California Plumbing Contractor License — Requirements, Fees & Exam

California licenses the contractor (the business and its qualifying individual), not individual plumbers. PSI exam — verified from California Contractors State License Board (CSLB).

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) (official site) and last verified July 29, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Who must hold a credential: California licenses the CONTRACTOR — the business and its qualifying individual — not the individual plumber. CSLB: "All businesses or individuals who construct or alter any building, highway, road, parking facility, railroad, excavation, or other structure in California must be licensed by the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) if the project requires a building permit or uses any additional workers or the total cost (labor and materials) of one or more contracts on the project is $1,000 or more." A worker employed by a licensed C-36 contractor needs no state licence or registration: CSLB's own list of who is exempt from licensing includes "an employee who is paid wages, who does not usually work in an independently established business, and who does not have direction or control over the performance of work or who does not determine the final results of the work or project." And on journey-level plumbers specifically, CSLB says: "Journey-level experience applies to a person who has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision. However, that person does not have a license and is not able to contract for jobs that require a building permit or use employee labor or are more than $1,000 in labor and materials." So there is no California journeyman or master plumber licence to obtain — journey-level experience is what you document to qualify a C-36 licence, not a credential you hold. A licence may be issued to an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, or a joint venture.
When a licence is required — the $1,000 minor-work rule: A CSLB licence is required to bid or perform any plumbing job where the combined cost of labor, materials and all other items is $1,000 or more, and for any job requiring a building permit regardless of price, and for any job on which the person employs anyone else. Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7048(a): the chapter "does not apply to a work or operation on one undertaking or project by one or more contracts if the aggregate contract price for labor, materials, and all other items is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), that work or operation being considered of casual, minor, or inconsequential nature, and the work or operation does not require a building permit." The exemption is narrower than the dollar figure alone suggests. Sec. 7048(b): it does not apply "in a case wherein the work of construction is only a part of a larger or major operation, whether undertaken by the same or a different contractor, or in which a division of the operation is made in contracts of amounts less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the purpose of evasion of this chapter or otherwise." Sec. 7048(c): it does not apply to a person who either "(1) Advertises or puts out a sign or card or other device that might indicate to the public that the person is a contractor or that the person is qualified to engage in the business of a contractor" or "(2) Employs another person to perform, or assist in performing, the work or operation." THE THRESHOLD CHANGED RECENTLY: it was $500 until January 1, 2025, when Assembly Bill 2622 (Carrillo, Chapter 240, Statutes of 2024) raised it to $1,000. CSLB's implementation bulletin (CSLB #24-07, December 31, 2024) is titled "License Requirement for Minor Work Increases from $500 to $1,000" and warns of "a catch: the work cannot require a permit, and the unlicensed person cannot employ anyone for the project... In other words, if the minor work is subject to a permit requirement of any kind, or if the unlicensed person hires one or more workers to assist or perform the work, a license is required — even if the project is less than $1,000." Sec. 7048 has since been amended again, by Stats. 2025, Ch. 67, Sec. 12 (AB 1170), effective January 1, 2026 — AB 1170 is the Legislature's annual "Maintenance of the codes" bill, and the $1,000 figure is unchanged in the current text.
Advertising by an unlicensed person: Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7027.2: "Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a person who is not licensed pursuant to this chapter may advertise for construction work or a work of improvement covered by this chapter only if the aggregate contract price for labor, material, and all other items on a project or undertaking is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and the person states in the advertisement that the person is not licensed under this chapter." That section was amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 240, Sec. 1 (AB 2622), effective January 1, 2025 — the same bill that raised the sec. 7048 threshold. CSLB's AB 2622 bulletin puts the two halves together: "Unlicensed individuals can now advertise for work up to $1,000 (from $500) provided they disclose in the advertisement that they are not licensed," while "the minor work exemption rule does not apply to people who advertise they are licensed or qualified to act as contractors." Note the asymmetry: sec. 7027.2 permits a disclosed unlicensed advertisement under $1,000, while sec. 7048(c)(1) withdraws the minor-work exemption from anyone whose advertising indicates to the public that they ARE a contractor or are qualified to act as one.
