How to check a California sub's CSLB complaint and disciplinary history

Where to look

Look the sub up by license number on CSLB's Instant License Check. The license detail page carries notes about complaint disclosure and, where a licensee has disclosable actions, a link to them. Read the whole page, not just the status line.

The CSLB lookup also lets you search by a person's name. Searching the owner's or qualifier's name can show other licenses that person is listed on.

What the record shows

Under B&P §7124.6, CSLB makes public the date, nature and status of complaints that:

• have been referred for accusation, or
• were referred for investigation after staff found a probable violation and a supervisor reviewed it, where the conduct, if proven, would put the public at risk and could justify suspension, revocation or criminal prosecution.

CSLB has to state that a disclosed complaint is only an allegation. CSLB says the same on its own pages: the complaints disclosed are allegations at that point (CSLB). Complaints resolved in the contractor's favor aren't disclosed.

The license detail page also says only construction-related civil judgments reported to CSLB are shown, that arbitrations generally aren't listed unless the contractor fails to comply with the award, and that relevant information may be missing because of processing backlogs.

The terms you'll see

• Letter of admonishment. A notice that a probable violation occurred. CSLB says it can be publicly disclosed for one year (CSLB terms); the statute allows one or two years from service (§7124.6(c)).
• Citation. A written document listing a licensee's violations, usually with a civil penalty and/or an order to correct (CSLB terms). CSLB says a citation can carry a civil penalty of up to $30,000 depending on the violation; if the licensee doesn't comply, the license is suspended automatically, and if it's still unmet after 90 days, the license is revoked automatically (CSLB).
• Accusation. A formal, public charging document filed through the Office of the Attorney General, which can lead to a hearing on revoking, suspending or restricting the license (CSLB terms).

How long things stay on the record

Under §7124.6(e):

• Citations: from issuance until 5 years after the date of compliance, if no other disciplinary action is filed in that time.
• Accusations that led to a suspension, stayed suspension or stayed revocation: from filing until 7 years after the accusation is settled, including any probation terms, if no other disciplinary action is filed in that time.
• Revocations that weren't stayed: indefinitely.

If another action is filed during those periods, all of them stay disclosed as long as the newest one does. A citation also shows on any other license that lists the cited license's personnel of record as a qualifier, for the same period.

Civil judgments

Under B&P §7071.17, a licensee has to tell CSLB in writing about an unsatisfied final judgment within 90 days. If it doesn't, the license is suspended automatically on the date CSLB learns of the judgment. If it does, it has to file a bond large enough to cover the judgment (or a notarized agreement with the judgment holder), and the license is suspended if that doesn't happen within 90 days of CSLB's notice. The rule covers judgments substantially related to construction activities. A judgment can also show up as a pending suspension; see pending suspensions and class removals.

What the record doesn't tell you

• Every complaint. Complaints that don't meet the disclosure rules, or were resolved in the contractor's favor, aren't shown.
• Old actions. Once a disclosure period ends, the item comes off.
• Private disputes. Unreported judgments, settled lawsuits and most arbitrations aren't there.
• How the sub works on a job like yours. References and your own past jobs with them still matter.

How to use it, step by step

1. Save a dated copy of the license detail page, including any disclosure page.
2. Note the dates and status of each item: pending, resolved, the type of action and when.
3. Ask the sub about it. One old citation that was paid and complied with is different from a pending accusation. Ask what happened and what was fixed.
4. Check the people too. Search the owner's or qualifier's name for other licenses.
5. Check the rest of the record: status, classification, bond and workers' comp. See how to check a CSLB license.
6. Look again before each payment on a long job. A pending action can turn into a suspension.

General information for California contractors, current as of November 4, 2026. It isn't legal advice; rules change, so check the official source linked above.

More guides

• How to check a California contractor license (CSLB): a GC's checklist
• Workers' comp and subcontractors in California: what GCs should check
• Certificate of insurance checklist for California general contractors
• Additional insured and waiver of subrogation for subcontractors: a California GC's guide
• Risks of hiring an unlicensed subcontractor in California (for GCs)
• Workers' comp premium audits and subcontractors in California: how to prepare
• California contractor's license bond ($25,000): what it covers for a GC
• Matching a sub's California license classification to the work
• Is a sub's certificate of insurance real and current? How California GCs can check
• A sub's CSLB license was suspended or expired mid-job: what California GCs should do
• Paying subs in California: the 7-day prompt payment rule and retention release
• A sub's CSLB record warns of a future suspension or class removal: what California GCs should do
• Preliminary notices and lien waivers from the GC's side in California
• Hiring subs on California home improvement jobs: what changes for the GC
• A sub's CSLB record says "exempt" from workers' comp: what California GCs should check
• Is your sub an independent contractor? California's construction subcontractor test (Labor Code §2781)