California contractor license · Step by step
How do you get a contractor license in California?
Checked 20 October 2026 against CSLB's application pages and form 13A-1, its Board packets, PSI's candidate bulletins and the Business and Professions Code · Written by the License Ladder team · Reviewed by AJ Sokol, Co-Founder
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To get a California contractor license, you must be 18 or older and have a Social Security number or ITIN. You need four years of journey-level experience in your trade from the last 10 years. You file CSLB form 13A-1 ($450), get fingerprinted, pass two exams ($51.43 each) and file a $25,000 bond. A sole owner who passes on the first try pays $801.86 in CSLB, exam and fingerprint fees, plus a Live Scan site fee (October 2026).
Who is eligible for a California contractor license?
You are eligible if you are 18 or older, have a Social Security number or ITIN, and have four years of journey-level experience in the kind of work your license covers, earned in the last 10 years. School or a finished apprenticeship can count for up to three of those years. Short on experience? A business can use a person who has it. That person takes the exams and oversees the construction work.
What counts as journey-level experience
Journey level means you can do the trade on your own, without anyone supervising you. CSLB counts these kinds of work:
- Journeyman: a fully trained worker who does the trade without supervision, or someone who finished an apprenticeship.
- Foreman or supervisor: has a journeyman's skills and directly supervises the building work.
- Contractor: a current or former licensed contractor, in California or another state.
- Self-employed: counts if you have a journeyman's skills and can run the daily work of a construction business.
- Owner-builder: work on your own property. It counts only for General Building (B).
Time as a trainee, helper, laborer, assistant or apprentice does not count. You need four full years within the last 10. School or a finished apprenticeship can cover up to three years, but at least one year must be hands-on work. High school classes don't count.
Someone who saw your work firsthand signs your form 13A-11 under penalty of perjury: a boss, coworker, foreman, fellow journeyman, union rep, inspector or homeowner. CSLB reviews 3% of applications at random, so keep payroll records or similar proof. Read the full rules.
What "in the classification" means
A classification is CSLB's name for a license type, like B General Building or C-10 Electrical. Your four years must be in the same kind of work as the license you apply for.
- General Building (B): the law defines B work as building structures that take at least two unrelated building trades, and it also allows framing or carpentry jobs. CSLB's own example of good B experience: rough and finish carpentry, concrete forms and pours, rough plumbing and electrical, painting and flooring on homes.
- Electrical (C-10): your years must be electrical work, such as installing and connecting wires, fixtures, conduit and other electrical equipment.
- No framing experience? CSLB says the B-2 Residential Remodeling license lets contractors without structural framing experience get licensed. Compare B and B-2.
The person who signs your form lists the actual trade work you did. CSLB calls a vague line like "residential general building trades" unacceptable. CSLB can't tell you ahead of time whether your experience counts: it reviews your papers after you apply.
What else you need
- Age and ID: 18 or older, with a Social Security number or an ITIN. California law says you don't have to share your immigration status. How the ITIN route works.
- No diploma or financial requirement: CSLB has no education requirement and no financial requirement. You still pay the fees, file the $25,000 bond and pass the exams.
- The application: form 13A-1, a work experience form (13A-11) for each place you worked, and the $450 fee.
- Fingerprints: a Live Scan for a California DOJ and FBI background check. A criminal record is not an automatic no: CSLB reviews each applicant one by one.
- Two exams: Law and Business, plus the trade exam for your license (C-61 has none). License Ladder prepares you for Law and Business and for General Building (B): study the cards and digital guides, then practice in the app until your readiness score turns green.
- After you pass: the asbestos open-book exam, a $25,000 bond, workers' comp or an exemption, and the license fee ($200 for a sole owner).
| Business type | Who can be the person with the experience |
|---|---|
| Sole owner | You, the owner, or a permanent employee you hire who has the experience |
| Partnership | A general partner, or a permanent employee |
| Corporation | An officer, or a permanent employee |
| LLC | An officer, member or manager, or a permanent employee |
An employee in this role must be permanent and work in the business at least 32 hours a week, or 80% of the hours it is open if that is less. That employee can do this for only one active license at a time. If the person with the experience is an employee, or a corporation or LLC officer, member or manager who owns less than 10% of it, the license also needs a second $25,000 bond.
Sources: CSLB, Qualifying Experience for the Examination; CSLB, Before Applying for the Examination; CSLB form 13A-1 and form 13A-11 (rev. 01/2026); CSLB, Steps to Becoming a Licensed Contractor; CSLB's classification pages for B General Building and C-10 Electrical; CSLB's Get Licensed to Build workshop slides; CSLB's Law Book (B&P Code 7068 and 16 CCR 825). Checked 20 October 2026.