Experience, and the tiered education/training credit: Four full years at journey level or higher in the classification, obtained within the last 10 years (CSLB Application for Original Contractor License and Certification of Work Experience form, both citing 16 CCR 825: "The qualifying individual must document at least four (4) years of journey-level or higher experience in the classification for which they are applying. The experience must have been obtained within the last 10 years."). CSLB defines the acceptable levels: a journeyman is "a person who is a fully qualified, experienced worker (as opposed to a trainee, helper, laborer, assistant, apprentice, etc.) and is able to perform the trade without supervision, or a person who has completed an apprenticeship program"; a foreman or supervising employee "has the knowledge and skills of a journeyman and directly supervises physical construction"; a contractor is a current or former licensed California contractor, personnel of record on a California licence, or an out-of-state licensed contractor; an owner-builder "has the knowledge and skills of a journeyman and who performs work on their own property" — but owner-builder experience can only be used to qualify for the B-General Building classification, not C-36. Up to three of the four years may come from technical training, apprenticeship training or education, capped by credential (1-1/2 years maximum for an A.A. in building or construction management; two years maximum for a listed four-year degree, a law degree, or substantial listed coursework; three years only for an apprenticeship completion certificate in the classification or a four-year degree in construction technology/management or directly related engineering), and "At least one year must be practical experience." Because of that floor, only the three-year tier reduces field experience to one year — an A.A. holder still needs 2-1/2 years, and a two-year-tier degree holder still needs two. Education claims require official sealed transcripts sent by the institution to CSLB; foreign degrees must be translated and evaluated by an accredited US evaluation service. All experience claims must be verified by a qualified and responsible person with firsthand knowledge who observed the work — an employer, contractor, foreman/supervisor, fellow employee, other journeyman, union representative, building inspector, architect, engineer or homeowner — on the Certification of Work Experience form. By law CSLB "must randomly review three percent (3%) of applications, including the experience claimed on Certifications of Work Experience forms that must be verifiable through payroll records or similar documents," and the registrar must review experience gained in other states to determine whether it was gained lawfully there (the three-percent figure is set by 16 CCR 824 and printed on CSLB's form 13A-1, NOT by the statute: BPC 7068(g) requires the registrar to "randomly review a percentage of such statements" without naming a number, while 7068(h) supports the out-of-state-experience review word for word. Because the percentage lives in a regulation rather than the code, it can move without legislation -- a tripwire). Acceptable documentation includes state or federal income tax forms showing construction income, end-of-year paycheck stubs, W-2s, 1099s, IRS wage transcripts, employer contact information, an employer duty statement, and proof of an out-of-state employer's licence status. CSLB does not visit worksites and does not accept photographs as proof.
No refrigerant or trade certification is required for C-36: Unlike CSLB's C-20 and C-38 classifications, which require a copy of a federal EPA Section 608 Type II or Universal CFC certification to document claimed journey-level experience, CSLB's Summary of Acceptable Documentation to Verify Work Experience (form 13P-100, dated 04/26) imposes no classification-specific certificate for C-36 — the form runs two pages and EIGHTEEN document categories (eight on page 1, ten on page 2), one of which is "Journey-level", and attaches a classification-specific certificate to exactly four classifications -- C-10 (electrician certification), C-20 and C-38 (EPA Type II or Universal CFC), and C-22 (asbestos) -- with none for C-36. Two categories a plumber is in fact likely to hold ARE on the form: an Apprenticeship Certificate, and a union journeyman book or hour printouts. No California certification, licence or registration exists for an individual plumber at any level.
Examinations: Two examinations, both delivered by PSI Exams under contract with CSLB: the Law and Business examination and the C-36 trade examination. "Once your application has been approved and referred for testing, the Notice to Schedule for Examination will be mailed to you with detailed information regarding self-scheduling of your exam and paying the associated fees directly through PSI. Each exam is a separate fee and can be scheduled on the same day or at different times." All exams are taken on a computer and consist of multiple-choice questions, and "You will be given 3-1/2 hours to complete each examination." Eligibility is time-limited: "All applications are given 18 months from the day they are accepted to pass the examination(s). If you do not pass within 18 months after your application is accepted by the board, your application is considered void, and you will have to submit a new application with new fees." A candidate who fails "are eligible to retake the examination after 21 calendar days as long as they are not past their 18-month void date." GEOGRAPHY MATTERS: "While the California Law and Business exam can be taken out of state, all trade exams must be completed in California or Oregon" — the trade exam is offered at PSI centres in Agoura Hills, Atascadero, Bakersfield, Carson, Diamond Bar, El Monte/Santa Fe Springs, Fresno, Irvine, Lawndale, Redding, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, Union City, Ventura, Visalia and Walnut Creek, and in Wilsonville, Oregon; the Law exam is additionally available in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. An appointment may be cancelled and rescheduled without forfeiting the fee only if the notice reaches PSI two days before the scheduled date; missing the appointment forfeits the examination fee and requires paying the re-examination fee. A failing score report shows the candidate's overall score and the number of items answered correctly; a passing score report does not show the overall score. Accommodations under the ADA and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act require an Accommodation Request for Examination form submitted to CSLB and approved BEFORE scheduling.
