The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and its boards and bureaus have information and resources to help consumers make informed decisions to protect themselves and their families.
The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is one of the 36 regulatory boards within the DCA. CSLB was established in 1929 and today licenses nearly 300,000 contractors in the state in 44 different classifications.
CSLB provides consumers with tips on how to hire a licensed contractor. Resources are available on CSLB’s website to advise and help consumers navigate through the challenges they may encounter when hiring a contractor. Among the resources is a short 90-second video covering 10 things to remember when hiring a contractor.
In addition, CSLB’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) focuses on unlicensed contractors. SWIFT conducts proactive stings to help curtail illegal contracting and cites those who are not licensed. With the assistance of law enforcement partners, unlicensed contractors can also be arrested depending on the severity of the violation.
CSLB’s brochure “What Seniors Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor” also provides in-depth information for seniors who are often targeted with scams The brochure highlights how to select and work with a contractor, and it explains some of the most common scams to avoid. CSLB also conducts outreach with its Senior Scam Stopper seminars both virtually and in-person.
Through the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) License Search, consumers have around-the-clock access to 3.9 million licensees and can click with confidence at https://search.dca.ca.gov to verify if a profession/contractor is licensed by a DCA board or bureau. Each license record will reflect if a license is current, expired, or has been subject to disciplinary action such as suspension or revocation. On CSLB’s website, there is also the Check the License feature to specifically look at the status of contractors’ licenses.
Printed and electronic copies of consumer and licensee publications from all the board and bureaus and are available at www.dca.ca.gov under the “Publications” tab. To have limited copies mailed to you at no charge, fill out the order form at the top of the “Publications” page, or email pde@dca.ca.gov.
For more information on the Contractors State License Board, call (916) 255-3900, toll-free: (800) 321-2752, visit www.cslb.ca.gov or visit their office at 9821 Business Park Drive Sacramento, CA 95827.
