Does California require a contractor license bond?

Yes — and it is the flagship. The CSLB requires a $25,000 Contractor License Bond of every active California licensee (raised from $15,000 on January 1, 2023 under SB 607). It protects consumers, employees, subcontractors and suppliers, and the State.

What other CSLB bonds might I need?

A $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual (for an RME, or an RMO/LLC qualifier owning under 10% of the entity), a $100,000 LLC Employee/Worker Bond if you license as an LLC, and a registrar-set disciplinary bond ($25,000 up to ten times the license-bond amount) if you have a disciplinary history.

Does my California city require its own contractor bond?

Usually no — most California cities rely on your CSLB license, a business license, and insurance, with no separate city contractor bond. The city bonds that do exist are permit-class: right-of-way, excavation, grading, sewer-connection, and encroachment bonds tied to the work.

Are California public-works bonds different?

Yes. Civil Code §9550 requires a payment bond of not less than 100% of the amount payable on public works over $25,000, and the Public Contract Code requires a separate performance bond. Caltrans work takes an encroachment bond. These are underwritten.

How fast can I get a California bond?

The CSLB license bond and city permit bonds issue online, usually in one sitting. Public-works performance and payment bonds are underwritten and start with a quote request.

Who is Wexford Bonds?

Wexford Bonds is the surety bond brand of Wexford Insurance, LLC, licensed in 48 states. We write the California CSLB contractor license bond, municipal permit bonds, and public-works bonds.

California Surety Bonds

Contractor License & Permit Bonds in California

Find the exact license, permit, right-of-way, or public-works bond your California obligee requires — by city, county, and the state. License and permit bonds issue online.

Get Your Bond Online Call 317-942-0549

How contractor bonding works in California

California licenses contractors statewide — the CSLB bond is the one every contractor needs

California inverts the rule in most states: it licenses contractors at the state level, and the Contractors State License Board requires a $25,000 Contractor License Bond of every active licensee — raised from $15,000 effective January 1, 2023 under SB 607. By statute it protects four classes: consumers harmed by license-law violations, employees owed wages and fringe benefits, subcontractors and suppliers, and the State of California.

Two more CSLB bonds, by structure

A $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual is required when the qualifier is an RME, or an RMO or LLC qualifier who owns less than 10% of the entity. A contractor LLC must additionally carry a $100,000 LLC Employee/Worker Bond for its workers’ unpaid wages and fringe benefits. And a contractor with a disciplinary history posts a disciplinary bond set by the registrar — from $25,000 up to ten times the license-bond amount.

Most California cities require no city bond — they rely on the CSLB license

Because the license bond is statewide, most California cities require no separate city contractor bond: a CSLB license, a business license, and insurance are enough. We say so plainly rather than sell a bond a city doesn’t ask for. The municipal bonds that do exist are permit-class — a Los Angeles sewer and storm-drain connection bond ($38,000), street-excavation bonds in San Francisco, Oakland, and Fresno ($25,000), and grading and encroachment bonds set per project. Counties run the same model for their unincorporated road right-of-way: Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties each require an encroachment-permit bond, the amount set by the road commissioner or engineer (commonly the engineer’s estimate, or twice the estimated cost of the work) — a county obligee kept distinct from the city in whose limits a job may sit.

Public works and Caltrans

On California public works, Civil Code §9550 requires a payment bond — not less than 100% of the total amount payable — once the contract exceeds $25,000, and the Public Contract Code requires a separate performance bond. Work within a state-highway right-of-way takes a Caltrans encroachment bond in the amount the department deems sufficient.

California bonds we write

Contractor License & Permit Bonds

Statewide

California Bond of Qualifying Individual — State of California - Contractors State License Board · $25,000
California Contractor Disciplinary Bond — State of California - Contractors State License Board · Varies
California Contractor License Bond — State of California - Contractors State License Board · $25,000
California LLC Employee/Worker Bond — State of California - Contractors State License Board · $100,000
Caltrans Encroachment Permit Bond — California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) · Varies

County

Alameda County Encroachment on Public Highways Permit Bond — County of Alameda (Director of Public Works / Road Commissioner) · Varies
Contra Costa County Encroachment Permit Bond — Contra Costa County (Director of Public Works) · Varies
Los Angeles County Highway (Road Encroachment) Permit Bond — County of Los Angeles (Department of Public Works / Road Commissioner) · Varies
Orange County Encroachment / Highway Work Permit Bond — County of Orange (Road Commissioner / OC Public Works) · Varies
Riverside County Encroachment Permit Bond — County of Riverside, Riverside County, California (Transportation Department) · Varies
Santa Clara County Encroachment Permit Bond — County of Santa Clara, Roads and Airports Department (Director of Roads and Airports) · Varies

