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How do you check a handyman license in California?

In California, the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses contractors. To look a handyman up, use the board's Check A License page on the CSLB website, which searches by license number, by business name or by the contractor's name, among other searches; the lookup is an optional public-record step you can take yourself.

Source: Contractors State License Board, What Kind of Contractor Do You Need?, read 17 October 2026.
Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 17 October 2026.

The license lookup is yours to run on the state's site.

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Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Sources last read: 17 October 2026

Key facts

How do you look a handyman up with the CSLB?

The board's online license check, read 17 October 2026, offers several searches, and among them are a search by license number, a search by business name and a search by the contractor's name. Each one returns the status of a license.

Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 17 October 2026.

For the name search, the page says: "Enter the name of the Contractor to check the status of the license they are associated with."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Check A License, read 17 October 2026.

The board's page on finding the right contractor adds: "If the license number is not listed, you may check by the business name or contractor’s name as well."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Finding the Right Contractor, read 17 October 2026.

When does a California handyman need a CSLB license?

The board's page on what kind of contractor you need sets out three conditions, and a person who meets any one of them must hold a current, valid CSLB license.

Source: Contractors State License Board, What Kind of Contractor Do You Need?, read 17 October 2026.

That page, read 17 October 2026, says: "In California, anyone who contracts to perform work on a project that requires a building permit, or uses employee labor or worker(s), or contracts for work valued at $1,000 or more for combined labor and materials costs must hold a current, valid license from CSLB."

Source: Contractors State License Board, What Kind of Contractor Do You Need?, read 17 October 2026.

What should you ask a California handyman before work starts?

Searching the number yourself on the Check A License page shows the status the board holds. The numbered steps are practical suggestions, not CSLB rules; the quoted lines are the board's own advice.

The board's page on finding the right contractor, read 17 October 2026, says: "When the contractor comes to your house to give you a bid, ask to see their pocket license, along with a picture I.D."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Finding the Right Contractor, read 17 October 2026.

It also warns: "Seeing a license number doesn't necessarily mean the license is valid."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Finding the Right Contractor, read 17 October 2026.

On comparing offers, it says: "Get at least three written bids on your project, and make sure you're comparing bids based on identical plans, specifications, and scope of work."

Source: Contractors State License Board, Finding the Right Contractor, read 17 October 2026.

  1. At the bid visit, ask for the license number in writing and to see the pocket license and a picture ID.
  2. On the Check A License page, enter the license number and read the status that comes back.
  3. If no number is given, search by the business name or by the contractor's name.
  4. Keep a note of each search you ran, with the written bids you compare.

Who sees your contact details when you post a job on InstaBids?

One point about InstaBids follows. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 17 October 2026.

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