What does a sole owner need to get a California contractor license?
To get a California contractor license as a sole owner, you need four years of journey-level experience and must pass two exams yourself, or you hire a permanent employee who has the experience and takes the exams. A sole owner is one person who owns the business, with no corporation or LLC. You can apply online, and you pay CSLB $650: $450 to apply and $200 after you pass.
The experience and the exams are yours
If you have the four years of journey-level experience yourself, you apply as both the owner and the person with the experience. On form 13A-1, you check "Owner" in the title box. After CSLB accepts your application, you take both exams yourself: Law and Business and your trade exam, $51.43 each at PSI. License Ladder prepares you for Law and Business and for General Building (B): study 20 minutes a day until the app's readiness score turns green.
No experience? You can hire someone who has it
The law lets a sole owner use the experience of an employee. That person must be a permanent employee who works in your business at least 32 hours a week, or 80% of the hours it is open if that is less. They take the exams and oversee the construction work, and they can't hold an active sole owner license of their own. On form 13A-1, they check "Responsible Managing Employee (RME)". Your license then also needs a second $25,000 bond and workers' comp.
What you file and pay
Sole owners can apply online and pay by Visa, MasterCard or Discover, plus a 2.3% card fee. You fill out the application (form 13A-1) and a work experience form (13A-11) for each place you worked, signed by someone who saw your work. You pay CSLB $650 to get licensed: $450 to apply and a $200 license fee after you pass. Renewing an active license costs $450 every two years ($470 for C-10 Electrical).
Your business name
The business name you put on form 13A-1 goes on your license, and it is the name your business must operate under. It has to fit your license type: CSLB's example is a tile company's name, which works for a C-54 tile license but not for C-10 Electrical. A sole owner can't use "partners" or "incorporated" in the name, and each license can use only one name.
Your $25,000 bond
After you pass, you file a $25,000 contractor bond. You buy it from an insurance agent or a surety company; CSLB does not sell bonds. Or you can deposit a $25,000 cashier's check with CSLB instead. No bond is needed while a license is inactive.
Workers' comp, or the exemption
No employees? You can file CSLB's exemption form, saying you have none. Once you hire anyone, you need workers' comp. There is no exemption for C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39 or C-61/D-49 licenses, or when your license uses a hired employee's experience. Starting 1 January 2028, the law requires workers' comp for an active sole owner license, even with no employees.
Sources: CSLB, Apply for a Sole Owner License; CSLB form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026); CSLB, Before Applying for the Examination; CSLB, Workers' Compensation Requirements; CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees; CSLB's Law Book (B&P Code 7068 and 7125, 16 CCR 825). Checked 20 October 2026.
How much does it cost, and how long does it take?
A sole owner who passes both exams on the first try pays $801.86 to CSLB, PSI, DOJ and FBI, before the Live Scan site fee and the bond premium (October 2026). CSLB gives no total time: it says processing times continually change. Its own queues run in weeks, and you have 18 months after CSLB accepts your application to pass the exams.
| Fee | Amount | Paid to, and when |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee, form 13A-1 | $450, nonrefundable | CSLB, with the application |
| Law and Business exam | $51.43 | PSI, when you book the exam |
| Trade exam | $51.43 | PSI, when you book the exam |
| Fingerprint processing | $49 ($32 DOJ and $17 FBI), plus the Live Scan site's own fee | The Live Scan site, after CSLB accepts the application |
| Initial license fee | $200 for a sole owner, $350 for any other business type | CSLB, after you pass |
| Total, first try | $801.86 for a sole owner, $951.86 for other business types | Before the Live Scan site's fee, the bond premium and any insurance; each additional person CSLB fingerprints adds $49 |
Not in that total: the Live Scan site's own fee, $49 for each additional person CSLB fingerprints (partners, officers, members and managers included), the premium you pay a bond company for the required $25,000 bond, workers' comp if you need it, and the 2.3% card fee if a sole owner applies online. An LLC license also needs a $100,000 worker bond and liability insurance. Your exam prep is a separate cost: License Ladder for Law & Business is $99, or add General Building for $50 more ($149 total), one payment with no subscription.
| What CSLB is handling | Average wait, Aug 2025 to Jul 2026 | July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Your exam application | 1.4 to 3.5 weeks | 1.4 weeks |
| Your criminal record check (DOJ and FBI timing) | 1.8 to 2.8 weeks | 2.6 weeks |
| Your bond filing | 0.9 to 3.1 weeks | 1.4 weeks |
| Your workers' comp proof or exemption | 1.1 to 2.9 weeks | 1.1 weeks |
For a live reading, check CSLB's processing-times page, which CSLB updates weekly. On 19 October 2026 it was working on exam applications received 6 October 2026, and on final fees and documents received 8 October 2026. In CSLB's survey of new licensees from July 2025 to June 2026, 85% called the licensing timeframe acceptable. The full wait is on our after-you-apply page. Those weeks are study time: with License Ladder, 20 minutes a day, you work toward a green readiness score before you book your exams.