Asbestos open-book examination (blocks issuance if missing): Every new licence applicant must complete CSLB's asbestos open-book examination if it has not been done previously, and must submit the examination and verification form to CSLB before licensure. CSLB: "If the form is not submitted, the CSLB cannot issue a license, pursuant to Business and Professions Code Section 7058.5." Section 7058.5(b) requires CSLB to make available a booklet on handling and disposal of asbestos together with an open book examination, and provides that "All applicants for an initial contractor license shall complete the open book examination and, prior to the issuance of a contractor's license, submit it to the board electronically or by mail if the applicant elects to use the hard-copy format." It is a stand-alone step separate from the two PSI examinations and appears on CSLB's issuance checklist next to the bonds and the initial licence fee. It does NOT certify a contractor to do asbestos-related work: "The purpose of the guide and the examination is to make contractors aware of the risks of dealing with asbestos." Separately, sec. 7058.5(a) provides that a contractor shall not engage in asbestos-related work involving 100 square feet or more of surface area of asbestos containing materials unless the contractor holds a C-22 Asbestos Abatement classification or the licence qualifier passes an asbestos certification examination — with no asbestos certification examination required for contractors involved with the installation, maintenance and repair of asbestos cement pipe or sheets, vinyl asbestos floor materials, or asbestos bituminous or resinous materials. A C-36 Plumbing licensee is one of the classifications eligible to be certified for hazardous substance removal work, and CSLB policy provides that "Plumbing 'C-36' contractors may install and/or remove any underground storage tank that provides service to a building—including storage tanks for service stations."
Contractor bond — $25,000: A Contractor's Bond "must be in place before CSLB can issue an active license, reactivate an inactive license, or renew an active license" (Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7071.6). The bond must be in the amount of $25,000, be written by a surety company licensed through the California Department of Insurance on a form approved by the Attorney General's Office, carry the signature of the attorney-in-fact for the surety, match the business name and licence number on CSLB's records exactly, and be received at CSLB's Headquarters Office within 90 days of the bond's effective date. A $25,000 cashier's check may be filed in lieu of a surety bond. The amount rose to $25,000 on January 1, 2023 under Senate Bill 607. The bond "is filed for the benefit of consumers who may be damaged as a result of defective construction or other license law violations, and for the benefit of employees who have not been paid wages that are due to them."
Bond of Qualifying Individual — a SECOND $25,000 bond, when applicable: In addition to the Contractor's Bond, a $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual may be required for issuance of an active licence, reactivation, and maintenance of an actively renewed licence (Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7071.9). It is required if the licence is qualified by a Responsible Managing Employee (RME), or by a Responsible Managing Officer (RMO) who does not own at least 10 percent of the voting stock of the corporation; an RMO owning 10 percent or more instead files a Bond of Qualifying Individual Exemption Certification. "If a license has more than one RME or RMO qualifying the license, each qualifier must comply with the qualifier bonding requirements." A federally recognized tribe or a participating tribe is exempt from carrying a Bond of Qualifying Individual. Separately, a disciplinary bond of at least $25,000 (and no more than ten times the contractor's bond) must be filed to reinstate or reissue a licence revoked for a violation of the Contractors' License Law, must be in addition to and cannot be combined with any other bond, and must remain on file for at least two years (sec. 7071.8).
Workers' compensation — C-36 MAY file an exemption: California law requires employers, including those in construction, to carry workers' compensation insurance even with only one employee. An applicant for an active licence, or a licensee with an active licence or reactivating an inactive one, must either file a valid Certificate of Workers' Compensation Insurance (or a valid Certification of Self-Insurance from the Department of Industrial Relations) or file a signed exemption certifying that they have no employees at this time. C-36 IS NOT ONE OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS THAT MUST CARRY COVERAGE REGARDLESS OF EMPLOYEES — CSLB's list of those is "All active C-8 Concrete contractors, C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning contractors, C-22 Asbestos Abatement contractors, C-39 Roofing contractors, and/or C-61/D-49 Tree Service contractors are required to carry workers' compensation insurance or a valid Certification of Self-Insurance, whether or not they have employees" (Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7125). So a C-36 plumbing contractor with no employees may file the Exemption from Workers' Compensation form. Two limits still apply: the exemption cannot be filed if the licensee employs anyone in a manner subject to California workers' compensation laws, or if the licence is qualified by a Responsible Managing Employee (RME). On hiring anyone, the exemption on file becomes invalid and proof of coverage must reach CSLB's Headquarters within 90 days of the hire. Licensees must also list up to the top three workers' compensation classification codes for which the highest estimated payroll is reported on the policy (sec. 7125.6), and CSLB notes it "does not verify or investigate the accuracy of classification codes displayed." Neither coverage nor an exemption is required while a licence is inactive.
