Every classification · Fees, bonds and renewal
How much does a California contractor license cost?
Checked 19 October 2026 against CSLB’s fee list and forms, PSI’s candidate bulletins, the California Department of Justice’s Live Scan list and the Business and Professions Code · Written by the License Ladder team · Reviewed by AJ Sokol, Co-Founder
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As of 19 October 2026, a California contractor license costs $801.86 in fixed fees for a sole owner who passes both exams on the first try: CSLB’s $450 application and $200 license fees, PSI’s $51.43 per exam and $49 for fingerprints. A corporation or LLC with one person fingerprinted pays $951.86, plus $49 per extra person. Add a Live Scan site fee and the premium on a $25,000 bond, which CSLB does not set.
What fees do you pay for a California contractor license?
You pay four fees with set prices: CSLB’s application and license fees, PSI’s exam fee and the fingerprint fee. CSLB charges $450 to apply and $200 or $350 for the initial license. PSI charges $51.43 for each exam, and the DOJ and FBI charge $49 for each person’s fingerprints. Three other costs are not set by CSLB: the Live Scan site’s rolling fee, the bond premium and any insurance.
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application, one classification | $450, not refundable | CSLB (check payable to the Registrar of Contractors) | With your application |
| Card fee, online sole owner application only | 2.3% of the fee, or $10.35 | The card company | When you apply online |
| Fingerprint processing (DOJ $32, FBI $17) | $49 per person | The Live Scan operator, or CSLB if you use hard cards | After CSLB accepts your application |
| Live Scan rolling fee | Set by each site: $30 or less at half the sites on the DOJ list | The Live Scan site | At your fingerprint appointment |
| Law and Business exam | $51.43 per attempt | PSI | When you book the exam |
| Trade exam, for example General Building (B) | $51.43 per attempt | PSI | When you book the exam |
| Asbestos open-book exam | No fee on CSLB’s fee list | Not applicable (no fee listed) | Before CSLB issues the license |
| Initial license fee, covers two years | $200 sole owner; $350 partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture | CSLB | After you pass, when CSLB mails its Bond and Fee letter |
| $25,000 contractor bond | A premium set by the surety company, or a $25,000 cashier’s check deposit | A surety company, or CSLB for a deposit | Before CSLB issues an active license |
CSLB charges the same application and initial license fees for every classification. The only classification-specific charge on its fee list is the extra $20 that C-10 electrical contractors pay with each active renewal. The $125 asbestos fee on the list is for a separate asbestos certification, not the open-book exam every new licensee completes.
Sources: CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees; PSI, Law and Business candidate bulletin; CSLB, Get Fingerprinted/Live Scan; California DOJ, Live Scan Locations; CSLB, Apply for a Sole Owner License; CSLB, Issuing My License. Checked 19 October 2026.
What is the total cost to get licensed?
Plan on $801.86 in fixed fees as a sole owner who passes both exams the first time, or $951.86 as a corporation or LLC with one person fingerprinted, as of 19 October 2026. A partnership has at least two partners to fingerprint, so it starts at $1,000.86. Then add the Live Scan site’s rolling fee (half the sites on the DOJ list charged $30 or less) and your bond premium.
| Situation | How it adds up | Fixed fees |
|---|---|---|
| Sole owner, both exams passed the first time | $450 + $102.86 + $49 + $200 | $801.86 |
| Veteran sole owner, same path | $450 + $102.86 + $49 + $100 | $701.86 |
| Sole owner who retakes one exam once | $801.86 + $51.43 | $853.29 |
| Corporation or LLC, one person fingerprinted | $450 + $102.86 + $49 + $350 | $951.86 |
| Partnership, two partners fingerprinted | $951.86 + $49 | $1,000.86 |
| Partnership, corporation or LLC, three people fingerprinted | $951.86 + $49 + $49 | $1,049.86 |
- Every row assumes one classification. If your application needs an exam, CSLB lets you apply for only one classification at a time.
- With the $30 median rolling fee, one person’s fingerprints cost $79, and the totals become $831.86 for a sole owner and $981.86 for a corporation or LLC with one person fingerprinted.
- Applying online by card adds 2.3%, or $10.35 on the $450 application fee.
- Not included: the bond premium, an LLC’s $100,000 worker bond and liability insurance, and workers’ comp.
- Exam prep with License Ladder: Law & Business for $99, or add General Building (B) for $50 more ($149 total). One payment, no subscription, with one year of the app.
CSLB’s Get Licensed to Build guide puts the total at $650 for a sole owner or $800 for other business types. That counts only CSLB’s own two fees: the $450 application fee and the $200 or $350 initial license fee. It leaves out PSI’s $102.86 for two exams and the $49 fingerprint fee, which you pay to others.
Sources: CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees; PSI, Law and Business candidate bulletin; CSLB, Get Licensed to Build (2025 edition); CSLB, form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026); California DOJ, Live Scan Locations. The totals are our arithmetic from those fees. Checked 19 October 2026.
When is each fee due, and who gets it?
Fees come due in four steps: with your application, after CSLB accepts it, each time you book an exam, and after you pass. The $450 and the initial license fee go to CSLB. The fingerprint fees go to the Live Scan site, and $51.43 per exam goes to PSI.