Sources: CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees; PSI bulletin 11136; CSLB Board packet, September 2026; CSLB Processing Times. Checked 20 October 2026.
What are the steps to get a California contractor license?
Getting a California contractor license takes eight steps, as we break it down. You get your experience, pick a license type and business type, and apply on form 13A-1. You fix the application if CSLB sends it back, get fingerprinted and pass two exams. Then you file your bond and final papers, and CSLB issues the license. Each step below lists its form, its fee and its wait or deadline.
-
1
Get your 4 years of experience
You must be 18 or older and have a Social Security number or ITIN. You need four years of journey-level experience in your trade, within the last 10 years. School or a finished apprenticeship can count for up to three of the four. Not there yet? Work for a licensed contractor until you are, or bring in a person with the experience to take the exams and oversee the work for your business. What counts as experience.
Form: none yet; the experience goes on form 13A-11 with your application.
Fee: none.
Wait: none, but the 10 years run back from the day you file. -
2
Pick your license type and business type
Your application can ask for only one classification (license type); you can add more after the license is issued. Then choose sole owner, partnership, corporation or LLC. Corporations and LLCs must be registered with the California Secretary of State first. Which license fits your work.
Form: the classification and business entity boxes on form 13A-1.
Fee: none from CSLB yet.
Wait: none from CSLB. -
3
File form 13A-1 and pay $450
Sole owners can apply online; everyone else mails form 13A-1 to CSLB, P.O. Box 26000, Sacramento, CA 95826. Either way, include a Certification of Work Experience (form 13A-11) for each employer or work setting. CSLB then mails an acknowledgment letter with a fee number and PIN for status checks.
Form: 13A-1 and 13A-11.
Fee: $450, nonrefundable, plus a 2.3% card fee online.
Wait: CSLB says the acknowledgment letter comes within 4 to 6 weeks. In July 2026, applications waited 1.4 weeks on average before CSLB started on them (1.4 to 3.5 weeks a month from August 2025 to July 2026). On 19 October 2026, CSLB was working on applications received 6 October 2026. -
4
Fix it within 90 days if it comes back
CSLB's own form warns that nearly half of all applications are returned as inaccurate or incomplete. Correct and resubmit within 90 days of the return date, or the application becomes void and you start over with a new $450 fee.
Form: the returned application, corrected.
Fee: none, if you resubmit in time.
Deadline: 90 days from the date CSLB returned it. -
5
Get fingerprinted by Live Scan
Once CSLB accepts (posts) your application, it sends Live Scan instructions to each person on the application who must be fingerprinted. Get printed at a Live Scan site, then return CSLB's copy of the form within 90 days of receiving the packet, or the application may be voided.
Form: CSLB's Request for Live Scan Service.
Fee: $49 ($32 DOJ and $17 FBI) plus the site's own fee.
Wait: in CSLB's September 2026 Board packet, criminal record (DOJ and FBI) items waited 1.8 to 2.8 weeks on average, by month received from August 2025 to July 2026, before CSLB first pulled them; CSLB marks that step as outside its control. Hard-copy cards from outside California take three to six months or longer. -
6
Book and pass your two exams
CSLB mails a Notice to Schedule when it accepts your application. Book and pay for each exam with PSI, online or at (877) 392-6422. Unless a waiver applies, you take Law and Business plus the trade exam for the classification (C-61 has no trade exam). Each exam is 3½ hours on a computer, and you get a printed result before you leave. What Law and Business covers.
How to pass: for Law and Business and General Building (B), use License Ladder as directed, starting the day you apply. Study the printed cards and digital guides 20 minutes a day, then work the app's practice questions and timed mock exams until your readiness score turns green. Then book. How License Ladder works.
Form: the Notice to Schedule from CSLB.
Fee: $51.43 per exam, paid to PSI.
Deadline: pass both within 18 months of acceptance. A failed exam can be retaken after 21 days. -
7
File your bond and pay the license fee
After you pass, CSLB mails a Bond and Fee letter. File a $25,000 contractor bond (or deposit a $25,000 cashier's check), workers' comp proof or an exemption, and the asbestos open-book exam, which the person with the experience completes online or, on request, on paper by mail. Pay the initial license fee. Not ready to work? You can ask CSLB to issue the license inactive, with no bond or workers' comp.
