California Contractor License Lookup: Search 245,711 Licenses

What does a California license record show?

A record here shows the license number, name, city, classification, status, expiry date, bond (surety and amount) and workers' comp (carrier and dates, or exemption), as the CSLB file has them.^{[cslb.ca.gov]}

114,696 of the 245,711 licenses belong to individuals. Their pages show the name, city, classes, status and expiry only, and stay out of search results. Business records carry the full set.

How many California licenses and policies expire in the next 60 days?

8,508 active California licenses expire between Oct 27, 2026 and Dec 26, 2026, along with 12,772 workers' comp policies.^{[cslb.ca.gov]}

How do you read the result?

The first word is the board's status for the license. The square beside it sums up the check against the file dated Oct 26, 2026.

Filled

Active, and nothing on file expires in the next 60 days.

Half

Active, but the license, bond or workers' comp expires within 60 days. Ask whether it has been renewed.

Crossed

Expired, suspended, revoked or inactive. The result lists the board's status wording.

Dashed

No license with that number in the file.

What are the red flags on a contractor license?

A status other than active, a license number that isn't in the file, and a classification that doesn't cover the job are the three to stop on. In California, 49% of active licenses with a workers' comp entry are exempt, which means the holder reported no employees.^{[cslb.ca.gov]}

• The name on the record doesn't match the name on the contract or invoice.
• The classification is for a different trade than the work you're hiring for.
• The bond has a cancellation date, or no bond is on file.
• The license is workers' comp exempt but a crew shows up to work.
• The license expires before the work is finished.

Which California license classes have the most active holders?

General Building (B) has the most, with 103,522 active licenses in the CSLB file.^{[cslb.ca.gov]}