Home / Licensing / California / Renewal
California Contractor License Renewal: Deadline, Fee, CE Hours
Active license renews every 2 years.1 None.2
TradeRenewalContinuing education
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofingActive license renews every 2 years.1Ask Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
When does a California contractor license expire?
Active license renews every 2 years; inactive every 4 years. Initial license is 2 years from last day of issue month. Retroactive renewal petition within 90 days; expired license can be renewed up to 5 years after expiry.1
How many continuing education hours does California require?
None. California does not require continuing education to renew a contractor license; renewal takes the renewal application and fee.2
How much is the California renewal fee?
Active renewal is $450 or $700 ($675 or $1,050 if late), inactive renewal $300 or $500, and each added classification $230.3
How many California licenses are about to expire?
7,882 of 234,020 active licenses in the state file (3.4%) expire by 2026-12-304.
Sources
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB): renewal (cslb.ca.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB): continuing education (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB): fees (cslb.ca.gov, 2026-10-27)
- CA CSLB License Master (cslb.ca.gov data portal) (cslb.ca.gov, 2026-10-31)