How to track subcontractor insurance and license expirations (California GCs)
Short answer
- Track four dates for every sub: CSLB license expiration, workers' comp on file with CSLB, general liability from their certificate, and the additional insured endorsement for your job.
- CSLB's license lookup shows license status, workers' comp and bond. It doesn't show general liability for most licensees, so that date comes from the sub's certificate.
- Check before you award the work, before the sub starts, before each payment, and 30 days before any policy ends.
- A certificate of insurance is information only (Ins. Code §384). Keep a dated record of what you checked: it's what your workers' comp auditor and your own insurer will ask for.
This guide is for general contractors. It's a plain-language summary as of November 6, 2026, not legal or insurance advice. Your subcontract and your own insurer's requirements come first.
1. The four dates that matter
- CSLB license expiration and status. A suspended or expired license can stop a sub mid-job, and a contractor generally can't collect pay for work done while unlicensed (B&P §7031).
- Workers' comp on file with CSLB. The policy end date, or an exemption saying the sub has no employees. If a sub with employees has no coverage, your workers' comp insurer may add that sub's payroll to your premium at audit. See workers' comp audits and subs.
- General liability end date. From the sub's certificate of insurance. CSLB's public record doesn't show GL policy dates for most licensees.
- Additional insured endorsement. If your contract requires it, the endorsement (not just a checkbox on the certificate) is what extends the sub's policy to you. See additional insured endorsements.
2. Where each date comes from
- License, workers' comp and bond: CSLB's license lookup, by license number. Write down the date you checked.
- General liability: the certificate of insurance from the sub's agent, naming you as certificate holder. Call the agent listed on it if anything looks off. See how to confirm a certificate.
- Endorsement: a copy of the endorsement form itself, from the sub's agent.
3. When to check
- Before you award the work and before the sub starts.
- Before each payment. Status can change mid-job. See what to do if a sub's license is suspended mid-job.
- 30 days before any policy ends: ask for the renewal certificate then, not after it lapses.
4. A simple system
A spreadsheet works if someone owns it: one row per sub, columns for the four dates, the date you last checked CSLB, and where each document is filed. Sort by the soonest date every Monday.
Or let HatBench My Subs do the checking: it watches each sub's public CSLB record after every update, emails you when a license or workers' comp changes, reminds you 30 and 7 days before a general liability date you entered ends, and prints one dated compliance report. Free during the private beta.
Checklist
- License status and expirationFrom CSLB, with the date you checked.
- Workers' comp or exemption on fileFrom CSLB, with the end date.
- General liability end dateFrom a current certificate naming you.
- Endorsement copyIf your contract requires additional insured status.
- Renewal asked for 30 days outBefore anything lapses mid-job.
Common questions
How often should I check a sub's CSLB license?
Before you award the work, before the sub starts, and before each payment. Licenses and workers' comp can be suspended or cancelled mid-job, and CSLB's record is updated as that happens.
Does CSLB show a sub's general liability insurance?
Not for most licensees. CSLB's public record shows license status, workers' comp and the contractor's bond. Get general liability dates from the sub's certificate of insurance.
Is a certificate of insurance proof of coverage?
A certificate is information only; it doesn't change the policy (Ins. Code §384). If something looks off, call the agent listed on it, and get the endorsement itself if your contract requires additional insured status.
What if a sub's insurance lapses during the job?
Ask for proof of renewal right away and follow your subcontract. Many contracts let you hold payment or stop work until coverage is back. For a lapsed license, see the guide on licenses suspended mid-job.
General information for California contractors, current as of November 6, 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
- How to check a California sub's CSLB complaint and disciplinary history
- Is your sub an independent contractor? California's construction subcontractor test (Labor Code §2781)
- How to bid a job you found on a building permit (California subs)
- Subcontractor onboarding checklist for California GCs: the compliance packet