Reciprocity — for plumbing, only Arizona: CSLB runs a reciprocity program with the contractor licensing agencies of Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and North Carolina, offered "in specified classifications where the scopes of practice and licensing requirements are either identical or fundamentally indistinguishable in each state with California" (Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7065.4). The requirements are the same for each state: the contractor must be applying for a classification that appears on that state's Reciprocal Classifications List; must have held an active licence in good standing in one of the reciprocal states for the previous five years; must submit a Request for Verification of License form completed by the licensing entity in the other state; and must complete the Application for Original Contractor's License. ON CSLB'S RECIPROCAL CLASSIFICATIONS LIST, THE ONLY STATE WHOSE PLUMBING CLASSIFICATIONS MAP TO CALIFORNIA'S C-36 IS ARIZONA — the Arizona codes C-37 and K-77 and L-77 (Plumbing, Including Solar) and C-37R, K-37 and L-37 (Plumbing) each correspond to C-36 Plumbing. Nevada's entries cover general engineering, general building and a range of specialties but include no C-36 mapping (its "Sewers, Drains & Pipes" and piping classes map to C-34 Pipeline and C-42 Sanitation Systems). Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina reciprocate only into B-General Building (and, for North Carolina, B-2 Residential Remodeling). Reciprocity is not automatic and does not remove the Law exam: "If an applicant is granted reciprocity, the CSLB may waive the trade portion of the exam, but retains the right to require the exam. The applicant will still be required to take the business law portion of CSLB's exam." The Application for Original Contractor License adds that "The Law and Business Examination will still be required if the applicant has not passed that examination within the last five (5) years." A separate reciprocity route exists for contractors of any state who have passed the NASCLA Commercial General Builders Examination, but it applies only to the B-General Building classification, not to C-36.
Veteran fee reduction: Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7137(a)(3)(D) requires that "The board shall grant a 50-percent reduction in the fees prescribed by this paragraph to an applicant who is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve components, and was not dishonorably discharged." The reduction applies to the initial licence and registration fees in that paragraph (the $200 sole-owner and $350 non-sole-owner initial licence fees and the $200 home improvement salesperson registration fee), not to the $450 application fee. To demonstrate discharge grade when CSLB requests the initial licence or registration fee, the applicant provides a copy of a current and valid California or other state driver's licence or identification card with the word "Veteran" printed on its face, or a copy of their DD214 long form.
Fingerprinting and criminal history: Live-scan fingerprinting is required and the fees are paid to the live-scan operator, not to CSLB: a $32 Department of Justice processing fee and a $17 Federal Bureau of Investigation processing fee, plus the live-scan site's own "rolling fee" — "Each Live Scan site sets its own fee—CSLB does not set the price." An applicant with a criminal plea or conviction to report files the Statement Regarding Criminal Plea/Conviction form (13A-45) with the application. CSLB also warns that "Some applications are sent for formal investigation. Each application must be accepted and approved for the license to be issued, even if the qualifier has passed the exam."
Qualifying individual rules: "A qualifying individual, or simply 'qualifier', is the person listed on the CSLB records who meets the experience and examination requirements for the license. A qualifying individual is required for every classification on each license issued by the CSLB," and the qualifier "is responsible for the employer's (or principal's) construction operations." An individual licence may be qualified by the owner or by an RME; a partnership by a general partner (the qualifying partner) or an RME; a corporation or tribal business by an officer on CSLB's records (the RMO) or an RME; an LLC by an officer, member or manager (RMO, Responsible Managing Member, or Responsible Managing Manager) or an RME. Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7068(c) defines an RME as a bona fide employee of the applicant who is actively engaged in the classification, where "bona fide employee" means permanently employed and "actively engaged" means "working 32 hours per week, or 80 percent of the total hours per week that the applicant's business is in operation, whichever is less." A person may qualify more than one active licence only where there is common ownership of at least 20 percent of the equity of each firm, or the additional firm is a subsidiary of or joint venture with the first, or the majority of the partners or officers are the same — and even then, "A PERSON MAY SERVE AS THE QUALIFYING INDIVIDUAL FOR NO MORE THAN THREE FIRMS IN ANY ONE-YEAR PERIOD"; a qualifier who disassociates from the third firm must wait one year before associating with a new third firm. An RME can only qualify one active licence at a time. Except under sec. 7068.1, a person qualifying on behalf of an individual or firm may not hold any other active contractor's licence while acting as that qualifying individual. At renewal the current qualifying individual must file a statement with the registrar verifying their capacity as qualifier (sec. 7068(f)). Replacing the qualifier costs $230.
