How long does it take to get a contractors license in California?

How long does it take to get a contractors license in California

As my father used to say… how long is a piece of string?

The processing times at the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) vary greatly.  It depends on the type of application, document, or form you’re submitting. Review my CSLB Backlog post regarding processing stats as of September 2020.

Different applications are processed by different units within the CSLB, and they each have their own backlogs.

When I joined the CSLB many, many years ago, the backlog was six months for an exam application to be processed.  Today it averages around three weeks, but that’s just for the application to be reviewed by a license application technician.  What are some other factors that could effect your application?

  1. Is the application formatted correctly?
  2. Are you applying for a B-Gen or A-Eng license?
  3. Is your experience that of an employee of a licensed contractor or self-employed?
  4. Are you submitting owner/builder experience?

Let’s say that your application hits all the CSLB marks for excellence and they approve your application and schedule you for the exams. Great! You’ll only have to wait about another three weeks for that test date to arrive.

While you are waiting for that test date, you’ll receive an envelope from the CSLB that contains forms you will take to a Live Scan office to get your fingerprints processed.  Check, one more thing off the list!  But wait… the FBI and DOJ that process those prints have their own backlogs and they can take anywhere between two and six weeks to return their reports to the CSLB.

Backing up a bit, what if your application doesn’t get a passing grade and the exams aren’t scheduled right away?  Well, then you’re looking at additional weeks of back and forth with the technician, waiting on a correction letter to be delivered in the mail, mailing your corrections back and then waiting on the technician to process those corrections.  If those corrections aren’t accepted, rinse and repeat.

There are tricks to speed the process up a bit, depending on your specific situation.  I’d be happy to help you find out.  Send me an email and we can discuss it. So, how long does it take to get a contractors license in California?  How much time do you have?

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LicenseGuru

I am a Navy vet and former laborer for a B-Gen Bldg contractor, I built mobile homes for many years, I worked at the Contractors State License Board for 5 yrs, and have been operating a contractors license service company since 2005.

25 thoughts on “How long does it take to get a contractors license in California?”

  1. Hello LicenseGuru,
    I’m glad I found your blog. It has been very helpful. Question. My C-39 license App, Backgrounds , insurances, Bonds, Asbestos and passed exams were all submitted to Issuance on November 1. It is now December 14th. No emails or calls have been returned from the Issuance unit. Is it normal for Issuance to take this long to grant a license? Anything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated!
    Thank you!

  2. They sent a mail to me for the documents, work comp exmp, open book test, and $200 fee. Therefore, I sent all the documents that I need to the license issuance on 4/2/2022. The mail tracking number showed it delivered on 4/2/2022. They cashed the check on 4/14/2022. They don’t update my statues. How do I know they are working on my application?

    1. Hello John,

      The cslb is working on license numbers for applicants who have submitted all of their issuance requirements by 3/28. You’ll just need to be patient.

  3. Mr. Guru,

    Hoping you can help clarify a question I have in regards to the license issuance process.

    I submitted my final documents on Feb 15th 2022 through the mail, my fee check was cashed on Feb 23rd 2022. I called in to the cslb on March 4th to inquire as to what the current status was and they informed me that they were waiting for my workers comp exemption or policy. I actually sent that in with the final documents on Feb 15th but I guess it wasn’t processed yet, they advised me to do that online which I did and it updated as active march 4th 2022. By submitting that online did I subsequently “reset” the time-line? Will they count my documents as received Feb 23rd which included the workers comp exemption form or will they now count the March 4th submission as the date of last activity?

    Nothing on my status has updated since I passed the exams, the bond shows as being active since Feb 16th tho, that updated when the bond agent submitted it but outside of that there has been no updates. I’ve noticed on the “query by name of applicant” that corporation applications recieve updates such as “bond received” “workers comp received” or “waiting on bond” etc…

    Sole proprietor applicants don’t seem to receive such updates.

    I’m worried that by submitting the comp exemption online rather than waiting for them to scan in the document I may have inadvertently delayed the process. Have you encountered this before?

  4. I sent my application for license issuance ( bond , asbestos test, live scan, check mailed and workers comp have all been filled out). I sent on 01/14/2022. The check has been cashed on 02/12/22, so that’s how I know they received it.
    When I check my application nothing has been updated. The last thing it shows is bond, workers comp, and asbestos test completed. Just wondering how long until I get my license issued? Or is this a normal wait time? Thanks!

    1. Hello,

      They are currently working on issuance for apps that had submitted everything by 1/24. So yours should have been issued by now. Unless… they’re going by the date the check was cashed.

      You can email them at is******@cs**.gov for an update. Show your app number in the subject line.

      1. William Schofield

        Hello, I passed my exams on 2/16/2022, online it shows I have a bond effective since 2/28/2022, and asbestoses and works comp form were completed online on 2/17/2022. The CSLB cashed the activation fee check on 3/04/2022, should I be expecting my license number to be available online to me soon?
        Thank you

        1. Hello William,

          You can expect your license number to be issued in 3-4 weeks. You’ll know the second it happens because your phone will blow up with calls from insurance companies and the BBB congratulating you and wanting to take your money.

  5. I have been trying to get my c-36 for 15+ yrs now , but every time I have some time off , I either take a vacation or get back on another job before I get a chance to study and fill the application , gather work verifications, take the test, start a plumbing business, if you are in you 60s you think it to late to start a plumbing business? I took some time off due to covic epidemic, file the application for the license , waiting for the response , how long is the wait , it’s been 2 weeks. California.

    1. Hello Frank,

      Currently the wait time from app submission to app review is about six weeks. At that time they’ll assign a test date to you, if your application is acceptable.

    1. Hello,

      Once the cslb receives all of the issuance documents ($200 fee, bond, fingerprinting, workers comp or exemption, and open book Asbestos test completed) you will get in line for issuance. The issuance unit is about four weeks behind.

  6. Is there a way to check and find out if my application has been received? Will they notify me if my application is missing something?

    1. Hi Kevin,

      You’ll receive a letter in the mail from the cslb with the application number and a four digit PIN. The PIN will allow you to view the app on their website. The letter can take several weeks to arrive, and sometimes it arrives after the cslb has reviewed the application.

    1. My husband took his exam in late April .. still does not have his license they lost his workers como exemption but he sent it in on 6/04 when he calls they just same the same thing that it should be issued any day now. He sent a letter and left multiple messages on the issuance phone number VM that they gave him and still nothing… anything else we can do?

  7. Wanda Martin/Terry Case

    I started a handyman service and am at the point of needing a contractors license in order to expand my services. Which contractors license is require/do you recommend?

  8. Hello
    Please get back to me regarding how you can help me apply and not make any processing mistakes with my application.

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