How can I tell if my handyman is licensed in California?
California doesn't issue statewide handyman licenses, so verifying "is my handyman licensed" requires checking the city or county where the work happens. Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) reports entity registration, court history, OSHA citations, and BBB complaints regardless of whether a state license exists.
In California, there is no statewide handyman license to verify. 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. This means "is my handyman licensed" has a different answer here than in states like California or Florida, where every handyman must hold a state license.
What to verify instead: (1) Local jurisdiction. Many California cities and counties require handymen to register or hold a local contractor license. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego typically have local building-department registration requirements. Check the city's building department website.
(2) Business entity status. Even without a trade-specific license, the handyman's business should be registered with the California Secretary of State (https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/). The entity status should be active or in good standing — not dissolved, withdrawn, or administratively revoked.
(3) Public-record history. Court judgments, mechanics' liens, OSHA citations, and BBB complaints are the strongest trust signals when there's no state license to anchor verification. A handyman with multiple recent judgments or an unresolved lien is a hard stop.
Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) pulls all three categories in under 90 seconds. For trades without statewide licensing like handymen in California, the public-record verdict is the trust verdict. The contractor is never notified.
Detailed California handyman rules: earthmove.io/trust/license/handyman/california.
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Free Groundcheck cross-references entity registration with court records, OSHA history, and BBB complaints. Under 90 seconds. The contractor is never notified.