What "CLEAR" means on a California contractor license
Updated November 1, 2026 · Primary status
CSLB's license page wording: "This license is current and active."
The license is active with no suspension on record, though classifications, bonds and secondary flags still deserve a look.
- 232,481licenses statewide
- 95.3%of all licenses in the file
- 224,659with a California address
Clear is the status you want to see. CSLB's license page puts it simply: "This license is current and active." The license has not expired and no suspension is in place as of the record date. A California license runs for two years from the last day of the month it was issued, so a clear license still has to be renewed on time.
Clear is not the whole story, though. A license can show clear while carrying a secondary flag, such as a pending case or citation or a workers' comp suspension pending. It also tells you nothing about whether the classification matches your job.
Our data comes from CSLB's weekly file, and a status can change between that file date and today. CSLB itself warns that recent information may not have reached its database yet.
What to do if a contractor you're considering shows this status
- Open the license on CSLB's Instant License Check and confirm it still shows clear on the live page.
- Make sure the classification on the license covers the work you are hiring for.
- Read the Additional Status section, plus the bond and workers' comp entries, on the same page.
- Check that the business name on your contract matches the name on the license.
Always confirm the current status on CSLB's Instant License Check; it can change between our weekly refreshes.
Legal basis
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.