How to check a California contractor license on the CSLB website
The lookup takes a license number or a name. The record it opens says far more than licensed or not, if you know which lines to read.
To check a California contractor license, open the Contractors State License Board's Check a License page at cslb.ca.gov and search by license number, business name or personnel name. On the record, confirm four things: the status line reads "This license is current and active.", the business name matches your bid, the classification fits your job, and the bond and workers' compensation sections are filled in. You can also call CSLB at (800) 321-CSLB (2752).
It is tempting to stop at the first line. The record says much more than that: who the license belongs to, what kind of work it covers, which bond backs it, how its workers' compensation is handled, and whether any public discipline is attached. This guide goes through it line by line, using the words CSLB itself prints, and then covers what the record cannot tell you.
What you need before you search
The most exact search is the license number. California requires it on the contractor's advertising, business card, bids and contracts, so you will usually find it on the paperwork you already have.
- A license number is digits only. CSLB: "A California contractor license number doesn't contain alphabetic characters."
- No number? Search by the business name, or by the name of a person on the license.
- Talking to a salesperson rather than the contractor? Salespeople who sell home improvement contracts must hold a Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) registration, and its number ends in the letters SP.
One practical note: CSLB says its database "is unavailable Sundays at 8 p.m. through Monday at 6 a.m. due to scheduled maintenance."
The lookup, step by step
- Open the lookup. Go to cslb.ca.gov and choose Check a License. The page covers both contractor licenses and HIS registrations.
- Pick the search. The page offers five: by license number, by business name, by personnel name, by registration number and by registration personnel name. A personnel search finds the licenses a person is associated with, which helps when you know the owner's name but not the company's.
- Open the record and read the status line first. Only an active license can contract. Inactive, expired and revoked records each say plainly that the license is "not able to contract at this time."
- Match the names. The business name and entity type on the record should match the company on your bid and, later, your contract. CSLB also shows the contractor's "address of record".
- Read the classifications. They say what kind of work the license covers, for example B for general building or C-36 for plumbing.
- Read the bond and workers' compensation sections, then any Additional Status and complaint disclosure lines.
- Keep a copy. Save or print the record with the date you checked it, and keep it with your contract.
Reading the record, field by field
Every record opens with a disclaimer and then the same sections. Here is what each one says and what to look for. The wording in quotes is CSLB's own.
| Field | What CSLB prints | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| License Status | "This license is current and active." Other records read "This license is inactive and not able to contract at this time.", or expired, or revoked. | Anything other than current and active means the license cannot be used to contract today. |
| Additional Status | Lines such as "The license is under disciplinary case suspension." or "There is Complaint Disclosure information for this license." | Read every line here. Several of them describe something the contractor must fix before the license can renew or reactivate. |
| Business name, entity, dates | The licensed name, the entity type (for example a corporation or sole owner), an issue date and an expire date. Some records add a reissue date. | The name and entity should be the ones on your contract. A license can be reissued to another entity, so match the entity, not just the number. |
| Classifications | One or more codes, for example "B - GENERAL BUILDING". | The work you are hiring for should fit the classification. Our guide to what a B license covers explains the most common one. |
| Bonding Information | "This license filed a Contractor's Bond with" a named surety, with a bond number, the amount and an effective date. | The required amount is $25,000. CSLB warns that the bond is often not enough to cover several claims, or a project worth more than the bond. |
| Bond of Qualifying Individual | Either a second bond, or a statement that the qualifier owns 10 percent or more of the company, so this bond is not required. | Both are lawful. The second bond is waived only when the qualifier owns 10 percent or more of the company. |
| Workers' Compensation | Either "This license has workers compensation insurance with" a named insurer, or "This license is exempt from having workers compensation insurance; they certified that they have no employees at this time." | A contractor with employees must carry it. An exemption means the contractor certified it has no employees. See the 2028 change below. |
| Liability Insurance Information | Shown on records of limited liability companies: insurer, policy, amount and dates. | For other licensees CSLB says commercial general liability insurance is not required. Your contract must still tell you whether the contractor carries it. |
About workers' compensation: today, a licensee with no employees may certify an exemption, except in a few classifications that must carry it regardless, among them C-8 concrete, C-20 heating and air conditioning, C-22 asbestos abatement and C-39 roofing. CSLB says the rule requiring workers' compensation for all licensees, employees or not, "is delayed from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2028."
What the lookup cannot tell you
A clean record is a good sign, not a promise about the work. The disclaimer on every record lists its own limits, and the law decides what may be shown.
- "CSLB complaint disclosure is restricted by law (B&P 7124.6)". Under that section, "A complaint resolved in favor of the contractor shall not be subject to disclosure."
- Citations stay visible for five years after the contractor complies, if nothing else is filed in that time. Revocations that are not stayed stay visible indefinitely.
- "Only construction related civil judgments reported to CSLB are disclosed", and "Arbitrations are not listed unless the contractor fails to comply with the terms."
