Free California contractor license check
Type a sub's California license number and see what the Contractors State License Board has on file: whether the license is active, when it expires, which trades it covers, and whether it carries workers' compensation and a bond.
- Read from CSLB's public data, refreshed daily, and dated on every answer.
- Flags what SiteSquare would flag for its customers: an inactive or expiring license, a pending action, no current workers' comp.
- No account needed, and nothing about your lookup is kept.
Check a license
Why check a sub's license
In California, most construction work needs a license from CSLB in the right classification — only small jobs that need no building permit are exempt. An unlicensed or suspended sub can't enforce payment, and a license with no workers' compensation on file can leave an injury on your policy. A certificate of insurance can look fine while the license behind it is suspended.
Exempt from workers' comp, and 2028
Many licenses show an exemption from workers' compensation because the contractor reports no employees. California law (SB 1455, 2024) moved the requirement that every licensed contractor carry workers' compensation to January 1, 2028, and requires CSLB to set up a way to verify exemptions for contractors without employees. Check with CSLB how it applies to a particular license.
Checking every sub, every day
SiteSquare checks each of your subs' licenses against CSLB every day, alongside their certificates of insurance, and tells you when one lapses. See how it works for general contractors, or check a certificate with the free certificate checker.