What each CSLB license status means
By Contractor Lookout · Updated November 3, 2026
A Clear status means the license is active and not suspended. Any suspension means the license is not valid for contracting until CSLB lifts it, while a “pending” note in the secondary status warns that a suspension or other action may be coming.
Every license has one primary status. It can also carry one or more secondary statuses, which CSLB shows under “Additional Status” on the license page. Read both. Many problems show up first as a secondary note on a license that still says Clear.
Clear
CSLB’s license page says: “This license is current and active.” In the current file, 95.4% of licenses are Clear, and 87.6% have no issues of any kind.
Clear doesn’t settle everything. You still need to check that the classification fits your job, that the bond and workers’ comp are in place, and that no secondary status is attached. Our Clear status page covers what to review.
Insurance and bonds
These are the most common reasons a license is suspended. Several of them happen automatically “by operation of law” the moment coverage lapses.
| Status | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Workers’ comp suspended | Primary | Workers’ comp coverage, or an exemption, lapsed or is missing (BPC 7125.2) |
| Workers’ comp suspension pending | Secondary | Most likely a workers’ comp suspension that is on its way |
| Contractor bond suspended | Primary | No $25,000 contractor’s bond on file (BPC 7071.6) |
| Employee/worker bond suspended | Primary | An LLC’s $100,000 bond for worker wages and benefits is missing |
| Liability insurance suspended | Primary | Required liability insurance lapsed |
| Bond payment suspended | Primary | The surety paid a claim on the bond and was not repaid within 90 days |
| Bond payment pending | Secondary | A bond claim was paid and repayment is due, with suspension to follow if it isn’t made |
Right now, 2,983 licenses are suspended for workers’ comp and 6,546 for a missing contractor’s bond.
For bond and workers’ comp suspensions, CSLB notes that a new bond or certificate may have arrived but not been processed yet. Once it is, the suspension is lifted back to the date the coverage started. Ask the contractor for proof, then call the surety or insurer yourself.
The workers’ comp pending status is the least certain on this page. CSLB’s sample pages showed no wording for it. The law (BPC 7125.2) lets CSLB post a pending suspension on a record for up to 45 days, which is the most likely meaning.
A bond payout is different from a missing bond. It means someone already made a claim and the surety paid it. That’s a red flag worth asking about.
Money owed, judgments and liabilities
| Status | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Judgment suspended | Primary | An unpaid construction-related civil judgment (BPC 7071.17) |
| Judgment-related entity suspended | Primary | Someone on this license is tied to another license with an unpaid judgment |
| Outstanding liability suspended | Primary | An unpaid final liability to the Franchise Tax Board, Department of Industrial Relations, Employment Development Department or CSLB (BPC 7145.5) |
| Outstanding liability pending | Secondary | The same kind of state debt, with suspension pending |
| Family support suspended | Primary | Failure to comply with a family support order (Family Code 17520) |
| Family support temporary license | Secondary | A temporary license under the family support process, with a scheduled suspension date |
A judgment suspension means a court has already ruled against the contractor and the judgment hasn’t been paid. The license comes back only with proof the judgment was satisfied or a notarized agreement with the creditor.
“Outstanding liability pending” sounds like insurance, but it isn’t. It’s an unpaid tax, wage or penalty debt owed to a state agency.
A family support suspension says nothing about the quality of someone’s work. The license still isn’t valid while it lasts. If you see the temporary license note, check the suspension date against your project schedule.
Entity and qualifier problems
Every license needs a qualifying person, and a corporation or LLC must stay in good standing with the California Secretary of State.
| Status | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| No qualifier suspended | Primary | The qualifying person left and wasn’t replaced within 90 days (BPC 7068.2) |
| Qualifier replacement pending | Secondary | The qualifier left and the 90-day clock is running |
| Secretary of State suspended | Primary | The corporation or LLC isn’t active with the Secretary of State (BPC 7076.2) |
| Renewal received | Secondary | CSLB has the renewal application but hasn’t processed it |
If you see a qualifier replacement note, the record shows the date by which a new qualifier must be in place. Ask who the new qualifier will be before you sign a long job. A renewal-received note is usually low concern. Recheck the license after a few weeks.
Discipline
| Status | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pending case or citation | Secondary | CSLB shows “PENDING DISCIPLINARY ACTION” |
| Probationary license | Secondary | The license was issued on probation under BPC 7073(e) instead of being denied |
| Disciplinary bond filed | Secondary | The contractor was disciplined and posted the required disciplinary bond |
| Other suspension | Primary | A less common suspension code without its own page here |
There are 587 licenses with an open case or citation in the current file. None of these notes means the license is invalid. They do mean CSLB has taken, or is taking, action. Read the complaint disclosure on CSLB’s license page and ask the contractor about it.
A disciplinary bond is at least $25,000 and stays on file for at least two years (BPC 7071.8). Our bonds guide explains how it differs from the regular contractor’s bond.
Licenses you won’t find in our data
CSLB’s public data file doesn’t include cancelled licenses, revoked licenses or expired licenses that can no longer be renewed. If a number doesn’t turn up in our search, check it on CSLB’s Instant License Check before drawing any conclusion.
Our data is refreshed weekly, so a status can change after our file date. Always confirm the live record before you sign or pay. For the full process, see how to check a contractor license. If a contractor’s status changes after work starts, read what to do if a license is suspended mid-job.
Sources
- CSLB license pages showing status wording: https://www.cslb.ca.gov/1000002 , https://www.cslb.ca.gov/1000035 , https://www.cslb.ca.gov/1000003 , https://www.cslb.ca.gov/1000601
- BPC 7125.2: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7125.2
- BPC 7071.11: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7071.11
- BPC 7071.17: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7071.17
- BPC 7145.5: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7145.5
- BPC 7068.2: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7068.2
- BPC 7076.2: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7076.2
- Family Code 17520: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=FAM§ionNum=17520
- BPC 7073: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7073
- BPC 7071.8: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7071.8