California General Contractor License Requirements (2026)

The California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses contractors when a project requires a building permit, uses additional workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. A Class B — General Building Contractor principally contracts for structures requiring at least two unrelated building trades or crafts. Unless an examination waiver applies, the qualifying individual needs four years of verified experience, must pass the CSLB Law and Business and B-General-Building examinations administered by PSI, and must meet the issuance requirements before the license is issued.

Regulatory Body

Under California Business & Professions Code §7000 et seq. (Contractors State License Law), Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is the body that issues this license and enforces compliance with it. The CSLB licenses and regulates contractors in 44 license classifications, investigates consumer complaints, enforces contractor license law, and prosecutes unlicensed activity through administrative, civil, and criminal action.

• Official portal: https://www.cslb.ca.gov/
• Address: 9821 Business Park Drive, Sacramento, CA 95827 (mailing: P.O. Box 26000, Sacramento, CA 95826)
• Phone: (800) 321-CSLB (2752) — in California; (916) 255-3900 — outside California

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). No California residency requirement. Out-of-state applicants may apply.

Good moral character

CSLB reviews criminal convictions and formal discipline case by case. A conviction or formal discipline does not automatically preclude licensure; CSLB may deny a license where the statutory and regulatory criteria are met.

Background investigation

Mandatory fingerprinting through Live Scan (in-state) or hard cards (out-of-state). Results are reviewed by both the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Experience and Education

Plan to substantiate 4 years of journeyman, foreman, supervising employee, contractor, or owner-builder with hard records. Payroll, tax, project logs, and supervisor verification are what the board relies on when it reviews the claim.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Certification of Work Experience (CSLB form 13A-11), signed under penalty of perjury by a qualified verifier
• Owner-Builder B-General Building Construction Project Experience form, if claiming owner-builder experience on the applicant’s own property
• Payroll records or other acceptable supporting documentation if CSLB selects the experience claim for review

Education substitution

CSLB may grant up to three years of credit toward the four-year requirement for completed training in an accredited school and/or apprenticeship program in the construction trade. Submit certified transcripts or an apprenticeship certificate.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI Services LLC (under contract to CSLB). The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

• Law and Business — 115 questions, 210 minutes, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
• Trade — General Building (B) — 115 questions, 210 minutes, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: Examination fees are paid directly to CSLB’s approved testing vendor when the examinations are scheduled; they are not included in the $450 original application fee.

Retake policy: After application approval, applicants generally have 18 months to pass the required examination(s). A failed examination may be retaken after 21 days; re-examination scheduling and fees are handled through PSI.

Insurance and Bonds

Licensure is conditioned on filing a $25,000 contractor license surety bond with the CSLB.

General liability

No statutory minimum for the basic Class B license, but commercial general liability is required for limited liability company (LLC) licensees in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence (and an aggregate policy limit increased by $100,000 for each additional employee, up to a maximum of $5,000,000).

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation insurance is required when the business has employees, including a Responsible Managing Employee or home-improvement salesperson. A Class B business with no employees may file the CSLB exemption; the no-employee exemption is unavailable for the classifications specifically named by CSLB, such as C-39 Roofing, not for Class B merely because it is a general-building license.

Additional financial requirements

LLC applicants must additionally maintain an LLC employee/worker bond of $100,000 to protect employee wages and fringe benefits.

Fee Schedule

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for California general contractor.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Expect to renew the California Class B — General Building Contractor every 2 years. Renewal currently costs $450. Active sole-owner licenses renew every two years for $450; active non-sole-owner licenses renew for $700. Inactive licenses renew for $300 (sole owner) or $500 (non-sole owner). No continuing-education requirement is listed for Class B renewal, but licensees remain responsible for complying with current laws and codes. Renew on time even if no renewal notice arrives.

Reciprocity

The NASCLA Accredited Examination is accepted by California for this classification.

For Class B, CSLB’s current original application also provides a NASCLA Commercial General Builders trade-exam waiver path for an out-of-state qualifying individual who has held an equivalent general-building license in good standing for the prior five years and sends NASCLA transcripts to CSLB. CSLB retains discretion to require the trade examination, and the California Law and Business examination remains required unless separately waived.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published General Contractor license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

General Contractor Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare California's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

• Arizona General Contractor License Requirements — Arizona General Contractor (B, B-1, B-2, B-3, KA, KB-1, or KB-2)
• Nevada General Contractor License Requirements — Nevada Class A (General Engineering) or Class B (General Building) Contractor
• Oregon General Contractor License Requirements — Oregon Construction Contractors Board General Contractor License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Form your business entity. Register the business with the California Secretary of State (corporation, LLC, or partnership). Sole owners may operate under their legal name without state-level registration.
2. Document four years of qualifying experience. Complete the Certification of Work Experience with a qualified verifier who has direct knowledge of the work. Keep payroll records or other supporting documentation in case CSLB selects the experience claim for review.
3. File the Application for Original Contractor License. Submit Form 13A-1 with the $450 non-refundable application fee. Include the Certification of Work Experience and any qualifier documentation.
4. Receive examination scheduling instructions. After CSLB posts the application, it sends information for scheduling the Law and Business and B-General-Building examinations with PSI, unless an examination waiver applies.
5. Pass the required examinations. The qualifying individual ordinarily takes the Law and Business examination and the class-specific B-General-Building examination. CSLB reports the required passing standard at the test site.
6. Submit fingerprints (Live Scan or hard cards). Pay the $32 California Department of Justice processing fee and the $17 FBI processing fee. Out-of-state applicants use FD-258 fingerprint cards.
7. File the contractor bond and required insurance information. File the $25,000 contractor bond or approved alternative, workers’ compensation proof or an applicable exemption, and any qualifying-individual bond. LLCs also need the $100,000 employee/worker bond and the required liability insurance.
8. Complete the Asbestos Open-Book Examination. All qualifiers must complete the asbestos open-book examination and submit its verification before CSLB can issue the license. It does not authorize asbestos-related work.
9. Pay the initial license fee and receive your pocket card. Pay $200 (sole owner) or $350 (non-sole owner). Once all requirements are accepted, CSLB issues the license number and mails the wall certificate and pocket card.