Penalties for contracting without a licence: CSLB: "A contractor's license is not necessary as long as you don't advertise yourself as a licensed contractor and the project does not require a building permit, no employee labor is used, and the combined value of labor, materials, and all other costs on one or more contracts is less than $1,000. Work on a larger project, may not be broken down to smaller amounts of less than $1,000 in an attempt to meet the $1,000 exemption." Beyond that line, "First time offenses for contracting without a license are usually a misdemeanor, carrying a potential sentence of up to six months in jail and/or a $500 fine, along with a potential administrative fine of $200 to $15,000. The penalties go up with subsequent violations. A second conviction can mean a fine of 20 percent of the contract price of the work performed, or a $4,500 fine. Also, the unlicensed contractor shall be confined to jail for no less than 90 days." Felony charges can be filed against those who contract without a licence in areas designated as a state of emergency or disaster by the Governor or the President. CSLB operates Statewide Investigative Fraud Teams that "conduct stings and sweeps on a regular basis focusing on the underground economy."
Displaying the licence: A licensee receives a wall certificate showing the name of the person or company the licence was issued to, the licence number, the classification(s) held and the date of issue, plus a plastic pocket card showing the licence number, business name, classification(s) and expiration date. "The law requires that you display your wall certificate in your main office or chief place of business," and CSLB advises carrying the pocket card when soliciting business or talking to potential customers.

Legal basis

California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) administers plumbing contractor licensing in California. Every figure below is verified against the board’s own official pages and dated. Who must personally hold a credential — the contractor, the business, or the individual worker — is set out under Requirements.

What it’s called

In California the state credential is a plumbing CONTRACTOR licence — the Contractors State License Board’s C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification — and not an individual plumber licence. A search for a “California plumbing license,” “plumber’s license,” “journeyman plumber license” or “master plumber license” maps to that contractor licence, because California issues no journeyman or master plumber credential at all; CSLB says of a journey-level worker that “that person does not have a license.” “C-36,” “C36 license” and “plumbing contractor license” are the accurate names. Two further naming traps. First, “journeyman” in California is a defined level of EXPERIENCE that you document on a contractor licence application (CSLB: “a fully qualified, experienced worker… able to perform the trade without supervision, or a person who has completed an apprenticeship program”), not a licence tier — which is the opposite of how neighbouring individual-licence states such as Texas are organised. Second, several plumbing-adjacent jobs are licensed under different CSLB classifications rather than C-36: C-42 Sanitation System Contractor for cesspools, septic tanks, storm drains and other sewage disposal and drain structures; C-55 Water Conditioning Contractor for water conditioning equipment and its connections; and C-16 Fire Protection Contractor for fire protection systems. A licence may be issued to an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company or a joint venture, and it is the business plus its “qualifying individual” (the RMO, RME, Responsible Managing Member or Responsible Managing Manager) that carries the credential.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
C-36 Plumbing Contractor (the California plumbing licence)	The qualifying individual must have had, within the last 10 years, at least four years of experience in the C-36 classification at no less than a journey level, or as a foreman, supervising employee, contractor, or owner-builder (CSLB, Application for Original Contractor License form 13A-1 rev. 01/2026, citing 16 CCR 825; owner-builder experience can only be used to qualify for the B-General Building classification). Up to three of the four years may be replaced by technical training, apprenticeship training, or education, but the credit is TIERED by credential and at least one year must be actual practical experience: a maximum of 1-1/2 years for an A.A. degree from an accredited school or college in building or construction management; a maximum of two years for a four-year degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, architecture (B-General Building classification only), business, economics, mathematics, physics, or areas related to the specific trade or craft applied for, or a professional degree in law, or substantial accredited college or university coursework in accounting, architecture, business, construction technology, drafting, economics, engineering, mathematics or physics; and a maximum of three years only for a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship from an accredited apprenticeship program (or a certified union statement of completion) in the classification applied for, or a four-year degree from an accredited college or university in construction technology/management or any field of engineering directly related to the classification. CSLB states plainly that "You do not have to meet any education requirements in order to qualify for a contractor license." On what the four years must actually look like for this classification, CSLB is specific: "If you want to apply for a C-36 Plumbing license you must show that you performed plumbing every day for four (4) full years, for approximately eight (8) hours per day. Note: A plumbing apprenticeship is normally five (5) years, plus another four (4) years of journeyman time to apply." The qualifying individual must be at least 18.	Two CSLB examinations administered by PSI Exams: the Law and Business examination and the C-36 trade examination. Both must be passed within 18 months of the date CSLB accepts (posts) the application, or the application is void. Separately, every new applicant must complete CSLB's asbestos open-book examination and submit the verification form before CSLB can issue the licence (Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7058.5(b)).	$450 application for an original licence in one classification, non-refundable (Bus. & Prof. Code secs. 7137(a)(1)(A), 7138) + $200 initial licence fee for a sole owner or $350 for a non-sole owner (partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture). Exam fees are separate and paid directly to PSI.