- "Due to workload, there may be relevant information that has not yet been entered into the board's license database."
For a contractor's full license history, CSLB publishes Legal Action Disclosure phone lines. San Diego is in the Southern Region: (562) 345-7656.
The record also says nothing about workmanship or price. For that, CSLB's advice is to get at least three written bids based on the same plans and scope, and to be wary of one that is far below the rest. Our guide to reading a construction estimate shows how to compare them line by line.
Red flags worth stopping for
- No license number on the ad, the business card or the bid. CSLB requires it on all of them.
- A name on the record that differs from the name on the bid, or from the person at your door. CSLB suggests asking to see the pocket license with a photo ID.
- A status other than current and active, or any Additional Status line.
- A classification that does not fit the job, such as a roof-only contract under a license with no roofing classification and no roofing subcontractor.
- A salesperson who cannot show an HIS registration card.
- A down payment request above 10 percent of the price or $1,000, whichever is less.
- A bid far below the others. CSLB: "you should beware of any bid that is substantially lower than the others."
- Being told a small job needs no license. Under $1,000 the license is still required if the work needs a building permit or the person hires help.
Before you sign: rules that come with a licensed contractor
Checking the license is step one. California also sets rules for the contract itself, and a licensed contractor is expected to follow them.
- When a license is needed: for work of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and for smaller work that needs a building permit or where the person hires others to help.
- A written contract for home improvement work over $500 in combined labor and materials. CSLB says it should detail the work, the price, when payments are made, who gets the building permits and when the job will be finished, and must give the contractor's address and license number.
- A down payment of no more than 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less. The one exception CSLB names is a contractor with a Blanket Performance and Payment Bond on file, which the license record shows.
- Changes in writing. CSLB says added or removed work, substituted materials and a changed completion date all belong in a written change order, with any price change.
- Cancellation. CSLB: "You may cancel within three (3) days of signing a contract, but it must be mailed before midnight of the third day."
Check us the same way
Construction Crafters Inc. holds CSLB license 1106596 in the B General Building classification. Look it up before you call us, then read about our license and the people behind it, or see the work we take on.
Quick answers
How do I check a contractor's license in California?
Use CSLB's Check a License page at cslb.ca.gov. Search by license number, business name or personnel name, open the record, and confirm it reads "This license is current and active." Then check that the name, classification, bond and workers' compensation sections fit the contractor and the job. You can also call (800) 321-CSLB (2752).
Can I look up a contractor by name instead of number?
Yes. The lookup searches by business name and by personnel name as well as by license number. A personnel search finds the licenses that person is associated with.
What does a workers' compensation exemption on a CSLB record mean?
It means the contractor certified to CSLB that it has no employees at that time. A contractor with employees must carry workers' compensation, and some classifications, such as C-39 roofing and C-8 concrete, must carry it regardless. CSLB says the rule requiring it of all licensees takes effect January 1, 2028.
Does a small job need a licensed contractor in California?
If labor and materials together come to $1,000 or more, yes. Below $1,000 a license is still required when the work needs a building permit of any kind, or when the person doing it hires one or more workers.
How much can a contractor ask for up front?
For a home improvement contract, the down payment may not exceed 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less. The exception CSLB names is a contractor with a Blanket Performance and Payment Bond on file, which you can see on the license record.
Does the CSLB record show every complaint?
No. Disclosure is restricted by law: complaints resolved in the contractor's favor are not shown, citations drop off five years after compliance if nothing else is filed, and only construction-related civil judgments reported to CSLB appear. For a fuller history, CSLB lists Legal Action Disclosure phone numbers; the Southern Region number is (562) 345-7656.
What is Construction Crafters' license number?
CSLB license 1106596, held by Construction Crafters Inc. in the B General Building classification. Look it up on the CSLB website by that number to see its current status.
Sources
- Check a Contractor License or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) Registration (Contractors State License Board (CSLB))
- Contractor's License Detail (the record page the lookup opens) (CSLB)
- How do I find the right licensed contractor? (CSLB)
- What Should I Look for in a Contract and Binding Agreements? (CSLB)
- Step 1: Before you apply for HIS Registration (CSLB)
- Bond Requirements (CSLB)
- Workers' Compensation Requirements (CSLB)
- New Law Changes in 2025 Affecting Licensees, Applicants and Stakeholders (industry bulletin) (CSLB)
- Business and Professions Code 7124.6 (California Legislative Information)
- What You Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor (13P-078/0525) (CSLB)
- Business and Professions Code 7048 (California Legislative Information)
- License Requirement for Minor Work Increases from $500 to $1,000 (industry bulletin) (CSLB)
- Business and Professions Code 7159.5 (California Legislative Information)
- Business and Professions Code 7159 (California Legislative Information)
- Contact CSLB (CSLB)
- Fast Facts: What Jobs "B" General Building Can/Cannot Perform (CSLB)
Read on 2026-10-16.