C-28 Lock and Security Equipment Contractor license in California

Updated November 1, 2026 · Official name from CSLB's classification list

• 375licenses hold C-28
• 96.9%Clear (CA addresses)
• 35.5%workers' comp exempt (all: 49.6%)
• 99.4%contractor's bond on file
• 16.8 yrsmedian time licensed
• 65.9%businesses, not sole owners

C-28 covers locks, doors and the security hardware around them. CSLB's description is long: door assemblies, gates, locking devices, panic and fire-rated exit hardware, automatic closers, jail locks, built-in safes and vaults, master key systems, window guards, security doors, card access systems, motion detectors and the computers that control them.

Fire alarms are excluded by name. For a homeowner, a C-28 is the license for a smart-lock and access system, a security door or a floor safe set in concrete.

Typical work under C-28

• Deadbolts, smart locks and keypad entry
• Master key systems for rentals and offices
• Card and fob access control
• Security doors and metal window guards
• Built-in safes and vaults
• Panic bars and fire-rated exit hardware

Work that needs a different license

• Fire alarm systems: C-10 Electrical
• Security camera networks: C-7 Low Voltage Systems
• Building a new door opening in a wall: B General Building

Tips before hiring

• Ask who keeps the master codes or key bitting, and get them handed over at the end.
• For access control, ask whether the system needs a paid cloud subscription.
• On a rental, ask whether the hardware works with the property's existing keys.

Where C-28 contractors are

The cities with the most C-28 license holders in CSLB's current file:

1. San Jose: 16
2. San Diego: 15
3. Sacramento: 11
4. Bakersfield: 9
5. Los Angeles: 9
6. Orange: 7
7. San Francisco: 6
8. Santa Rosa: 6
9. Anaheim: 5
10. Irvine: 5

How to verify a C-28 license

1. Search the business or license number here and confirm C-28 is listed on the profile.
2. Check the same number on CSLB's Instant License Check.
3. Read our full guide to checking a contractor license.

Related license types

• C-7 Low Voltage Systems Contractor
• C-61 Limited Specialty
• C-10 Electrical Contractor

Source: CSLB public data · Updated November 1, 2026 Status can change at any time. Verify on CSLB's Instant License Check.

More license types: ← C-27 Landscaping Contractor · C-29 Masonry Contractor →