What "Out Liab Susp" means on a California contractor license
Updated November 1, 2026 · Primary status
CSLB's license page wording: "License is suspended for failure to resolve an outstanding final liability from the Franchise Tax Board, Department of Industrial Relations, Employment Development Department, or Contractors State License Board."
Suspended over an unpaid final tax, wage or penalty debt owed to a California state agency.
- 119licenses statewide
- 0.0%of all licenses in the file
- 116with a California address
Despite the wording, this has nothing to do with liability insurance. "Outstanding liability" here means money owed to the state. CSLB lists four possible agencies: the Franchise Tax Board, the Department of Industrial Relations, the Employment Development Department, or CSLB itself. The debt is final, so it is past the dispute stage.
Under B&P Code §7145.5, the licensee first gets a 60-day preliminary notice. If the debt isn't resolved, the license is suspended. The same law reaches further: other licenses that share the same personnel of record can be suspended too.
The license is not valid for contracting while this status is in place. Unpaid wage or payroll tax debts in particular are worth asking about before you hire.
What to do if a contractor you're considering shows this status
- Don't hire under this license until the suspension is lifted.
- Ask the contractor which agency the debt is owed to and when it will be resolved.
- Look up any other licenses listed with the same people, since they may be affected too.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | 26 | 0.1% |
| Orange County | 11 | 0.1% |
| Sacramento County | 9 | 0.1% |
| Contra Costa County | 7 | 0.1% |
| Santa Clara County | 7 | 0.1% |
| San Bernardino County | 6 | 0.1% |
| Ventura County | 5 | 0.1% |
| Kern County | 4 | 0.1% |
| Sonoma County | 4 | 0.1% |
| Fresno County | 3 | 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 general engineering contractors in Grass Valley: 1 of 41 (2.4%)
- Licensed landscapers in Huntington Beach: 1 of 44 (2.3%)
- Licensed painters in Pasadena: 1 of 43 (2.3%)
- Licensed general engineering contractors in Santa Maria: 1 of 46 (2.2%)
- Licensed electricians in Victorville: 1 of 48 (2.1%)
- Licensed limited specialty contractors in Fremont: 1 of 50 (2%)
- Licensed general contractors in Ridgecrest: 1 of 50 (2%)
- Licensed roofers in Orange: 1 of 52 (1.9%)
- Licensed plumbers in Palm Desert: 1 of 52 (1.9%)
- Licensed limited specialty contractors in Yorba Linda: 1 of 52 (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.