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Checking a Contractor in Long Beach: The CSLB License Lookup, the $1,000 Rule, the City License and the Vehicle Decal

Checked against the city's pages: October 2026 By Dana Castellano 6 min read

Photo by Heng Chiu on Unsplash

On this page

In brief

Two licenses are in play in Long Beach: the state’s CSLB contractor license and the city’s business license. The state says “It is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform contracting work on any project which requires a building permit, or employee labor is used or the project is valued at $1,000, or more”. The city says a licensed contractor pulling a permit needs the CSLB license “and an active City of Long Beach Business License”.

  • CSLB’s license check is online, or by phone at (800) 321-CSLB (2752); the agency advises asking for “their pocket license, along with a picture I.D.”3.
  • The $1,000 minor-work exemption applies only if “the work cannot require a permit” and no one is employed2.
  • The city offers a “Look Up a Business License” tool through its Business License Division5.
  • A contractor’s agent pulling a permit needs a notarized letter “dated within the last year”, and the city verifies workers’ compensation before issuing a permit6.
  • A vehicle-based business must carry an identifying decal issued by the city8.

A building permit in Long Beach is tied to whoever pulls it, and the city’s pages list what that person has to hold. This page lays out the state check, the $1,000 rule, the city license check, what the Permit Center asks of a contractor and the vehicle decal rule. The permit process the license feeds into is in Permits in Long Beach, the section pillar, and a contractor’s side of the same rules is in Running a Contracting Business From Long Beach.

This page describes the rules as of October 2026. It is not legal advice.

The short answer

If you are… What the pages say
Hiring for work that needs a building permit Contracting work on any project that requires a permit is illegal for an unlicensed person1
Hiring for work valued at $1,000 or more The same: illegal without a license “valued at $1,000, or more”1
Hiring for work under $1,000 Exempt only if the work cannot require a permit and no one is employed2
Looking up a state license CSLB’s Check a License page, or (800) 321-CSLB (2752)34
Looking up the city license The Business License Division’s “Look Up a Business License” tool5
Meeting a contractor with a work vehicle The city’s identifying decal must be on a vehicle-based business8
The contractor check in Long Beach: ask for the license number and pocket license, check the CSLB record, read the status, complaints, workers' compensation and insurance, check the city business license, compare three written bids, and confirm who pulls the permit.
The contractor check in Long Beach, in order, as of October 2026.

Step 1: the CSLB license

CSLB, the Contractors State License Board, publishes a Check a License page. A license number or a business name goes in, and the license history page shows the status, any complaint disclosure, workers’ compensation and insurance4. The agency’s guidance is to check “online or call (800) 321-CSLB (2752)”, and to ask for “their pocket license, along with a picture I.D.”3. It also advises collecting “at least three written bids”, comparing identical scopes, and says “Do not automatically accept the lowest bid”34.

The $1,000 rule

CSLB’s page on illegal activity states the rule in one sentence: “It is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform contracting work on any project which requires a building permit, or employee labor is used or the project is valued at $1,000, or more”1. Three triggers sit in that sentence: a permit, employee labor, or a value of $1,000 or more.

CSLB’s implementation bulletin for AB 2622 describes the minor-work exemption narrowly: it applies only if “the work cannot require a permit”, and no one is employed2. A job that needs a building permit is therefore a licensed-contractor job whatever its price.

Good to know The $1,000 figure is a licensing threshold, not a permit threshold. The municipal code, in its 2023 compilation, exempts from a building permit work “valued at seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750.00) or less, unless it affects the fire life-safety, structural stability or required accessible route”, and every code exemption is conditioned on the work not violating the zoning regulations9. The two numbers answer different questions, and work that needs a permit is covered by the licensing rule at any value19. What the permit threshold covers is in What Needs a Building Permit in Long Beach.

Step 2: the city business license

A licensed contractor pulling permits in Long Beach holds a city business license in addition to the state license. The Business License Division’s page offers a “Look Up a Business License” tool5. For permits, the city’s owner and contractor bulletin, IB-029 (revised July 27, 2026), says licensed contractors need a CSLB license “and an active City of Long Beach Business License”6.

The same bulletin sets out two more conditions for a contractor6:

  • A contractor’s agent who pulls the permit needs a notarized letter “dated within the last year”.
  • Workers’ compensation is verified before a permit is issued.

The city’s business license tax is a separate subject, covered in Long Beach Business License Cost.

Step 3: who pulls the permit

The Permit Center’s online system accepts “Contractors with a pre-authorized PIN” for building, electrical, mechanical (residential) and plumbing permits; owners or agents attach a letter or FORM-006 instead. Invoices on the PIN route arrive “within 1-3 business days”7.

Who is at the counter What the city’s pages require
A licensed contractor A CSLB license and an active City of Long Beach business license6
A contractor’s agent A notarized letter “dated within the last year”6
An owner or an owner’s agent, online A letter or FORM-006 attached to the application7

Requirements as of October 2026. Sources:6 and7 as marked.

IB-029 also sets out when an owner may pull a permit for work on their own property, with conditions on sale, residence and the number of times the exemption is used; those conditions are in Pulling Your Own Permit in Long Beach6.

The vehicle decal

The city license application prints Municipal Code section 3.80.425.5: “Every person having a license shall prominently display the license at the place of business. If the business is operated from a vehicle, an identifying decal issued by the City shall be affixed to the vehicle, and the business license shall be carried by the licensee”8. For a contractor, that rule puts two requirements on a vehicle-based business: the decal affixed to the vehicle and the business license carried by the licensee. The application text does not say where the decal is issued or whether it carries a fee.

What the lookups show

The state record shows license status, complaint disclosure, workers’ compensation and insurance4. The city’s tool shows the business license5. Neither is a record of the work itself; a past permit at an address can be searched in Long Beach Permit History Lookup. The city verifies workers’ compensation before it issues a permit6. The site earns a commission on some links to business services, which does not affect what is recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check a contractor's license in Long Beach?

Run the license number or business name through CSLB’s Check a License page, or call (800) 321-CSLB (2752)34. The city’s Business License Division offers a “Look Up a Business License” tool for the city license5.

Do I need a licensed contractor for a job under $1,000?

The state’s exemption applies only if the work cannot require a permit and no one is employed2.

Does a contractor need a Long Beach business license?

For a permit, yes: IB-029 says licensed contractors need a CSLB license “and an active City of Long Beach Business License”6.

What should a contractor show before starting?

CSLB’s guidance is to ask for “their pocket license, along with a picture I.D.”3.

Does a contractor's truck need a decal in Long Beach?

A business operated from a vehicle must have “an identifying decal issued by the City” on the vehicle, under code section 3.80.425.58.

Does the city check workers' compensation?

Yes. IB-029 says workers’ compensation is verified before a permit is issued6.

Sources

  1. What Is Illegal Contractor Activity — Contractors State License Board. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  2. AB 2622 Implementation (industry bulletin, 2024) — Contractors State License Board. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  3. Finding the Right Contractor — Contractors State License Board. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  4. Check a License — Contractors State License Board. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  5. Business License — City of Long Beach, Finance. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  6. Information Bulletin IB-029: Owner-Builder and Contractor Permit Requirements (rev. 07-27-2026) — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  7. Permits Online — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  8. City of Long Beach Business License Application (6-9-25) — City of Long Beach, Finance. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  9. Long Beach Building Standards Code, Title 18 (2023 compilation, section 18.04.020) — City of Long Beach, Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-02.