Contractor licensing in California

California has one of the most formal contractor licensing regimes in the country. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) issues licenses in three levels (A, B, C) with dozens of C-classifications for specialty work. License classes: - Class A (General Engineering). Work requires specialized engineering knowledge: highways, bridges, water supply, excavation at scale. - Class B (General Building). Structures requiring at least two unrelated trades. Most general contractors. - Class C (Specialty). One specific trade. C-10 Electrical, C-36 Plumbing, C-20 HVAC, C-33 Painting, and many more. Every license requires: 1. Four years (8,000 hours) of journey-level experience in the trade within the last ten years, documented and certified by a qualifier (usually a licensed contractor or journey-level employer). 2. Passing two exams: a trade exam specific to the classification and the Law and Business exam. 3. A $25,000 contractor bond. Two additional bonds may be required: a Qualifier bond ($25,000) when the qualifier is not the license owner, and a Disciplinary bond for licensees with a disciplinary record. 4. Proof of workers' compensation insurance (or an exemption if no employees). 5. Application fee plus license fee. Qualifier. Every license must have a 'qualifier', a person with the experience who is responsible for the work. A sole owner qualifier must be physically available to supervise the work. A Responsible Managing Employee qualifier must be actively employed full-time by the company. California's reciprocity is limited. CSLB has waiver agreements with Arizona, Nevada, and Utah allowing partial exam waivers for specific license classes held for five years. California does not waive the trade exam for general contractors. Unlicensed contracting in California is a misdemeanor on the first offense, and an unlicensed contractor cannot sue to recover compensation. The BPC section 7031 bar is strictly enforced.