Application Checklist

These are the pieces to lock down before filing with CSLB:

• Completed Application for Original Contractor License (Form 13A-1) signed under penalty of perjury
• Certification of Work Experience documenting four years of qualifying experience, certified by a qualified person with direct knowledge of the work
• Owner-Builder B-General-Building Construction Project Experience form, if claiming qualifying owner-builder work
• $25,000 contractor license surety bond filed on the CSLB-prescribed form (or cashier's check)
• Workers' Compensation Certificate of Insurance — or signed Exemption Certification if no employees
• Completed Asbestos Open-Book Examination and verification form

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

Based on the board's own instructions and the sources cited here, the problems below are what most often stall a California General Contractor application.

Vague experience verification

The experience claim must be verifiable and certified by someone with direct knowledge of it. Describe specific B-General-Building duties and keep supporting records available in case CSLB selects the claim for its random experience review.

Bond and license number mismatch

The business name and license number on the contractor's bond must correspond exactly to the CSLB record. Even a missing "Inc." or a transposed digit will cause CSLB to reject the bond and delay issuance until a corrected rider is filed by the surety.

Missing the asbestos open-book exam

All qualifiers must complete the asbestos open-book examination and submit the verification before the license can issue. The examination is an awareness requirement; it does not authorize asbestos-related work.

Workers' compensation exemption errors

A Class B business with no employees may generally file the CSLB exemption. Do not use the exemption if the business has employees, a Responsible Managing Employee, or a home-improvement salesperson; the named mandatory-coverage classifications also cannot use it even with no employees.

Letting the application time out

After approval, the applicant generally has 18 months to pass required examinations. A failed test has a 21-day wait before retesting; track the deadline and complete issuance documents promptly.

Study and Reference Materials

These are the preparation and reference materials tied to this credential — cited by the regulator or widely used by applicants. CLR earns nothing from listing them.

• Contractors License Law & Reference Book (current edition) — LexisNexis Matthew Bender — published in cooperation with CSLB. Primary reference for the Law and Business portion of the CSLB examination. Cited verbatim on the published exam outline.
• B General Building Study Guide (free PDF) — CSLB. Lists the topic areas covered by the Trade examination, the weighting of each area, and the recommended source publications. Mailed to applicants with the Notice to Appear and downloadable from cslb.ca.gov.
• NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management — National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies. Listed by CSLB as a Law and Business examination resource. The current CSLB B-General-Building trade-waiver pathway specifically refers to the NASCLA Commercial General Builders examination, not this study guide alone.
• California Building Code (CBC), current edition — California Building Standards Commission. The trade portion of the CSLB Class B exam draws on the framing, foundation, and structural sections of the CBC.

Other California Trade Licenses

CLR covers other California trades as well — the published guides below may be more relevant:

• California Electrician License Requirements
• California Plumber License Requirements
• California HVAC Technician License Requirements
• California Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• California Painting Contractor License Requirements
• California Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• California Masonry Contractor License Requirements
• California Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• California Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
• California Solar Installer License Requirements
• California Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
• California Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• California Home Inspector License Requirements
• California Pool Contractor License Requirements
• California Handyman License Requirements
• California Pest Control License Requirements
• California Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get a California Class B contractor license?

Timing varies with application completeness, CSLB review, PSI appointment availability, fingerprint processing, and how quickly the issuance documents are filed. CSLB does not publish a guaranteed end-to-end timeline for an original Class B application.

Does California accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination?

Yes, for a limited Class B trade-exam waiver pathway. The current CSLB original application allows an out-of-state qualifying individual who has passed the NASCLA Commercial General Builders examination, held an equivalent general-building license in good standing for the prior five years, and sends NASCLA transcripts to CSLB to seek a trade-exam waiver. The California Law and Business examination remains required unless separately waived, and CSLB retains discretion to require the trade exam.

What is the minimum surety bond required for a California general contractor?

A $25,000 contractor license bond is required, in effect since January 1, 2023, pursuant to Senate Bill 607 and Cal. B&P Code §7071.6. A separate $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual is required when a Responsible Managing Employee qualifies the license.

How many years of experience does CSLB require?

CSLB requires four full years of journeyman-level (or higher) experience within the ten-year period immediately preceding the application. Up to three years may be credited via accredited technical training or a relevant degree.

What is the passing score on the CSLB exam?

CSLB’s current examination guidance says candidates are informed at the test site about the percentage of correct answers required to pass each examination. Prepare for both required examinations rather than relying on an older published percentage.

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