Form: the Bond and Fee letter's list.
Fee: $200 for a sole owner, $350 for other business types, plus the bond premium.
Deadline: 90 days from CSLB's notice. On 19 October 2026, CSLB was processing final documents received 8 October 2026. -
8
Get your license
CSLB issues your license number, and the wall certificate and pocket card arrive about one week later. The license is good for two years, then renews every two years on active status. What happens after you apply.
Form: none.
Fee: none until renewal.
Wait: about one week for the certificate and card.
Sources: CSLB, Apply for a Contractors License; CSLB form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026); CSLB Board packet, September 2026; CSLB Processing Times. Checked 20 October 2026.
Which classification and business type should you apply under?
Pick the one classification that matches your work: an exam application can carry only one. Pick your business type with care, too, because a license can't be moved to another person or business later. A sole owner can apply without forming a company. Corporations and LLCs must register with the California Secretary of State first.
One classification per exam application
CSLB takes one classification on an original exam application. After the license is issued, you can add as many classifications as you qualify for. Picking between B and B-2? Compare them.
The license belongs to the business
CSLB issues licenses to individuals, partnerships, corporations, LLCs and joint ventures, and no license can be transferred. Switching business type after CSLB posts your application means withdrawing it and filing a new one.
LLCs carry more
An LLC license needs a $100,000 worker bond on top of the $25,000 contractor bond, plus liability insurance of at least $1 million when five or fewer people are listed on the license. The initial license fee is $350 instead of $200.
The name has rules
The business name can't suggest work outside your classification or a different business type. CSLB's own example: a tile company's name works for a C-54 tile license but not for C-10 Electrical, and a sole owner can't use "partners" or "incorporated."
Sources: CSLB form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026); CSLB, Before Applying for the Examination; B&P Code 7075.1; CSLB's Law Book (B&P Code 7059.1 and 7071.19). Checked 20 October 2026.
Which exams do you take, and how do you pass them?
You take two computer exams at a PSI test center: Law and Business, plus the trade exam for your classification (C-61 has none). Each one is 3½ hours and costs $51.43, and you can book only after CSLB mails your Notice to Schedule. To pass Law and Business or General Building (B), use License Ladder as directed: study until the app's readiness score turns green, then book.
- CSLB does not publish a passing score. Its Get Licensed to Build guide says the percentage needed to pass "varies for each exam." CSLB does not publish how many questions are on each exam.
- Ten exams have Spanish versions, including Law and Business and General Building (B).
- Fail one exam and you retake only that one, after 21 calendar days, paying PSI's $51.43 again; a passed exam counts for five years.
- Pass both within 18 months of acceptance, or the application becomes void and you apply again with new fees.
- Law and Business can also be taken at PSI sites outside California; the General Building (B) exam is given only in California and at Wilsonville, Oregon.
How to pass: use License Ladder as directed
- Study 20 minutes a day with the printed flashcards and the digital study guides. The Law & Business deck has 142 cards, and the General Building (B) deck, $50 more ($149 total), has 177.
- Practice in the app with practice questions and timed mock exams. Have a question? Ask the AI Exam Coach in the online system.
- Book when your readiness score turns green. That's when you're ready to pass. Reaching green is also the first condition of our pass guarantee.
Law & Business is $99, with one year of app access. One payment, no subscription. Prefer Spanish? The site and the app run in Spanish, the cards are printed in Spanish, and the Exam Coach answers in Spanish.
Our guides break down Law and Business and the General Building (B) exam section by section. Take our free CSLB practice test, with no login, and see what happens on exam day on our PSI test center page.
Sources: CSLB, Examinations FAQ; CSLB, Get Licensed to Build guide; PSI bulletin 11136 and PSI bulletin 8320. Checked 20 October 2026.
What do you file after you pass the exams?
