What does a California handyman license lookup show?

California does not have a statewide handyman license lookup because the state doesn't license handymen at the state level. 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.

What this means for verification: there's no central database to query for "is this handyman licensed in California." Instead, California verification leans on four sources.

Source 1 — Local jurisdiction. Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego often have local building-department registration. Check the city's website.

Source 2 — Secretary of State. California Secretary of State (https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/) shows whether the handyman's business is a registered legal entity in good standing. Dissolved or administratively revoked = red flag.

Source 3 — Court records. Civil court judgments, UCC liens, and mechanics' liens are public record in every California county. A handyman with multiple unsatisfied judgments is a hard stop.

Source 4 — OSHA and BBB. Federal OSHA inspection history is public, and BBB complaints are searchable. These are the strongest substitute trust signals when there's no state license to anchor verification.

Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) pulls all four sources into one sourced report under 90 seconds. The contractor is never notified.

Detailed California handyman rules: earthmove.io/trust/license/handyman/california.