How do I check a handyman's license in California?

California does not require a statewide handyman license. 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.

When a state doesn't license a trade at the state level, verification leans on three things: (1) the local city or county building department's licensing or permit registry, (2) Secretary of State entity registration at California Secretary of State, and (3) the contractor's public-record history — court judgments, liens, OSHA citations, and BBB complaints.

Step 1: Check whether the city or county where the work will be performed has a local contractor license. In Los Angeles and San Francisco, many handymen are required to register with the city building department.

Step 2: Confirm the business is registered with the California Secretary of State (https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/) and that the filing status is active or in good standing. A dissolved or administratively revoked entity is a red flag — especially if the same address has a new entity registered.

Step 3: Run a free Groundcheck at earthmove.io/trust. The report pulls entity registration, court judgments, OSHA inspection history, and BBB complaints into one verdict. For unlicensed-at-state-level trades like handymen in California, the public-record history is where the trust signal lives.

The detailed California handyman rules are documented at earthmove.io/trust/license/handyman/california.