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Solar contractor licenses in California

By Contractor Lookout · Updated November 3, 2026

To install solar panels on a California home, look for a contractor with a C-46 Solar or C-10 Electrical license. For a home battery, a C-10 can install it on its own, while a C-46 can install one only as part of a solar job and only if the battery is 80 kWh or smaller.

The rules come from CSLB’s regulations for the C-46 and C-10 classes, 16 CCR 832.46 and 832.10, as amended in an order of adoption dated April 23, 2024.

Which license covers what

Work C-46 Solar C-10 Electrical
Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels Yes Yes
Solar thermal systems Yes Not addressed here
Battery storage installed with a new PV system, 80 kWh or less Yes, as incidental and supplemental to the PV work Yes
Battery storage over 80 kWh No Yes
Battery storage on its own, with no PV install No Yes

In CSLB’s current file, 1,184 licenses hold the C-46 class and 29,124 hold the C-10.

C-46 Solar

Under 16 CCR 832.46, a C-46 Solar contractor installs solar thermal and photovoltaic systems. The 2024 amendment made a point of saying that a battery energy storage system “shall not be considered part of a photovoltaic solar energy system.” A C-46 can still install a battery, but only when two conditions hold:

  1. The battery is “incidental and supplemental” to a PV installation the C-46 is doing.
  2. The battery system is 80 kWh or smaller.

If you want a battery added to panels you already have, or a large battery system, a C-46 alone isn’t the right license.

C-10 Electrical

The amended 16 CCR 832.10 lists both battery energy storage systems and photovoltaic solar energy systems within the C-10 Electrical class. A C-10 can install panels, batteries or both.

If timing matters for your contract, check the current rule with CSLB.

What about a B General Building contractor?

A B General Building contractor’s role on solar and battery work isn’t settled in the sources we checked. A CSLB board packet suggests a B may install a battery as part of a PV installation connected to a structure, but we saw that only in summary and couldn’t verify it. Check with CSLB before hiring a B for solar or battery work.

The B two-trade rule in BPC 7057 also applies. A B can’t take a prime contract for work outside framing or carpentry unless the job involves at least two unrelated trades besides framing or carpentry, or the B holds the specialty license or subcontracts to a licensed specialty contractor. A solar-only job may not meet that test. Our A vs B vs C guide explains the rule.

How to check a solar installer

  1. Get the license number from the bid, not just the company name.
  2. Look it up. Use our search or browse solar contractors in San Diego and other cities. Then confirm on CSLB’s Instant License Check, since our data is a weekly file.
  3. Read the classes. Look for C-46 or C-10. If the job includes a battery, check the table above.
  4. Check status, bond and workers’ comp. The license should be Clear, with a $25,000 contractor’s bond and either a workers’ comp policy or a valid exemption. Our license check guide covers each.
  5. Check the salesperson. If someone other than the contractor sells you the job, that person must be registered as a Home Improvement Salesperson. See HIS registration explained.

The contract and payments

A home solar installation done under a home improvement contract follows the same rules as any other home improvement job:

See our down payment guide for how to work out the cap.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

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