Sourced from the official CSLB public record
Check a California contractor's license before you hire
Free CSLB license lookup by license number or business name. See status, bond, workers' comp, and classifications, dated against the official record.
Try a license number, or a business name.
243,952 California contractors · 233,084 active licenses · updated from CSLB on August 4, 2026
Verify in three steps
A contractor license check takes under a minute: no account, no fees, just the official CSLB public record, organized and dated.
- 1
Search a name or license #
Enter the business name or the CSLB license number you were given.
- 2
Read the dated record
See status, bond, workers' comp, and trades, with the date we verified it.
- 3
Hire with confidence
Confirm the license is active and the classification matches your project.
What every profile shows you
The facts that decide whether a contractor is safe to hire — pulled from CSLB and laid out plainly.
Live license status
Active, suspended, expired, or revoked: read straight from the CSLB record, not a stale cache.
Bond on file
Whether the contractor carries the required surety bond, and for how much.
Workers' comp
Coverage, exemption, or a lapse — the difference between your liability and theirs.
Classifications & scope
Every trade the license actually covers, so the work matches the credential.
Dated freshness
Every profile shows the date we last verified it against CSLB — the freshness others can't promise.
Free & unbiased
No account, no paywall. Sourced from the public record and dated, so you decide.
Why dated verification matters
A license can lapse the day after a cached lookup says it's fine
Hiring an unlicensed or suspended contractor can leave you liable for on-the-job injuries, void your permits, and strip the consumer protections a bonded license carries. Stale directories can't tell you a license expired last week.
We re-sync from CSLB and stamp every profile with the date we last checked. If a license expires, is suspended, or is revoked, the Licensed badge turns off automatically — and we still show the contractor, with the dated status, because the warning is the point.
The risks of hiring unlicensed
Browse by trade
Every CSLB classification, from general building to specialty trades. Two of the biggest trades: electrician (C-10) license checks and roofing contractor (C-39) checks.
Roofing contractors in California
Products and surfaces that seal, waterproof, and weatherproof structures — roof coverings and membranes.
Explore roofing licenses
Is this your business?
Every licensed California contractor already has a free profile here. Claim yours to confirm your details, then upgrade to a Verified badge that auto-updates with your CSLB status and helps you win the homeowner's trust.
Guides & answers
Plain-English answers to the questions homeowners ask before they hire.
Frequently asked questions
Is checking a contractor's license free?
Yes. Every verification on Contractor License Proof is free, with no account required. We make money from contractors who claim and upgrade their own listing, not from people checking a license.
Where does your license data come from?
Every profile is sourced from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) public record and shows the date it was last verified, so you always know how current it is.
Can I look up a contractor by license number?
Yes. Enter a CSLB license number in the search box and you'll go straight to that contractor's profile. You can also search by business name to browse candidates.
What does "verified against CSLB on [date]" mean?
It's the date we last synced that contractor's status from the CSLB. If a license expires, is suspended, or is revoked, the Licensed badge automatically turns off on the next sync and the page shows the dated status instead.
How do I check if a contractor is licensed in California?
Search the contractor's business name or CSLB license number here to see their dated CSLB status, or use the CSLB's own Check a License tool at cslb.ca.gov. Either way, confirm the license is active and that its classification matches your project before you hire.
How do I check if a contractor is licensed and insured?
License status, the contractor bond, and workers' compensation all come from the CSLB record and appear on every profile here. The CSLB does not require or track general liability insurance for most contractors (LLC licensees are the exception), so ask the contractor for a certificate of insurance directly and verify it with the insurer.
Does a small job need a licensed contractor in California?
Any job where labor, materials, and all other items total $1,000 or more requires a licensed contractor in California. AB 2622 raised that threshold from $500 on January 1, 2025, a change many older guides still miss. Under $1,000, work may be done without a license only when it is minor standalone work, no building permit is required, and no one is employed on the job.
Verified against the CSLB public record · last site-wide sync . Not affiliated with the CSLB or the State of California.