California C-10 Electrical Contractor License: Scope, Verification, and the Two Credentials to Check

The C-10 classification covers electrical work: wiring, raceways, fixtures, panels, and the systems that generate, transmit, transform, or use electrical energy — including photovoltaic (solar) systems and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Because a C-10 covers both solar PV and battery storage, it is the broader credential for a solar-plus-battery project; a C-46 solar contractor cannot install battery storage unless it also holds a C-10.

California splits electrical regulation across two databases. The CSLB issues the C-10 license to the contracting business; the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Electrician Certification Unit certifies the individual electricians who perform the work. A complete check looks at both.

There is no California 'journeyman electrician license' to look up — the state issues electrician certifications and trainee registrations, not journeyman licenses. If a search sends you looking for one, that's why you can't find it.

Any project where combined labor and materials total $1,000 or more must be performed by a CSLB-licensed contractor — the threshold rose from $500 to $1,000 on January 1, 2025 under Assembly Bill 2622 (Business & Professions Code §7048). Below $1,000, a narrow minor-work exemption can apply only if the job isn't part of a larger project and the worker discloses, in advertising and bids, that they aren't licensed.

Panel upgrades, new circuits, and service changes also require a permit, which a licensed contractor pulls in their own name. For anything beyond a minor repair, look for an Active C-10 (or a B General Building license where the scope qualifies).

Confirm the license is Active and the C-10 classification is listed — on the CSLB "Check a License" tool or on the contractor's profile in this directory. Match the license to the business you're hiring. Check that the $25,000 contractor bond is on file (Business & Professions Code §7071.6) and that workers' compensation coverage — or a valid exemption — is shown.

For the workers doing the job, you can separately confirm individual electrician certification through the DIR Electrician Certification Unit. Browse Active C-10 electrical contractors by city in the California electrical directory and see each one's dated CSLB status before you hire.

A electrical contractor must carry workers' compensation insurance for any employees. A contractor that genuinely works alone can currently file a no-employee exemption, so the CSLB record may show an exemption rather than a policy — confirm one or the other before you hire.

Senate Bill 1455 will extend that requirement to every CSLB licensee — regardless of employees — on January 1, 2028, with CSLB's exemption-verification process live by January 1, 2027. Five high-risk classifications already carry no exemption at all — C-8 (concrete), C-20 (HVAC), C-22 (asbestos abatement), C-39 (roofing), and D-49 (tree service) — and must hold coverage regardless of employees.