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How to verify a contractor license in California

Short answer

Search the license number on CSLB's Check a License page. A business name or a person's name works too, but names repeat. The record should say the license is current and active, list a class that covers your job, and show a $25,000 contractor's bond plus workers' comp or an exemption. Then check that the name on the record matches the name on your contract.

Rules checked Oct 18, 2026 against 9 CSLB and California code pages, listed below.

Step 1: get the license number

It should be on the estimate, the contract, the website and often the truck. If it isn't, ask for it. A contractor who won't give you a license number has told you something.

CSLB's Check a License page searches by license number, by business name (50 results a page), by the name of a person on the license (100 a page) and by home improvement salesperson registration. A number returns one record, so use it when you have it. The search is offline from Sunday 8 p.m. to Monday 6 a.m. for maintenance.

Source: CSLB, Check a License, checked Oct 18, 2026

Check a Bay Area license

Name or license number. Each result links to the live CSLB record.

Searches active and lapsed Bay Area B and B-2 licenses. Other classes: search on CSLB.

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Describe the job once and get bids from licensed contractors. Free, about 2 minutes.

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Step 2: read the record

Open the license and read these fields, top to bottom.

  • License status

    What you want to see
    "This license is current and active."
    Why it matters
    Anything else (expired, suspended, inactive) needs an explanation from the contractor before you sign.

  • Business name and entity

    What you want to see
    The same name as on your contract, or its listed DBA
    Why it matters
    A different company name usually means a different license.

  • Issue and expire dates

    What you want to see
    An expire date after your job ends
    Why it matters
    The issue date tells you how long the business has held this license.

  • Classifications

    What you want to see
    B, or B-2 for a remodel that fits it
    Why it matters
    The class decides which jobs the contractor can take. See step 3.

  • Contractor's bond

    What you want to see
    A surety name and $25,000
    Why it matters
    Every active license must carry it. The amount has been $25,000 since Jan 1, 2023.

  • Workers' compensation

    What you want to see
    A carrier with policy dates, or an exemption
    Why it matters
    An exemption means the contractor told CSLB it has no employees.

Sources: CSLB, license detail record (sample #1046239, opened after a search), checked Oct 18, 2026; CSLB, Bond requirements, checked Oct 18, 2026; CSLB, Workers' compensation requirements, checked Oct 18, 2026

Step 3: match the class to the job

A B (General Building) license can take any job that combines two or more unrelated trades besides framing, in a home or a business. A B-2 (Residential Remodeling) license is limited to remodeling an existing wood-frame home, with three or more unrelated trades and no work on foundations, load-bearing walls or roof structure.

So a B-2 can take your kitchen or bathroom but not an addition, a new home or a commercial job. The full comparison is in B vs B-2 license.

Sources: CSLB, B General Building classification (B&P Code 7057), checked Oct 18, 2026; CSLB, B-2 Residential Remodeling classification (B&P Code 7057.5), checked Oct 18, 2026

Looking up a license by name

Business names repeat, and many contractors work under a DBA. Search the legal name and the trade name, then confirm the city on the record matches where the company says it's based. If you know the owner or the person who qualifies the license (the RMO or RME), CSLB's personnel search finds every license that person is listed on.

For the Bay Area you can also use our license lookup. It searches 17,869 active B and B-2 licenses from the CSLB file dated Oct 16, 2026, and every result links to the live CSLB record.

Sources: CSLB, Check a License, checked Oct 18, 2026; CSLB Data Portal, Master List of Contractors, checked Oct 18, 2026

When the job is too small to need a license

California exempts work under $1,000 in total, labor and materials included, that needs no building permit. The exemption doesn't apply if the job is split up to stay under the limit, if the person advertises as a contractor, or if they have employees. The limit was $500 until AB 2622 raised it from Jan 1, 2025, and some sites still quote the old number.

Sources: California B&P Code 7048 (as amended by AB 1170, effective Jan 1, 2026), checked Oct 18, 2026; CSLB industry bulletin, AB 2622 implementation, checked Oct 18, 2026

What a license check does not tell you

  • Quality. A license shows the contractor is registered, bonded and has workers' comp or an exemption on file. Get references and compare bids.
  • Complaints. CSLB publishes only some of them. See how to check and report a contractor.
  • Today's status, if you read a copy. CSLB says status can change at any time, and its free download leaves out cancelled and revoked licenses. Check the live record the week you sign.

Source: CSLB Data Portal, Master List of Contractors, checked Oct 18, 2026

Questions

Can I look up a contractor license by name in California?

Yes. CSLB's Check a License page searches by business name and by the name of a person on the license, as well as by license number. Names repeat, so confirm the license number and city before you rely on a result.

How do I check if a contractor is licensed and bonded?

Open the license on CSLB. The status should say current and active, and the bonding section should show a contractor's bond of $25,000 with a surety name. The same record shows workers' comp or an exemption.

What if the name on the license doesn't match my contract?

Ask the contractor to explain before you sign. The record lists the legal name and any DBA. A different company name usually means a different license, and the contract should name the licensed business.

Do I need a licensed contractor for a small repair?

Not if the whole job is under $1,000 and needs no permit. The exemption is lost if the job is split to stay under the limit, if the person advertises as a contractor, or if they have employees (B&P Code 7048, effective Jan 1, 2026).

Next steps on this site

Sources

  1. CSLB, Check a License, checked Oct 18, 2026
  2. CSLB, license detail record (sample #1046239, opened after a search), checked Oct 18, 2026
  3. CSLB, Bond requirements, checked Oct 18, 2026
  4. CSLB, Workers' compensation requirements, checked Oct 18, 2026
  5. CSLB, B General Building classification (B&P Code 7057), checked Oct 18, 2026
  6. CSLB, B-2 Residential Remodeling classification (B&P Code 7057.5), checked Oct 18, 2026
  7. CSLB Data Portal, Master List of Contractors, checked Oct 18, 2026
  8. California B&P Code 7048 (as amended by AB 1170, effective Jan 1, 2026), checked Oct 18, 2026
  9. CSLB industry bulletin, AB 2622 implementation, checked Oct 18, 2026

This guide explains public rules in plain words. It isn't legal advice. CSLB and the code sections above are the authority, and rules change.