What "BOND Pay Pending" means on a California contractor license
Updated November 1, 2026 · Secondary (additional) status
CSLB's license page wording: "License may be suspended at a future date for failure to comply with a bond payout."
A surety paid a claim on this contractor's bond, and the license faces suspension if the surety isn't repaid.
- 164licenses statewide
- 0.1%of all licenses in the file
- 163with a California address
Here's the sequence. Someone made a valid claim against the contractor's bond, and the surety company paid it. The contractor now owes the surety. CSLB's page warns: "License may be suspended at a future date for failure to comply with a bond payout."
B&P Code §7071.11 gives the licensee 90 days to show proof of payment. If that doesn't happen, the license is suspended, and the record moves to suspended for bond payment. The law also keeps the payout disclosed on the record indefinitely.
The license may still be active today. Even so, a paid bond claim means a past customer or worker had a problem serious enough to collect on the bond. That's worth asking about.
What to do if a contractor you're considering shows this status
- Ask the contractor what the bond claim involved and whether it has been repaid.
- Read the Complaint Disclosure on CSLB's license page.
- Look the license up again before signing to see whether it moved to a suspension.
Always confirm the current status on CSLB's Instant License Check; it can change between our weekly refreshes.
Legal basis
Counties with the highest rate
| County | Licenses with this status | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Solano County | 4 | 0.2% |
| Madera County | 2 | 0.2% |
| Merced County | 2 | 0.2% |
| Lake County | 1 | 0.2% |
| Siskiyou County | 1 | 0.2% |
| Sutter County | 1 | 0.2% |
| Los Angeles County | 47 | 0.1% |
| Orange County | 17 | 0.1% |
| Riverside County | 17 | 0.1% |
| San Diego County | 14 | 0.1% |
Counties with at least 300 licenses. Rate = share of local licenses showing this status.
City and trade lists where it is most common
- Licensed painters in Brentwood: 1 of 44 (2.3%)
- Licensed general contractors in Oak Hills: 1 of 44 (2.3%)
- Licensed general contractors in Coachella: 1 of 43 (2.3%)
- Licensed electricians in Monterey: 1 of 46 (2.2%)
- Licensed plumbers in North Hills: 1 of 45 (2.2%)
- Licensed plumbers in Spring Valley: 1 of 48 (2.1%)
- Licensed painters in Buena Park: 1 of 47 (2.1%)
- Licensed landscapers in Clovis: 1 of 50 (2%)
- Licensed fire protection contractors in Glendale: 1 of 50 (2%)
- Licensed general contractors in Pacific Palisades: 1 of 54 (1.9%)
We started tracking week-to-week changes with the November 1, 2026 file. Trend data will appear here as history builds up.
Source: CSLB public data · Updated November 1, 2026 Status can change at any time. Verify on CSLB's Instant License Check.