After you pass, CSLB mails you a Bond and Fee letter. It lists what CSLB needs before it issues the license. That can include a $25,000 contractor bond, workers' comp proof or an exemption, the asbestos open-book exam and the initial license fee. File them within 90 days of the notice, or the application becomes void.
| Requirement | Who needs it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 contractor bond | Every active license | Buy it through an insurance agent or a surety company, or deposit a $25,000 cashier's check. CSLB does not issue bonds. |
| Second $25,000 bond | A license that uses an employee's experience, or that of a corporation or LLC officer, member or manager who owns less than 10% | Not needed when the experience is the sole owner's own or a general partner's. |
| Workers' comp certificate or exemption | Every active license | The exemption is only for licenses with no employees, and never for C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39 or C-61/D-49 or a license that uses a hired employee's experience. From 1 January 2028, every active license needs coverage, except a joint venture with no employees. |
| Asbestos open-book exam | Every new licensee | CSLB provides it when you pass; the person with the experience completes it online, or on paper by mail on request. It is not an asbestos certification. |
| Initial license fee | Every new license, active or inactive | $200 for a sole owner, $350 for other business types; it covers two years. |
| $100,000 worker bond and liability insurance | LLC licenses | Insurance of at least $1 million when five or fewer people are listed on the license. |
Not ready to work yet? Under B&P Code 7076.5 you can ask CSLB to issue the license inactive. While it is inactive, you need no bond and no workers' comp, and the license needs no person with the experience, but you can't bid or contract until you reactivate it. Your wall certificate and pocket card arrive about one week after the license is issued.
Sources: CSLB, Issuing My License; CSLB, Asbestos Open Book Examination; B&P Code 7074 and 7076.5; CSLB, Workers' Compensation Requirements; CSLB's Law Book (B&P Code 7125). Checked 20 October 2026.
What slows a CSLB application down?
Mistakes on the application are the delay CSLB warns about first. Its own form says nearly half of all applications come back because they are wrong or incomplete, and that an incomplete application can delay a license by weeks or even months. Hard-copy fingerprint cards and missed deadlines add more time.
- Leave no box blank: write "N/A" where a question doesn't apply.
- Fill in the forms in black or dark blue ink, and sign and date wherever the form asks.
- Include a Certification of Work Experience (form 13A-11) for each employer or work setting, covering four full years in your classification.
- Add sealed official transcripts or your apprenticeship certificate if you claim credit for them.
- Check that your business name fits your classification and business type.
- If you can, get fingerprinted by Live Scan in California: hard-copy cards take three to six months or longer.
- Veterans and active-duty members: answer the military questions, because CSLB expedites those applications and cuts the initial license fee by 50%.
| Deadline | If you miss it |
|---|---|
| 90 days from the date CSLB returns your application | It becomes void; you reapply with a new $450 fee. |
| 90 days from receiving the Live Scan packet, to return CSLB's copy | The application may be voided. |
| 18 months from acceptance, to pass both exams | It becomes void; you apply again with new fees. |
| 90 days from CSLB's notice, to pay the initial license fee and file the bond | It becomes void. |
CSLB can extend a void date by up to 90 days if you document a medical emergency or another circumstance beyond your control.
Sources: CSLB form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026); CSLB, Get Fingerprinted/Live Scan; B&P Code 7074. Checked 20 October 2026.
Questions people ask about getting a California contractor license
Start studying the day you apply
Use the weeks CSLB spends on your application to get ready. Study the printed cards and digital guides 20 minutes a day, then practice in the app until your readiness score turns green. Law & Business is $99, or add General Building for $50 more ($149 total): one payment, no subscription, one year of the app and our pass guarantee. Try 15 free cards first.
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Where every fact on this page comes from
We fetched and read each source below on 20 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 application pages: Apply for a Contractors License, Exam Required · Before Applying for the Examination · Qualifying Experience for the Examination · Applying for the Examination · Application Returned for Correction · Application Accepted · Get Fingerprinted/Live Scan · Issuing My License · Apply for a Sole Owner License (online) · Forms and Applications · CSLB Processing Times · Examinations Frequently Asked Questions · Public Information Center FAQ · List of All CSLB Fees · Workers' Compensation Requirements · Asbestos Open Book Examination · License classification: B General Building · License classification: C-10 Electrical
CSLB forms, guides and reports: Application for Original Contractor License, form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026) · Online Application Submission FAQ · Steps to Becoming a Licensed Contractor, handout 13P-103 · Get Licensed to Build guide · Board Meeting Packet, September 2026 · 2023 Sunset Review Report · California Contractors License Law & Reference Book, 2026 · Get Licensed to Build workshop slides, 2026
California Business and Professions Code: Section 7048 · Section 7057 · Section 7058.5 · Section 7065 · Section 7068 · Section 7071.9 · Section 7074 · Section 7075.1 · Section 7076.5
PSI candidate bulletins: Law and Business, bulletin 11136 · General Building (B), bulletin 8320
Not found in any primary source, so not stated here: a CSLB figure for the total time from application to license, and any premium for the $25,000 bond.
License Ladder is independent study material, not affiliated with or endorsed by CSLB or PSI.