California Contractor License Bond
What it is & who requires it
Every active California-licensed contractor (all classifications) must have this bond on file with the CSLB. By statute (Sec. 7071.5) it protects four classes - consumers harmed by license-law violations, employees owed wages and fringe benefits, subcontractors and material/equipment suppliers, and the State of California.
Obligee: State of California - Contractors State License Board. Citation: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7071.6 (protected classes Sec. 7071.5).
Bond amount
The required bond amount is $25,000.
How to get it
This bond issues online — get bonded through our portal, usually in a single sitting once you confirm the bond, amount, and obligee.
Term & renewal
Term: Continuous while licensed
Renewal: Maintained continuously
Filing
Filed with the California Contractors State License Board on the CSLB-approved bond form by a California-admitted surety, who e-files it directly. The business name and license number must match CSLB records exactly, and the bond must reach CSLB headquarters within 90 days of its effective date. Required under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7071.6, it protects the four classes named in Sec. 7071.5 and stays in force continuously while the license is active.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-06-07).
Related California bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the California Contractor License Bond?
- It’s required by State of California - Contractors State License Board (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7071.6 (protected classes Sec. 7071.5)). Every active California-licensed contractor (all classifications) must have this bond on file with the CSLB. By statute (Sec. 7071.5) it protects four classes - consumers harmed by license-law violations, employees owed wages and fringe benefits, subcontractors and material/equipment suppliers, and the State of California.
- How much is the California Contractor License Bond?
- The bond amount is $25,000.
- How do I get the California Contractor License Bond?
- This bond issues online — get bonded through our portal, usually in a single sitting once you confirm the bond, amount, and obligee.
- What is the term?
- Continuous while licensed Renewal: Maintained continuously
- Is this bond insurance for me?
- No. It protects the obligee and the public — not you. If a valid claim is paid, you repay the surety.
- How is this requirement verified?
- We verify it against the obligee’s primary source (last checked 2026-06-07); the source link is on this page.
