How do I check if a contractor is licensed and insured in California?

'Licensed' and 'insured' are different checks, and 'insured' itself covers two different things. The CSLB public record shows the license status, the $25,000 contractor bond, and workers' compensation, and each profile here reflects them. General liability insurance, which covers property damage and injuries the contractor causes, is the piece CSLB generally does not require, so it isn't on most license records. You confirm it by asking the contractor for a current certificate of insurance.

The three protections do different jobs. The bond is a limited $25,000 guarantee tied to violations of the licensing law, not a general damage fund. Workers' compensation covers the contractor's workers if they're injured, which keeps those costs from landing on you. General liability insurance covers damage to your property and injuries to others. A contractor can be fully licensed and bonded and still carry no liability insurance, which is why the certificate check matters.

Workers' compensation matters for your protection: if a worker without coverage is hurt on your property, you could be asked to pay for injuries through your homeowner's insurance policy or face a lawsuit. Any California contractor with employees must carry workers' comp, and five classifications must carry it even with no employees: C-8 concrete, C-20 HVAC, C-22 asbestos abatement, C-39 roofing, and C-61/D-49 tree service. Other contractors with no employees may instead have a CSLB exemption on file; the license record shows which applies. From January 1, 2028, every licensee needs coverage regardless of classification.

Ask for the certificate of insurance (COI) before you sign, then actually read it: confirm the named insured matches the business on your contract, the policy dates cover your project window, and the coverage limits fit the size of the job. Then verify it, ideally by having the insurer or broker send the certificate to you directly, or by calling the insurer to confirm the policy is current. A certificate the contractor prints themselves is easy to fake; one that comes from the insurance company isn't.

California does not require most contractors to carry general liability insurance; CSLB's own consumer guidance says commercial general liability insurance is not required, though it covers damage to your property. The exception is contractors licensed as limited liability companies. Under Business & Professions Code §7071.19, an LLC licensee must carry liability insurance as a condition of the license: at least $1,000,000 when five or fewer people are listed on the license's personnel of record, plus $100,000 for each additional person of record, up to a $5,000,000 cap. CSLB's own example: eight people of record means $1,300,000. The insurer files proof with CSLB, so an LLC's coverage appears on Check a License under Liability Insurance History.