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Playbook · California

Check a California contractor license before you call or hire

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) runs a free online lookup. Here is how to use it: the ways to search, the tips that make a search work, what each section of the result shows (status, bond, workers' compensation, insurance), and when the database is down.

3Ways to search for a contractor
First 10 to 15 lettersBusiness-name search tip
Sun 8 pm to Mon 6 amDatabase down
FreeCost

The whole path at a glance

Flowchart: Open the CSLB license lookup; Do you have a license number? (if not: Search by business name); Did the search find the business? (if not: Try fewer letters); Read the license status and the complaint disclosureOpen the CSLB licenselookupDo you have a licensenumber?No: Searchby businessnameYesDid the search find thebusiness?No: TryfewerlettersYesRead the license statusand the complaintdisclosure
Every step is explained below, with the official source for each fact.

Step by step

  1. Open the CSLB lookup

    • It is on the CSLB website under Check a License or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) Registration.
    • CSLB says the lookup lets you verify information, including complaint disclosure, and check the status of a license. The license detail page has sections for status, bonding, workers' compensation and liability insurance.
    Watch out: The database is unavailable Sundays from 8 p.m. through Monday at 6 a.m. for scheduled maintenance.
    Sources

    CSLB: Check a License or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) Registration · CSLB: Hiring a Contractor

  2. Choose how to search

    • For a contractor you can search by contractor license number, by business name, or by personnel name (the person associated with the license).
    • A license number is the most exact. Contractor license numbers have no letters, so start at the left and don't go past 8 digits.
    • The page also has a search for Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) registrations, which is a separate registration from a contractor license.
    Sources

    CSLB: Check a License or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) Registration

  3. Use the search tips when nothing comes up

    • Business name: enter only the first 10 to 15 letters. If there is no match, try one or two fewer characters, or drop a leading "The" or "A."
    • Personal names: enter the last name first when the business name includes a person's name. If first and last name fail, try the last name alone.
    • Punctuation and spacing: apostrophes count, commas and periods don't, and spaces matter, so "Mc Donald" and "McDonald" can return different results.
    Sources

    CSLB: Check a License or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) Registration

  4. Open the license detail and read each section

    • License status and classifications: confirm the license is active and covers the kind of work in question.
    • Bonding information: shows whether a contractor's bond was filed, with the surety company, effective date and cancellation date, and a link to bond history. It also shows an LLC employee/worker bond and whether a bond of qualifying individual is required.
    • Workers' compensation: shows whether the license is exempt from carrying it, or the certification date and expiration, with a link to workers' compensation history.
    • Liability insurance: shows the insurer, the policy dates and any suspension date.
    • Match the business name and license number to the one you were given. If they differ, search again before you rely on the result.
    Watch out: Read the disclaimer at the bottom of the detail page. CSLB says it explains the limits of a status check, including complaint disclosure, which civil judgments are reported, and how current the data is.
    Sources

    CSLB: Check a License or Home Improvement Salesperson (HIS) Registration

Honest effort and what goes wrong

About five minutes per business. Most of the time goes to getting the name or number to match.

Next steps

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Educational only: not legal, tax or financial advice. Source: CSLB pages, including a license detail page, checked October 22, 2026. Picker's Desk isn't affiliated with CSLB. Last checked against the sources October 22, 2026. Spot something out of date? Email roger@pickersdesk.com.