Individual plumber / journey-level plumber (employee) — NO California licence, certification or registration exists	California issues no individual plumber credential. CSLB is explicit about what journey-level status is and is not: "Journey-level experience applies to a person who has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision. However, that person does not have a license and is not able to contract for jobs that require a building permit or use employee labor or are more than $1,000 in labor and materials." A worker employed by a licensed C-36 contractor needs no state licence or registration to perform plumbing work — CSLB lists among those exempt from licensing "an employee who is paid wages, who does not usually work in an independently established business, and who does not have direction or control over the performance of work or who does not determine the final results of the work or project," the statutory form of which is Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7053. Journey-level status is proved to CSLB as EXPERIENCE on a licence application, not held as a credential.	None at the state level.	None at the state level.
Related CSLB classifications a plumbing job can fall under instead	Same four-years-in-ten structure and the same tiered training credit as C-36; only the trade examination differs. C-42 Sanitation System Contractor: "fabricates and installs cesspools, septic tanks, storm drains, and other sewage disposal and drain structures. This classification includes the laying of cast-iron, steel, concrete, vitreous and nonvitreous pipe and any other hardware associated with these systems." C-55 Water Conditioning Contractor: "installs water conditioning equipment with the use of only such pipe and fittings as are necessary to connect the water conditioning equipment to the water supply system and to by-pass all those parts of the water supply system within the premises from which conditioned water is to be excluded." C-16 Fire Protection Contractor: "lays out, fabricates and installs all types of fire protection systems; including all the equipment associated with these systems, excluding electrical alarm systems." Each is defined in Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, div. 8, art. 3.	Law and Business examination plus that classification's trade examination, on the same 18-month window, plus the asbestos open-book examination before issuance.	Same CSLB fee schedule: $450 application, $200/$350 initial licence fee. Adding a classification to an existing licence is $230; an additional classification applied for with an original licence application is $150.

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Every California plumbing exemption is a carve-out from the CONTRACTOR licence requirement — there is no individual plumber licence to be exempt from. The Contractors State License Law’s exemption article is Bus. & Prof. Code, div. 3, ch. 9, art. 3, secs. 7040-7054.5, and it contains the following sections in full. (1) GOVERNMENT (sec. 7040): the chapter “does not apply to an authorized representative of the United States government, the State of California, any federally recognized tribe or participating tribe acting within tribal jurisdiction, or any incorporated town, city, county, irrigation district, reclamation district, or other municipal or political corporation or subdivision of this state when the entity or its representative is acting within the scope of the entity’s or representative’s official capacity” — but subsection (b) adds that “Nothing in this section authorizes the entity or its authorized representative thereof either to enter into or authorize a contract with an unlicensed contractor for work that is required by this chapter to be performed by a licensed contractor.” (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 485, Sec. 5 (SB 1455), effective January 1, 2025.) (2) COURT OFFICERS (sec. 7041): “This chapter does not apply to officers of a court when they are acting within the scope of their office.” (3) PUBLIC UTILITIES (sec. 7042): the chapter “does not apply to public utilities operating under the regulation of the State Railroad Commission on construction, maintenance and development work incidental to their own business.” (4) GAS, HEAT AND ELECTRICAL CORPORATIONS (sec. 7042.1): notwithstanding any other provision, such corporations and their subsidiaries regulated as public utilities by the Public Utilities Commission “shall not conduct work for which a contractor’s license is required, except under any one or more of the following conditions” — the work is performed upon the corporation’s own properties; the work is performed through a contract with contractors licensed under the chapter, or is performed for low-income citizens under a programme authorized by PUC order; the work is undertaken in furtherance of the generation, transmission or distribution of electricity, gas or steam, whether within or without the service area, where work performed within a structure and beyond a customer’s utility meter is necessary to protect public safety or avoid interruption of service; the work is otherwise exempt from the chapter; or the work is performed to comply with programmes or procedures ordered or authorized by the PUC. (5) PUC-REGULATED UTILITIES AND CABLE (sec. 7042.5): the chapter “does not apply to public utilities operating under the regulation of the Public Utilities Commission on construction, maintenance, and development work incidental to their own business, or to those activities of a cable television corporation subject to regulation pursuant to Section 768.5 of the Public Utilities Code, except underground trenching by a cable television corporation within the public streets, other than that necessary solely for the connection of its distribution system to, or within the properties of, subscribers or potential subscribers.” (6) OIL AND GAS (sec. 7043): the chapter “does not apply to any construction, repair or operation incidental to the discovering or producing of petroleum or gas, or the drilling, testing, abandoning or other operation of any petroleum or gas well, when performed by an owner or lessee.” (7) OWNER-BUILDERS (sec. 7044(a)) — four variants: an owner who builds or improves a structure on their property where none of the improvements are intended or offered for sale AND the owner personally performs all the work or any work not performed by the owner is performed by the owner’s employees with wages as their sole compensation (7044(a)(1)); an owner who builds or improves a structure on their property where the owner directly contracts with licensees duly licensed to contract for the work of the respective trades involved AND, for projects involving single-family residential structures, no more than four such structures are intended or offered for sale in a calendar year — that four-structure limit not applying if the owner