The California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is made up of 36 different entities that license and regulate more than three million licensees in more than 280 different license types to protect consumers across the state. From architects to accountants and dentists to nurses, DCA provides consumers with current license status information on professionals in your neighborhood.
DCA’s Consumer Information Center (CIC) answers calls from consumers about license verification, complaints, and more. Phone agents speak in English and Spanish and can connect consumers to help in more than 200 other languages. you know between 20%-30% of calls into CIC pertain to concerns or issues that are not related to DCA? Those calls include questions regarding online music, shopping/dating websites to landlord/tenant issues, despite the calls being non-jurisdictional, every call that comes into the CIC is important, and that’s why CIC representatives will kindly route each caller to the appropriate organization that can best address their needs.
It’s important to remember DCA does NOT have jurisdiction to resolve concerns or questions related to the following:
- Landlord/tenant issues
- Debt-collection issues
- Dating apps or websites
- Gift cards
- Refunds
- Warranties
- Telephone/cell phone or home-internet service complaints
- Travel claims
- Insurance companies
- App-based money transmitters
- Online merchants
- Auto purchases and driver’s license laws and issues
For additional information about DCA and its entities, visit the following links:
- DCA Board/Bureau by Profession
- DCA Consumer Resources
- DCA License Search
- DCA Open Data Portal
- How to file a complaint
- DCA’s contact us page
- DCA’s Consumer Information Center (CIC) page
To speak with a CIC representative, call 800-952-5210.
