What a California contractor license actually costs
The headline number is $650. The real number is higher, and the gap is where people get caught out.
There are three separate organizations with their hands out: CSLB, the Live Scan and background-check system, and PSI, which runs the exams. Then there is a surety company for your bond. Nobody sends you a single bill, so here is the whole thing in one place.
The fees at a glance
| Fee | Paid to | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Original application, one classification (non-refundable) | CSLB | $450 |
| Exam fee, each exam (Law and Business, trade exam) | PSI | $51.43 |
| Retake, or rebooking after a no-show, each exam | PSI | $51.43 |
| Fingerprints: Department of Justice + FBI | Live Scan site | $32 + $17 |
| Live Scan rolling fee | Live Scan site | varies |
| Initial license fee, sole owner / non-sole owner | CSLB | $200 / $350 |
| Contractor’s bond (face value; you pay a premium) | surety company | $25,000 |
| Renewal every two years, active, sole owner / non-sole owner | CSLB | $450 / $700 |
Updated 1 October 2026. Sources: CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees; PSI candidate bulletins for Law and Business and General Building (B) (examination fee $51.43 per registration, first attempt or repeat); CSLB, Bond Requirements; CSLB newsletter, Winter 2025 (exam fees paid to PSI since 1 January 2025). CSLB’s booklet Get Licensed to Build (2021–2024 edition) still mentions the old $100 rescheduling fee; the newer CSLB and PSI documents above replace it.
What you pay CSLB
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Original application (exam or waiver, one classification) — non-refundable | $450 |
| Initial license fee, sole owner (covers two years) | $200 |
| Initial license fee, non-sole owner (partnership, corporation, LLC) | $350 |
| Additional classification with the original application | $150 |
| Joint venture application, one classification (application plus license fee) | $800 |
| Home Improvement Salesperson registration | $200 |
| Asbestos certification application | $125 |
| Typical sole owner, one classification | $650 |
| Typical corporation or LLC, one classification | $800 |
Source: CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees, read 1 October 2026. Fees are subject to change — the current figures are printed on the application forms CSLB sends you.
Do not send the license fee with your application. CSLB's booklet is explicit: submit the application and the $450 processing fee, and wait. After you pass the exam you get a Bond and Fee letter telling you what to send and when. Sending the bond or the license fee early just creates work.
Fingerprinting and the background check
Every new applicant has to submit a full set of fingerprints for a criminal background check, done through a Live Scan operator. Three charges, and only two of them are fixed:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Department of Justice processing | $32 |
| FBI processing | $17 |
| Live Scan "rolling fee" — each site sets its own price | varies |
CSLB does not set the rolling fee: each Live Scan site charges its own, and the Department of Justice publishes the list of sites. So the fixed part is $49 and the rest depends on where you go. It is worth checking two or three sites near you.
Exam fees, and what a fail costs
Exam fees go to PSI, not CSLB, and you pay them when you schedule — after CSLB accepts your application and sends the Notice to Schedule an Examination. Each exam is a separate fee: $51.43 per exam, so $102.86 for Law and Business plus one trade exam.
This changed on 1 January 2025. The $450 application fee used to cover your first attempt, and a retake cost a flat $100 paid through CSLB. Now the application fee no longer covers the exam, and every attempt, first or repeat, is a new $51.43 PSI registration. The fee is not refundable or transferable, and you forfeit it if you:
- do not cancel at least two days (48 hours) before the appointment,
- do not show up,
- arrive after the start time, or
- turn up without acceptable photo ID.
Two exams, two fails each, and you have paid PSI four more times ($205.72) — plus four more trips to a test center, four more days off work and at least 21 days of waiting after each fail. This is the arithmetic that makes preparation worth it. More on the rules in what happens after a failed exam.
The bond, and the insurance you may need
Before CSLB issues the license you have to file a $25,000 contractor's bond (the amount since 1 January 2023, per CSLB’s bond requirements). That is the bond's face value, not what you pay. You buy it from a surety company and pay a premium, and the premium depends on your credit and history — a few hundred dollars a year for most applicants, more if your credit is poor.
Two related costs, depending on your situation:
- Bond of qualifying individual ($25,000). Needed when an RMO or RME qualifies the license, unless an exemption applies.
- Workers' compensation insurance. Required if you have employees, and required regardless of employees for certain classifications. Premiums vary enormously by trade and payroll. Check your own position on CSLB's workers' compensation page rather than assuming.
And then it renews
The license runs two years at a time. Renewal is not a formality — it is most of the initial cost all over again, and it doubles if you are late.
| Renewal, every two years | On time | Late |
|---|---|---|
| Active, sole owner | $450 | $675 |
| Active, non-sole owner | $700 | $1,050 |
| Inactive, sole owner | $300 | $450 |
| Inactive, non-sole owner | $500 | $750 |
C-10 electrical contractors pay $20 more on active renewals. Source: CSLB, List of All CSLB Fees.
Putting it together
A realistic first-year budget for a sole owner with one classification, assuming you pass both exams first time:
| CSLB application | $450 |
| Initial license fee | $200 |
| Fingerprinting (DOJ + FBI, plus the site’s rolling fee) | $49 + rolling fee |
| PSI exam fees, two exams | $102.86 |
| $25,000 bond premium, first year | a few hundred |
| Before insurance and any retakes | roughly $1,000+ |
The two line items you control are retakes and how long the process drags on. Everything else is a fixed price set by somebody else.
What prep costs, for comparison. License schools charge from a few hundred dollars up to well over a thousand. Our own course is $79 for 90 days for one exam, or $129 for Law and Business plus your trade exam together (B, B-2, C-27 or C-33 as of 14 October 2026; the current list is on our exams page) — about what one failed attempt really costs once you add the $51.43 PSI fee to a lost day of work. See how the prep options compare. You can also just take a free 25-question test, for Law and Business or for any trade exam we cover, and see where you stand before spending anything at all.
Common questions
Is the $450 application fee refundable if I am rejected?
No. CSLB states plainly that the $450 pays for processing your application regardless of whether it is accepted, and it cannot refund it.
Can I pay CSLB by card?
Payments at CSLB's Sacramento office are cash (exact change), check or money order. Exam fees are paid separately to PSI online or by phone.
Does the $200 license fee cover a whole year?
It covers the initial two-year license period. After that you are on the renewal schedule above.
What if I want a second classification later?
Adding a classification to an existing license costs $230. Added with the original application it is $150.
Last reviewed 1 October 2026 against CSLB's published fee list, CSLB’s bond requirements and PSI’s CSLB candidate bulletins. Fees change; confirm the current amounts at cslb.ca.gov before you send money. Not legal or financial advice, and we are not affiliated with CSLB or PSI.