contracts with a general contractor for the construction (7044(a)(2)); a homeowner improving their principal place of residence or appurtenances, provided the work is performed prior to sale, the homeowner has actually resided in the residence for the 12 months prior to completion of the work, and the homeowner has not availed themselves of this exemption “on more than two structures more than once during any three-year period” (7044(a)(3)); and “A nonprofit corporation providing assistance to an owner-builder, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 50692 of the Health and Safety Code, who is participating in a mutual self-help housing program, as defined in Section 50078 of the Health and Safety Code” (7044(a)(4)). Sec. 7044(b) attaches two presumptions: proof of the sale or offering for sale of a structure by or for the owner-builder within one year after completion “constitutes a rebuttable presumption affecting the burden of proof that the structure was undertaken for purposes of sale,” and proof of the sale or offering for sale of five or more structures within one year after completion “constitutes a conclusive presumption that the structures were undertaken for purposes of sale.” (8) REAL ESTATE LICENSEES (sec. 7044.1): the chapter does not apply to a real estate licensee acting within the course and scope of their licence under the Real Estate Law, “However, nothing in this section shall authorize a real estate licensee or a property manager to act in the capacity of a contractor unless licensed by the board.” (9) SURETY INSURERS (sec. 7044.2): the chapter does not apply to an admitted surety insurer whenever that insurer engages a contractor to complete a contract on which it issued a performance or completion bond, “provided all actual construction work is performed by duly licensed contractors.” (10) FINISHED PRODUCTS AND MATERIAL SUPPLIERS (sec. 7045): the chapter does not apply to “the sale or installation of any finished products, materials, or articles of merchandise that do not become a fixed part of the structure,” nor to a material supplier or manufacturer furnishing such items who does not install or contract for their installation — but “The term ‘finished products’ shall not include installed carpets or mobilehomes or mobilehome accessory structures,” and “This chapter shall apply to the installation of home improvement goods, as defined in Section 7151.” (11) PERSONAL PROPERTY (sec. 7046): the chapter “does not apply to any construction, alteration, improvement, or repair of personal property,” which “shall not include mobilehomes or mobilehome accessory structures.” (12) MINOR WORK (sec. 7048): the $1,000 exemption, set out in full under Requirements above, with its two voiding conditions in 7048(b)-(c). (13) AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION DISTRICTS (sec. 7049): the chapter does not apply to “any construction or operation incidental to the construction and repair of irrigation and drainage ditches of regularly constituted irrigation districts, reclamation districts, or to farming, dairying, agriculture, viticulture, horticulture, or stock or poultry raising, or clearing or other work upon the land in rural districts for fire prevention purposes, except when performed by a licensee under this chapter” — and note the plumbing-relevant reversal in the second paragraph: “The provisions of this chapter do apply to the business of drilling digging, boring, or otherwise constructing, deepening, repairing, reperforating, or abandoning water wells.” (14) MURALISTS (sec. 7050): the chapter does not apply to “an artist who draws, paints, applies, executes, restores, or conserves a mural pursuant to an agreement with a person who could legally authorize the work,” with “mural” defined as a unique work of fine art protected by copyright, trademark, label or patent, drawn or painted by hand directly onto interior or exterior walls or ceilings, fixtures or other appurtenances of a building or structure, and excluding painted wall signs. (Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 758, Sec. 1 (SB 456), effective January 1, 2026.) (15) DESIGN PROFESSIONALS AND CERTAIN OTHER LICENSEES (sec. 7051): the chapter “does not apply to a licensed architect or a registered civil or professional engineer acting solely in his or her professional capacity or to a licensed structural pest control operator acting within the scope of his or her license or a licensee operating within the scope of the Geologist and Geophysicist Act.” (16) SUPPLIERS OF MATERIALS ONLY (sec. 7052): the chapter “does not apply to any person who only furnishes materials or supplies without fabricating them into, or consuming them in the performance of, the work of the contractor.” (17) WAGE EMPLOYEES (sec. 7053) — the one that matters most to an employed plumber: “Except as provided in Article 10 (commencing with Section 7150), this chapter does not apply to any person who engages in the activities herein regulated as an employee who receives wages as his or her sole compensation, does not customarily engage in an independently established business, and does not have the right to control or discretion as to the manner of performance so as to determine the final results of the work performed.” (18) ALARM COMPANY OPERATORS (sec. 7054): the chapter does not apply to a person who performs work in the installation, maintenance, monitoring, selling, alteration or servicing of alarm systems as defined in sec. 7590.1 and who holds an alarm company operator’s licence issued under Chapter 11.6. (19) SATELLITE ANTENNA INSTALLERS (sec. 7054.5): “The licensing provisions of this chapter do not apply to any person registered under Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 9800) if that person’s activities consist only of installing satellite antenna systems on residential structures or property.” One more provision sits outside the exemption article but functions like one for advertising: sec. 7027.2 permits an unlicensed person to advertise for construction work “only if the aggregate contract price for labor, material, and all other items on a project or undertaking is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and the person states in the advertisement that the person is not licensed under this chapter.” CSLB’s own plain-language summary of who is exempt largely tracks the statute and adds two gloss items it draws from the sections above: “A seller of installed carpets who holds a retail furniture dealer’s license but who contracts for installation of the carpet with a licensed carpet installer,” and that satellite-antenna installers “must be registered with the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair.” Finally, note what no exemption reaches: exempt status under this chapter does not remove a building-permit requirement, and sec. 7048 itself is unavailable for any work that requires a permit.