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1
With your application
Send the $450 application fee with form 13A-1, by check or money order payable to the Registrar of Contractors. A sole owner applying online pays by card instead. Do not send the bond or the initial license fee yet; CSLB asks for those after you pass.
-
2
After CSLB accepts the application
CSLB mails a Live Scan fingerprint packet and a Notice to Schedule. Pay the Live Scan operator $49 plus the site’s rolling fee for each person who must be fingerprinted.
-
3
Each time you book an exam
Pay PSI $51.43 per exam, online or by phone. Law and Business and your trade exam are separate registrations, so two exams cost $102.86, and a retake is another $51.43. Before you pay, see the question format in the free CSLB practice test.
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4
After you pass
CSLB mails a Bond and Fee letter. Pay the $200 or $350 initial license fee within 90 days of the letter, file your $25,000 bond or cashier’s check, and file workers’ comp proof or an exemption. CSLB issues the license only when every requirement is met.
Sources: CSLB, form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026); CSLB, Public Information FAQ; CSLB, Application Accepted; CSLB, Examinations FAQ; PSI, Law and Business candidate bulletin; B&P 7074 in CSLB’s Law Book. Checked 19 October 2026.
Do you pay $25,000 for the contractor bond?
No. You pay a premium to a surety company for a $25,000 bond, or you deposit a $25,000 cashier’s check with CSLB instead. CSLB does not sell bonds or set their price; each surety prices its bonds from its own rates on file with the California Department of Insurance.
What sets the premium
Credit matters most. For the old $15,000 bond, CSLB’s January 2021 bond study found a cost of less than $100 to about $200 a year with good credit. With money problems or past bond claims, it ran to hundreds of dollars or over $1,000. In its survey, nearly three in four of more than 4,000 contractors paid $600 a year or less. CSLB expected premiums to rise in proportion with a larger bond. The bond has been $25,000 since January 1, 2023.
Paying cash instead
CSLB accepts a cashier’s check or bank-certified check for the full amount; a personal or business check is not accepted. CSLB holds the deposit for three years after the license period it covers ends, or three years after the license is inactivated, canceled or revoked if that comes first, and longer while a claim is pending. State law sets a $100 fee to process it, and CSLB’s 2021 study says the deposit earns interest and has no ongoing cost.
Keeping the bond in force
Most bonds are written for one to three years, and then the surety may ask for another premium. Most bond renewals do not line up with your license renewal, so renewing the license does not renew the bond. If a premium goes unpaid and the surety cancels, CSLB counts the bond canceled 30 days after the notice and suspends the license unless a replacement arrives.
| Bond | Who needs it | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor’s bond | Every active license | $25,000 |
| Bond of qualifying individual | A license qualified by an RME, or by an officer or LLC qualifier who does not certify owning at least 10% | $25,000 |
| LLC employee/worker bond | Every LLC license | $100,000 |
Sources: CSLB, Issuing My License; CSLB, Bond Requirements; CSLB, Bond Basics; CSLB, Alternatives in Lieu of Bond (13N-4); CSLB, Forms and Applications; CSLB, SB 610 License Bond Study (January 2021); B&P 7137(a)(6)(C) in CSLB’s Law Book. Checked 19 October 2026.
Does an LLC or corporation pay more than a sole owner?
Yes. A partnership, corporation or LLC pays a $350 initial license fee instead of $200, and $49 more for each extra person who must be fingerprinted. An LLC also needs a $100,000 worker bond and at least $1 million in liability insurance.
| Requirement | Sole owner | Partnership or corporation | LLC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial license fee | $200 | $350 | $350 |
| Active renewal, every two years | $450 | $700 | $700 |
| Who is fingerprinted ($49 each, plus the rolling fee) | The owner, and an RME if you use one | Each partner or officer, and any RME | Everyone on the personnel of record |
| Bond of qualifying individual ($25,000) | Only with an RME qualifier | With an RME, or an officer qualifier who does not certify owning at least 10% | With an RME, or a qualifier who does not certify owning at least 10% |
| Worker bond | Not required | Not required | $100,000 |
| Liability insurance | Not required by CSLB | Not required by CSLB | $1 million for five or fewer people on the license, plus $100,000 per extra person, up to $5 million |
Starting as a sole owner and forming an LLC or corporation later means a second license, not a transfer. CSLB requires a new license whenever the business entity changes, with a new application and new fees.
Sources: CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees; CSLB, Public Information FAQ; CSLB, form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026); CSLB, Bond Requirements; CSLB, Get Licensed to Build (2025 edition). Checked 19 October 2026.
Do you need workers’ comp before CSLB issues the license?
Only in some cases, until 2028. Today you need it if you have employees, hold a C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39 or D-49 license, or have an RME as your qualifier. Everyone else can file an exemption. From January 1, 2028, every active license needs workers’ comp, except a joint venture with no employees.
How the price is set
CSLB does not set workers’ comp prices. The California Department of Insurance says each insurer files a rate for each job classification code and multiplies your estimated payroll, per $100, by that rate. Your claims history can raise or lower the result, and a payroll audit after the policy ends sets the final premium.
