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License bond

California Contractor License Bond. From $200/yr.

Every California contractor license requires a $25,000 contractor's bond on file with the Contractors State License Board, under Business and Professions Code Section 7071.6. The amount rose to $25,000 on January 1, 2023.

  • Required by Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
  • 0.8% of the $25,000 bond, $100 minimum
  • 1 to 3 year terms, paid up front: $200 for 1, $400 for 2, $600 for 3
  • Filing: Propeller files it electronically with the CA CSLB, so there's nothing to mail.
Start the applicationWho needs this bond
  • Soft credit check only
  • 1–3 year terms
  • A-rated surety carriers
  • Issued through Propeller Bonds
  • See your price before you pay
Your price

From $200 a year

0.8% × $25,000 = $200

Bond amount$25,000
1 year$200
2 years$400
3 years$600
  • Soft credit check only
  • 1–3 year terms
Start the application

The best rate, for good credit. A soft credit check, which doesn't affect your score, sets your final price, and you see it before you pay.

Need a different bond amount?

Price checked on Propeller Bonds' application, Oct 15, 2026.

How it works

Three steps to your bond.

  1. 01Apply onceTell us about your business and what the bond is for. One application covers most contractor bonds.
  2. 02The surety reviews itPropeller Bonds, our surety partner, reviews your application and sets the terms. We show you the terms before you commit.
  3. 03Sign and filePropeller files it electronically with the CA CSLB, so there's nothing to mail.
The application

What you'll be asked, before you start.

Propeller's application for this bond has 26 questions, plus your consent to a soft credit check that doesn't affect your credit score. Have these to hand and it takes a few minutes.

Good to know for this bond
  • The pricing displayed is our Best Price based on our Credit Only Underwriting. Price can increase depending on credit score. This bond will be electronically filed with the CA CSLB.
From Propeller Bonds' application, checked Oct 15, 2026.

About the bond

Dates and numbers for this bond.

  • Effective date
  • License No.
  • App.

About your business

Who the bond is for and how to reach you.

  • Type of entity
  • DBA Name (if applicable)
  • Address line 1
  • Address line 2
  • City
  • State
  • Zip code
  • Contact person first name
  • Contact person last name
  • Contact person position
  • Is contact person the Business owner?
  • Business owner first name
  • Business owner last name
  • Years in business
  • Phone
  • Email

Underwriting questions

Short questions the surety uses to approve the bond.

  • Is the applicant US citizen?
  • Has the applicant or any partners been bankrupt or insolvent?
  • Are there any lawsuits, judgments or liens outstanding against the applicant or any partners?
  • Has the applicant or any partner been declined by another surety?
  • Has the applicant or any partner purchased surety bonds in the past?
  • General liability insurance carried?
  • Property damage insurance carried?

Start the application

About this bond

What a contractor license bond is

Some states, and many cities and counties, make contractors post a bond to get or renew a license. It protects customers, workers and the public if the contractor breaks the licensing laws, for example by abandoning a job or not paying workers. The contractor repays the surety for any claim it pays.

In California

Every California contractor license requires a $25,000 contractor's bond on file with the Contractors State License Board, under Business and Professions Code Section 7071.6. The amount rose to $25,000 on January 1, 2023.

  • The bond is required for issuance, reinstatement, reactivation and continued valid use of a license.

You need this bond if you're

  • A contractor applying for a new license
  • A contractor renewing or reactivating a license
  • A business changing its entity type or qualifier
  • A contractor starting work in a city or county that requires its own bond

What the surety looks at

Basic business and owner details. Most license bonds need a credit check but no financial statements.

FAQs

Common questions.

How much does the California Contractor License Bond cost?

From $200 a year: 0.8% of the $25,000 bond amount. That's the rate for good credit; a soft credit check sets your final price, and you see it before you pay. You can also pay for a longer term up front: 1 year $200, 2 years $400, 3 years $600.

Do I have to pay the $25,000?

No. You pay the premium. The bond amount is the most the surety would pay out on a valid claim, and if it ever pays one, you pay the surety back.

Is there a credit check?

A soft one. Propeller's application asks you to agree to a soft credit inquiry, which doesn't affect your credit score. Your credit can change the rate, and you see the final price before you pay.

How is the bond filed?

Propeller files it electronically with the CA CSLB, so there's nothing to mail.

Does California require a contractor license bond?

See the facts above for what the state requires. Even where the state doesn't, a city or county can. Check with the licensing office where you'll work.

Is a license bond the same as insurance?

No. The bond protects your customers and the public, not you. If the surety pays a claim, you repay it. Liability insurance is what protects your business.

What happens if the bond lapses?

The licensing agency is notified and can suspend your license until a new bond is on file. Renew before the expiry date.

How do I get one through BLDAssure?

Apply once with us. We collect the details the surety needs, Propeller Bonds (our surety partner) reviews the application and issues the bond, and we help you file it with whoever requires it.

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By state

Contractor license bonds in other states.

Alabama contractor license bondAlaska contractor license bondArizona contractor license bondArkansas contractor license bondColorado contractor license bondConnecticut contractor license bondDelaware contractor license bondDistrict of Columbia contractor license bondFlorida contractor license bondGeorgia contractor license bondHawaii contractor license bondIdaho contractor license bondIllinois contractor license bondIndiana contractor license bondIowa contractor license bondKansas contractor license bondKentucky contractor license bondLouisiana contractor license bondMaine contractor license bondMaryland contractor license bondMassachusetts contractor license bondMichigan contractor license bondMinnesota contractor license bondMississippi contractor license bondMissouri contractor license bondMontana contractor license bondNebraska contractor license bondNevada contractor license bondNew Hampshire contractor license bondNew Jersey contractor license bondNew Mexico contractor license bondNew York contractor license bondNorth Carolina contractor license bondNorth Dakota contractor license bondOhio contractor license bondOklahoma contractor license bondOregon contractor license bondPennsylvania contractor license bondRhode Island contractor license bondSouth Carolina contractor license bondSouth Dakota contractor license bondTennessee contractor license bondTexas contractor license bondUtah contractor license bondVermont contractor license bondVirginia contractor license bondWashington contractor license bondWest Virginia contractor license bondWisconsin contractor license bondWyoming contractor license bond

Sources

  1. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7071.6
  2. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7071.9
  3. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7071.6.5

General information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm the current requirement with the agency or owner that asks for the bond. Facts checked Oct 23, 2026.

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