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C38 Refrigeration License (California)
California has 1,601 active C38 Refrigeration holders in the state file as of 2026-10-281, the 29th-largest of 64 classes with at least 200 holders. 50 of them expire by 2026-12-27.
- Active holders
- 1,601
- 0.7% of active California licenses
- Expiring by 2026-12-27
- 50
- 3.1% of holders
- Median bond on file
- $25,000
- 1,600 bonds
- Workers' comp exempt
- 22.7%
- of 1,601 with WC status
What does the California Refrigeration license require?
C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor. Related: C-4 Boiler/Hot Water Heating/Steam Fitting; C-43 Sheet Metal. Active C-20 must carry WC even with no employees. Refrigerant (EPA 608) not addressed on CSLB class page.2
Exam
Two exams: (1) Law & Business and (2) trade exam for the classification (no trade exam for C-61).3
Bond
$25,000 contractor bond (or $25,000 cashier's check).1
How many C38 contractors are exempt from workers' comp?
363 of 1,601 active C38 holders with a recorded status (22.7%) filed an exemption1, against 48.7% across all California classes.
How do you check a C38 license?
Search by license number or business name on the California license lookup, which reads the same state file.
Other California license classes
Sources
- CA CSLB License Master (cslb.ca.gov data portal) (cslb.ca.gov, 2026-10-28)
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB): classes (cslb.ca.gov)
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB): exam (cslb.ca.gov)