California does not require a statewide handyman license — verification leans on entity registration, court records, OSHA citation history, and BBB complaints. Plus any local municipal licensing in your city. Groundcheck cross-checks all of these.
California allows minor handyman work under $500 in labor and materials without a CSLB license; any project over $500 requires a contractor license in the appropriate classification.
Trigger thresholdMinor Work Exemption applies to jobs under $500
What we check
What we check for California handymen.
Local license standing
Where local licensing exists, status from the city or county building department.
Entity registration
Secretary of State filing status: active, dissolved, or administratively revoked.
Records we hold for California
Held and checked: Licence status, Licence discipline, Mechanic's liens, Federal tax liens, State tax liens & warrants, Building permits. Looked up live at the source: Court filings & judgments, Entity standing (SOS). Anything else is reported as not searched, never as clear.
OSHA safety record
Federal OSHA inspection history, citations, and penalty amounts. Performs minor repair, maintenance, and installation work across multiple trades, typically at sub-contractor-threshold project values-specific.
BBB complaints
Better Business Bureau complaint history and accreditation status.
Phoenix detection
Dissolved entities reopening under a new name at the same address.
Coverage
Verify handymen in any California city.
Search a handyman or contractor entity anywhere in California; each report names the records it searched there and through what date, including in: