 Electrical, for panels, circuits and wiring. See our electrician page.
• C-36 Plumbing, for pipes, fixtures and water heaters. See our plumber page.
• C-39 Roofing, for a roof on its own. See our roofing contractor page.
• C-33 Painting and Decorating, C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering, and C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry.

General building contractors (B)

A B license fits a project that involves more than two types of work on a building, such as a kitchen remodel with framing, plumbing, electrical and finish work. The B contractor may then contract for and oversee the whole job. CSLB adds a limit: a B contractor taking on specialty work must either hold that specialty license too or have a licensed specialty contractor actually do it. The list also includes a B-2 Residential Remodeling classification, so read the code on the record rather than assuming every "B" is the same.

Red flags to stop and ask about

• No license number on the ad, the bid or the contract.
• A number that comes back to a different business, or to nobody.
• A status other than active, or a bond or workers' compensation entry that has lapsed.
• A classification that does not match the work, such as a painting license on a bid for rewiring.
• A salesperson who cannot show an HIS registration card, or whose photo ID does not match.
• No current business address or phone number.
• A down payment request above 10 percent of the price or $1,000, whichever is less. CSLB names this as a warning sign on its contractor-finding page.
• A bid far below every other bid, which CSLB says can mean a mistake, missing work or cut corners.

Once the license checks out, the next thing to read is the contract itself. Our guide to what a California home improvement contract must include covers that part.

What to do if something looks wrong

If the lookup turns up a problem before you sign, you can simply decline. If you have already signed or the work has started, CSLB's Filing a Complaint page explains the routes:

1. Write to the contractor first. CSLB asks whether you have formally told the contractor about your concerns, and suggests keeping a copy of that letter to send with your complaint.
2. File the complaint form. It works for licensed and unlicensed contractors and can be filed online or on paper. If unlicensed work is happening right now and you know the job site address, CSLB has a separate lead referral form; there are also forms for illegal advertising and permit violations.
3. Do not wait. CSLB can act on a violation only for a limited time after the act, so file while the facts are fresh.
4. Know what CSLB can do. It investigates and can discipline a license, but its page says an investigation does not ensure you get money back. For damages, CSLB points to small claims court for smaller amounts and an attorney for larger ones.

How do I check a contractor in Texas?

Everything above is California. CSLB is California's board, so its lookup tells you nothing about a contractor working in Dallas, Fort Worth or the cities around them. In Texas, who checks a contractor depends on the trade, and the city adds a second check of its own when a permit is pulled.

Electricians and air conditioning contractors: TDLR

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses electricians. Its electricians page says people doing electrical work must be licensed and must perform that work through a licensed electrical contractor, and it lists the license types, from journeyman and master electrician to electrical contractor. TDLR also licenses the trade that works on air conditioning, refrigeration and heating systems; its air conditioning and refrigeration page says those contractors must have a TDLR license. Both can be checked on TDLR's free license search, by license number or by a person's or business's name. If a search finds nothing, TDLR's page gives its customer service line, (800) 803-9202.

Plumbers: the State Board of Plumbing Examiners

Plumbing in Texas has its own agency, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE). Its license types include Responsible Master Plumber, Master Plumber, Journeyman Plumber and Tradesman Plumber-Limited, and its site links to a Public License Search. Ask for the plumber's license number and look it up there, the same way you would use CSLB in California.

Roofers

A 2025 House bill analysis for HB 3344 states that Texas does not currently require a state-issued license for reroofing contractors. That bill would have created one through TDLR, but its bill history ends in committee in May 2025, so it did not become law. For a Texas roof, the checks that remain are the city registration below, references, proof of insurance and a written contract.

Home builders and remodelers

If an older document mentions registering with the Texas Residential Construction Commission, that agency no longer exists. The Sunset Advisory Commission's page on the commission records that it was abolished and its act expired on September 1, 2009. For remodels, additions, flooring, painting or handyman work in Texas, start with the trade licenses above for any electrical, plumbing or air conditioning part of the job, then check the contractor with the city.

City registration and permits in Dallas and Fort Worth

Dallas and Fort Worth each issue their own permits and keep their own list of registered contractors. Fort Worth's contractor registration page says any business or person obtaining a building, mechanical, plumbing or electrical permit must have a valid registration on file with Development Services; the exception is an owner doing the work on the single-family home they own and live in. Dallas says a residential permit covers construction, renovation or major repairs on a home, takes applications through its DallasNow portal, and offers a homeowner's exemption form from contractor registration; contractors renew their city registration through DallasNow, according to its permitting overview. In any other city in the area, call that city's building department and ask whether the contractor is registered and who pulls the permit.

One more difference: the $1,000 minor work line, the 10 percent down payment cap and the three-day cancellation rule described on this site are California law. For a job in Texas, do not assume they apply; read your contract closely and ask the city what it requires.

Where we fit in

Contractor Near Me is a free request service. We are not a contractor, we hold no contractor's license, and we do not do the work. When you send a request we call or email you back to talk through the project, which license type it calls for, and what to check. The lookup itself is always yours to do, on CSLB's own page, before you sign.

Sources: CSLB, Check A License or HIS Registration; CSLB, How Do I Find the Right Licensed Contractor?; CSLB, Suspended License; CSLB, Workers' Compensation Requirements; CSLB, Industry Bulletin #24-07, minor work exemption (2024); CSLB, What Type of Contractor Do I Need?; CSLB, License Classifications; CSLB, Filing a Complaint; TDLR, Electricians; TDLR, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration; TDLR, License Search; Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, home page and Public License Search; Texas House, HB 3344 bill analysis (2025) and bill history; Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Residential Construction Commission; City of Fort Worth, Contractor Registration; City of Dallas, Residential Permits and Permitting and Inspections.