What "Liability Pend" means on a California contractor license
Updated November 1, 2026 · Secondary (additional) status
CSLB's license page wording: "The license may be suspended at a future date for failure to resolve an outstanding final liability from the Franchise Tax Board, Department of Industrial Relations, Employment Development Department, or the Contractors State License Board."
Not insurance: the licensee owes a final debt to a state agency, and the license faces suspension if it goes unpaid.
- 107licenses statewide
- 0.0%of all licenses in the file
- 103with a California address
People often read "liability" here as insurance. It isn't. This flag means the licensee owes a final, unpaid debt to one of four state agencies: the Franchise Tax Board, the Department of Industrial Relations, the Employment Development Department, or CSLB. That can be tax, wages or penalties.
B&P Code §7145.5 requires a 60-day preliminary notice before suspension. This flag is that warning period. If the debt isn't resolved, the record moves to suspended for outstanding liability, and other licenses with the same personnel can be suspended too.
The license may still be active right now. A pending state debt is still a red flag, especially one involving unpaid wages or payroll taxes.
What to do if a contractor you're considering shows this status
- Ask the contractor which agency the debt is with and how it will be resolved.
- Look the license up again before signing and before paying a deposit.
- If your project is long, plan for the chance the license is suspended partway through.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shasta County | 3 | 0.2% |
| Imperial County | 1 | 0.2% |
| Yuba County | 1 | 0.2% |
| San Diego County | 11 | 0.1% |
| Santa Clara County | 8 | 0.1% |
| Alameda County | 4 | 0.1% |
| San Francisco County | 4 | 0.1% |
| San Mateo County | 3 | 0.1% |
| Kern County | 2 | 0.1% |
| Monterey County | 2 | 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 concrete contractors in Redding: 1 of 41 (2.4%)
- Licensed painters in Pasadena: 1 of 43 (2.3%)
- Licensed electricians in Carmichael: 1 of 45 (2.2%)
- Licensed concrete contractors in San Francisco: 1 of 48 (2.1%)
- Licensed general engineering contractors in Chula Vista: 1 of 50 (2%)
- Licensed HVAC contractors in Oakland: 1 of 50 (2%)
- Licensed plumbers in Thousand Oaks: 1 of 49 (2%)
- Licensed landscapers in Antioch: 1 of 52 (1.9%)
- Licensed flooring contractors in Roseville: 1 of 57 (1.8%)
- Licensed plumbers in Carlsbad: 1 of 56 (1.8%)
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.