The California contractor license guide

Everything CSLB expects of you, written in plain English and checked against the board's own publications. No sales pitch, no guessed numbers.

How to get a contractor license in California

The seven steps in the order they actually happen: the four-year experience rule, the $450 application, fingerprints, the asbestos exam, both license exams and the Bond and Fee letter.

What is on the Law and Business exam

The seven sections with their official weights, the closed-book format, the 3½-hour limit, and the truth about what score you need to pass.

What a license actually costs

Every fee from the $450 application to the two-year renewal, including fingerprinting, the bond and the PSI fee you pay again for every retake.

Taking the exam in Spanish

Ten CSLB exams exist in Spanish, including Law and Business. How to request one in field 16, what to do if your trade is not on the list, and the translator rules.

Failed the exam? What happens next

The 21-day wait, the 18-month void date, the five-year rule most people get wrong, and how to read your failing score report properly.

A study plan for two or four weeks

Your hours split by the seven official section weights, what to read for each section, the numbers worth memorizing and when to sit a full timed mock.

Exam day at PSI

The six IDs PSI accepts, the long list of things that stay outside the room, the 30-minute rule, how results are printed and what happens if you fail.

The B – General Building exam

The trade exam for general building contractors: its five official sections and their weights, the format, who has to take it and what a B license lets you do.

Official numbers, in one place

Short pages that answer one question each, with the CSLB or PSI document behind every figure.

The seven exam sections, one page each

What each section of the Law and Business exam covers, the numbers it asks for and the traps people fall into. In order of weight.

Contract Requirements and Execution · 21%Down payment caps, the right to cancel, service and repair contracts, change orders, paying subs. Employment Requirements · 20%Daily overtime, meal and rest periods, final pay, new-hire reporting, IRS deposit schedules, records. Business Finances · 15%Balance sheet and income statement, working capital and ratios, job cost or overhead, estimated tax. Safety · 14%The Cal/OSHA numbers: 8-hour reporting, tailgate meetings, trench depths, fall heights, heat, power lines. Business Organization and Licensing · 13%The $1,000 exemption, RMO and RME, bonds, 90-day notices, inactive licenses, advertising. Insurance and Liens · 12%Preliminary notices, 90/60/30-day lien deadlines, conditional and unconditional releases, workers' comp. Public Works · 5%Prevailing wage, DIR registration, certified payroll, the apprentice ratio and the penalties.

The B – General Building exam, section by section

The trade exam for the B license: what it covers, how to plan for it, the math it asks for, and one page on each of its five sections. In order of weight.

Trade exams: the license and sample questions

For each trade exam we cover: how to get that license, step by step with fees and the official pass rate, and practice questions with answers.

How to get a C-10 Electrical licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-10 Electrical exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-33 Painting and Decorating licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-33 Painting and Decorating exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-36 Plumbing licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-36 Plumbing exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-27 Landscaping licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-27 Landscaping exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-8 Concrete licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-8 Concrete exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a B-2 Residential Remodeling licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. B-2 Residential Remodeling exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-39 Roofing licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-39 Roofing exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-9 Drywall licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-9 Drywall exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-54 Ceramic and Mosaic Tile licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, official pass rate, Spanish. C-54 Ceramic and Mosaic Tile exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, Spanish. C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get an A General Engineering licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, Spanish. A General Engineering exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-53 Swimming Pool licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, Spanish. C-53 Swimming Pool exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-7 Low Voltage Systems licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, Spanish. C-7 Low Voltage Systems exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-16 Fire Protection licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, Spanish. C-16 Fire Protection exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-46 Solar licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, Spanish. C-46 Solar exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-12 Earthwork and Paving licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, Spanish. C-12 Earthwork and Paving exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources. How to get a C-17 Glazing licenseExperience, both exams, every fee, Spanish. C-17 Glazing exam questions10 practice questions with answers and sources.

Quick answers

The things people ask before they read anything longer.

Which exams do I have to pass?

Two: the Law and Business exam, and a trade exam for the classification you applied for. The C‑61 Limited Specialty classification has no trade exam. Both are taken on a computer at a PSI test center, closed book, multiple choice with four options, 3½ hours each. For a general building contractor the trade exam is B: what the B exam covers. Our practice covers Law and Business and the trade exams listed on our exams page (as of 14 October 2026: B, B-2, C-27 and C-33).

How much experience do I need?

The qualifier needs four years of at least journey-level experience in the trade within the last 10 years. An apprenticeship, technical training or accredited education can earn credit toward part of it, but everyone must show at least one year of practical journey-level work.

How long do I have to pass?

18 months from the day CSLB accepts your application. After that it is void and you reapply with new fees.

What does it cost?

$450 for the application and $200 (sole owner) or $350 (non-sole owner) for the initial two-year license, plus fingerprinting, PSI exam fees and the premium on a $25,000 bond. Full breakdown here.

How soon can I retake if I fail?

After 21 calendar days, if you are still inside your 18 months. Each attempt is a new $51.43 PSI exam fee, not refundable.

Can I take the exam in Spanish?

Yes. CSLB offers Spanish versions of ten exams including Law and Business. Tick the translator box in Field 16 of the application. Guía en español.

Are these the real exam questions?

Nobody's are. CSLB does not release test questions or answer keys, and they cannot be reviewed after the exam. Anything advertised as the real bank is invented. Good preparation teaches the rules the questions are built from.

Where this comes from

Every page here is written from primary sources, and each one says which. No figure appears on this site unless we can point at the publication it came from.

CSLB

Get Licensed to Build, the Law and Business and General Building (B) study guides, the Examinations FAQ and the published fee list.

California law

The Contractors License Law & Reference Book, the Labor Code, the Civil Code lien provisions, Cal/OSHA Title 8 and, for the B exam, the California Residential Code and the rest of Title 24.

Federal and state agencies

IRS Publication 15, the EDD Employer's Guide (DE 44) and the DIR public works manual.

Rules change, usually on 1 January. Pages carry the date they were last checked. For a real job on site, always confirm against the official source.

How ready are you right now?

25 questions, about 15 minutes, a score for every section, no sign-up. Pick your exam.

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