While a license is inactive
An inactive license needs no workers’ comp proof or exemption on file, and no contractor bond or bond of qualifying individual either. The trade-off: you cannot bid or contract for work until you reactivate it.
Sources: CSLB, Workers’ Compensation Requirements; B&P 7125 in CSLB’s Law Book; California Department of Insurance, Workers’ Compensation guide; CSLB, Issuing My License. Checked 19 October 2026.
What does it cost to keep the license once it is issued?
You renew every two years: $450 for a sole owner or $700 for other business types on active status (C-10: $470 or $720). Renewing after the expiration date costs 50% more and leaves a break in your license, so mark the date.
| Renewal | Sole owner | Partnership, corporation or LLC |
|---|---|---|
| Active, on time (every two years) | $450 (C-10: $470) | $700 (C-10: $720) |
| Active, late | $675 (C-10: $695) | $1,050 (C-10: $1,070) |
| Inactive, on time (every four years) | $300 | $500 |
| Inactive, late | $450 | $750 |
| Change | CSLB fee |
|---|---|
| Add a classification | $230, plus PSI’s $51.43 for each exam CSLB requires |
| Replace the qualifier | $230 |
| Add personnel to a corporation or LLC | $125 |
| Reactivate an inactive license | $450 sole owner; $700 other business types |
| Change the business name | $100 |
| Replace a pocket card or wall certificate | $25 |
These fees can change. California law lets CSLB raise them by regulation up to set limits, for example $563 for the application fee and $875 for an active renewal by a partnership, corporation or LLC. CSLB waives renewal fees for a license that expires while its holder is called to active military duty, if the requirements are met.
Sources: CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees; B&P 7137, 7140 and 7141 in CSLB’s Law Book; CSLB, Online Renewals; CSLB, Requirements for Adding a Classification. Checked 19 October 2026.
How do you avoid paying a fee twice?
You avoid paying twice by meeting five deadlines. Fix a returned application within 90 days. Return your Live Scan form copy within 90 days. Cancel a PSI exam at least two days ahead. Pass within 18 months of CSLB accepting your application. And answer CSLB’s Bond and Fee letter within 90 days.
- A returned application has 90 days to come back corrected. After that it is void, and a new application costs another $450.
- Send CSLB the third copy of your Live Scan form within 90 days of getting the packet, or the application may be voided.
- Cancel or move a PSI exam at least two days ahead. A no-show, a late arrival or missing ID forfeits the $51.43.
- Pass within 18 months of CSLB accepting your application. After that it is void and you apply again with new fees, though a passed exam still counts for five years.
- Answer CSLB’s Bond and Fee letter within 90 days of its date: pay the initial license fee and file your bond and other papers, or the application is void and a new one costs another $450.
- Veterans and active-duty members: ask for the 50% initial license fee reduction when you apply.
- Get ready before you book, so you pay PSI once per exam: use License Ladder as directed until your readiness score turns green. Reaching green is also the first condition of the pass guarantee.
Sources: CSLB, Application Returned for Correction; CSLB, Get Fingerprinted/Live Scan; CSLB, Examinations FAQ; CSLB, form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026); B&P 7074 in CSLB’s Law Book. Checked 19 October 2026.
Questions people ask about what a contractor license costs
The one exam cost you control
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Where every fact on this page comes from
We fetched and read each source below on 19 October 2026. CSLB revises its pages and forms; if anything here differs from CSLB’s own wording when you read it, CSLB’s governs.
CSLB fees and forms: List of All CSLB Fees · Application for Original Contractor License, form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026) · Apply for a Sole Owner License (online application) · Online Application Submission FAQ · Get Licensed to Build, 2025 edition · Obtenga una Licencia para Construir (Spanish edition) · Public Information FAQ · Online Renewals
CSLB licensing steps: Step 2: Applying for the Examination · Step 4: Application Returned for Correction · Step 5: Application Accepted · Step 6: Get Fingerprinted/Live Scan · Fingerprinting Q&A · Step 8: Issuing My License · Examinations FAQ · Requirements for Adding a Classification
CSLB bonds and insurance: Bond Requirements · Bond Basics · Information on Alternatives in Lieu of Bond Requirements, 13N-4 · Forms and Applications (how long CSLB holds a bond deposit) · Workers’ Compensation Requirements · SB 610 License Bond Study, January 2021
PSI, CSLB’s exam vendor: Law and Business candidate bulletin 11136 · General Building (B) candidate bulletin 8320
Other California agencies: Department of Justice, Live Scan Locations · Department of Insurance, Workers’ Compensation guide · Department of Insurance, Workers’ Compensation Rate Comparison
We looked for and did not find: a current premium for the $25,000 contractor bond from CSLB, PSI or any California agency (CSLB’s latest figures come from its 2021 study of the old $15,000 bond), and any state figure for LLC liability insurance premiums. For workers’ comp, the Department of Insurance publishes insurers’ filed base rates by job class, which it says are not quotes.
License Ladder is independent study material, not affiliated with or endorsed by CSLB or PSI.