City

Anaheim Right-of-Way Construction Permit Bond — City of Anaheim, Orange County, California · Portal
Berkeley Excavation Permit Faithful-Performance Bond — City of Berkeley, Alameda County, California · Portal
Chula Vista Encroachment Permit Performance Bond — City of Chula Vista · Varies
Elk Grove Construction-in-Streets Performance Bond — City of Elk Grove, Sacramento County, California · Varies
Fremont Encroachment Permit Bond — City of Fremont, Alameda County, California · Varies
Fresno Streetwork and Excavation Bond — City of Fresno, Fresno County, California · $25,000
Glendale Grading / Excavation Permit Bond — City of Glendale, Los Angeles County, California · Portal
Irvine Grading Permit Security Bond — City of Irvine · Varies
Long Beach Excavation / Right-of-Way Permit Bond — City of Long Beach (City Engineer) · Varies
Long Beach Grading Permit Bond — City of Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California · Varies
Los Angeles Excavation / Lateral Support Permit Bond — City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California · Varies
Los Angeles Grading Permit Bond — City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California · Varies
Los Angeles Sewer / Storm Drain Connection Bond — City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California · $38,000
Modesto Grading Permit Bond — City of Modesto, Stanislaus County, California · Varies
Oakland Demolition Permit Bond — City of Oakland (Building Official) · $2,000
Oakland Excavation Permit Bond — City of Oakland, Alameda County, California · Varies
Oakland Minor Encroachment Performance Bond — City of Oakland (Director of Transportation) · Varies
Ontario Encroachment / Public-Works Permit Bond — City of Ontario, San Bernardino County, California · Portal
Pasadena Excavation in Public Right-of-Way Bond — City of Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California · Portal
Riverside Grading Permit Bond — City of Riverside, Riverside County, California · Varies
Roseville Encroachment Permit Bond — City of Roseville, Placer County, California · Portal
Sacramento Encroachment / Public-Improvement Bond — City of Sacramento, Sacramento County, California · Portal
San Bernardino Grading Permit Bond — City of San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California · Varies
San Diego Grading Permit Performance Bond — City of San Diego (Development Services Department) · Varies
San Francisco Street Excavation Bond — City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco County, California · $25,000
Santa Rosa Encroachment Permit Bond — City of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California · Varies
Stockton Street / Excavation Permit Bond — City of Stockton, San Joaquin County, California · Portal

Bid Bonds

City

San Francisco Bid Bond — City and County of San Francisco (Public Works and awarding departments) · Varies

Performance & Payment Bonds

Statewide

California Public Works Payment Bond — California public entities (the public entity awarding the contract) · Varies
California Public Works Performance Bond — California contracting state departments (e.g., Caltrans) · Varies

County

Fresno County Road Encroachment Permit Bond — County of Fresno, Fresno County, California · Varies
Los Angeles County Subdivision Improvement Bonds — County of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California (Public Works, Land Development Division) · Varies
Sacramento County Street Improvement Bond — County of Sacramento, Sacramento County, California · Varies

City

Bakersfield Street Permit Performance and Labor & Materials Bonds — City of Bakersfield, Kern County, California · Varies
Chula Vista Grading / Subdivision Improvement Performance Bond — City of Chula Vista (City Engineer) · Varies
Huntington Beach Deferred Public Improvement Bond — City of Huntington Beach · Varies
Los Angeles B-Permit Improvement Security Bond — City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California · Varies
San Diego Public Right-of-Way / Grading Performance Bond — City of San Diego, San Diego County, California · Varies
San Diego Subdivision Improvement Agreement Bond — City of San Diego (Development Services Department) · Varies
San Francisco Public Work Performance and Payment Bond — City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco County, California · Varies
San Jose Encroachment Performance and Labor & Materials Bonds — City of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California · Varies
San Jose Tract / Subdivision Public Improvement Bond — City of San Jose · Varies
Santa Clarita Subdivision Improvement Faithful Performance Bond — City of Santa Clarita (City Engineer) · Varies
Visalia Encroachment Performance and Maintenance Bonds — City of Visalia, Tulare County, California · Varies

Underwritten bonds in California

Bid, performance, and payment bonds are individually underwritten — request a quote rather than the instant portal:

California surety bond FAQ

Does California require a contractor license bond?: Yes — and it is the flagship. The CSLB requires a $25,000 Contractor License Bond of every active California licensee (raised from $15,000 on January 1, 2023 under SB 607). It protects consumers, employees, subcontractors and suppliers, and the State.
What other CSLB bonds might I need?: A $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual (for an RME, or an RMO/LLC qualifier owning under 10% of the entity), a $100,000 LLC Employee/Worker Bond if you license as an LLC, and a registrar-set disciplinary bond ($25,000 up to ten times the license-bond amount) if you have a disciplinary history.
Does my California city require its own contractor bond?: Usually no — most California cities rely on your CSLB license, a business license, and insurance, with no separate city contractor bond. The city bonds that do exist are permit-class: right-of-way, excavation, grading, sewer-connection, and encroachment bonds tied to the work.
Are California public-works bonds different?: Yes. Civil Code §9550 requires a payment bond of not less than 100% of the amount payable on public works over $25,000, and the Public Contract Code requires a separate performance bond. Caltrans work takes an encroachment bond. These are underwritten.
How fast can I get a California bond?: The CSLB license bond and city permit bonds issue online, usually in one sitting. Public-works performance and payment bonds are underwritten and start with a quote request.
Who is Wexford Bonds?: Wexford Bonds is the surety bond brand of Wexford Insurance, LLC, licensed in 48 states. We write the California CSLB contractor license bond, municipal permit bonds, and public-works bonds.

Nate Jones, CPCU · Founder, Wexford Bonds

Nate Jones is a CPCU-designated surety bond producer and the founder of Wexford Insurance, LLC and Wexford Bonds. He places bonds through a panel of 10 sureties across 48 U.S. states. Call 317-942-0549 or email info@wexfordbonds.com.

Last updated June 7, 2026 · Reviewed by Nate Jones, CPCU · Contact a producer

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