Fees

Application for an original licence in a single classification: $450, NON-REFUNDABLE — Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7138 provides that “a fee paid in connection with a service or application covered by Section 7137 shall accrue to the Contractors License Fund as an earned fee and shall not be refunded,” so an abandoned or failed application forfeits it. Sec. 7137(a)(1)(A) sets the $450 and permits an increase to no more than $563. Initial licence fee once the exams are passed and the licence is issued: $200 for a sole owner (individual owner), $350 for a non-sole owner (partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture); the fee covers the licence for two years and is required for both active and inactive licences, in addition to the application fee. A 50-percent reduction in the initial licence fee applies to a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, including National Guard or Reserve components, who was not dishonorably discharged (sec. 7137(a)(3)(D)). Other application and licensing fees: additional classification applied for with an original licence, waiver or joint venture application $150; additional classification for an existing licence $230; replacing the qualifier $230; adding new personnel to an existing corporation or LLC $125; adding a new limited partner to an existing partnership $125; licence reactivation application $450 sole owner / $700 non-sole owner; joint venture application for one classification $800 TOTAL, which CSLB’s own fee page states already comprises the application fee plus the initial licence fee (and BPC 7137(a)(3)(B) places a joint venture in the $350 initial-licence tier, so the $200 figure was wrong twice over); asbestos certification application $125; hazardous substance removal certification application $125. Renewal (every two years for an active licence): active timely $450 sole owner / $700 non-sole owner; active delinquent $675 / $1,050; inactive timely $300 / $500; inactive delinquent $450 / $750. The delinquency fee is an amount equal to 50 percent of the renewal fee if the licence is renewed after its expiration (sec. 7137(a)(5)). The $20 surcharge assessed with the renewal fee for an active licence, which CSLB’s fee page shows as raising renewals to $470/$720 timely and $695/$1,070 delinquent, applies only to C-10 electrical contractors and funds enforcement of the Labor Code’s electrician certification provisions (sec. 7137(a)(6)(A)) — a C-36 plumbing contractor does not pay it. Per Senate Bill 1455, licensees may be required to pay any outstanding Industry Expert Recovery Fees at the time of renewal. Fingerprinting (live scan) fees are paid to the live-scan operator: $32 Department of Justice processing fee, $17 FBI processing fee, plus the site’s own rolling fee, which each site sets. Bonds are paid as premiums to a surety, not to CSLB: a $25,000 contractor’s bond is required at issuance (or a $25,000 cashier’s check in lieu), plus a second $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual where the licence is qualified by an RME or by an RMO owning under 10 percent of the voting stock. Examination fees are separate and paid directly to PSI at self-scheduling, one fee per exam; CSLB does not publish those amounts on its fee schedule. Payments at CSLB’s Sacramento office may be made by cash (exact change only), check or money order; CSLB states that the Norwalk, Fresno, San Bernardino and San Diego offices are not accepting payments and that payment kiosks are not available statewide at this time.

Exam

Two CSLB examinations, both administered by PSI Exams at computer testing centres under contract with CSLB: (1) the Law and Business examination and (2) the C-36 Plumbing trade examination. CSLB does not publish the exam fees on its own fee schedule — Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7137(a)(2) provides that the fee to take an examination conducted or administered by an outside organization “shall be no greater than the actual cost of the administration of the examination and shall be paid directly to the organization by the applicant,” and CSLB confirms that once an application is approved and referred for testing the applicant self-schedules with PSI and pays PSI directly, with each exam carrying a separate fee. Both exams are computer-based, multiple-choice, and allow 3-1/2 hours each. Scheduling is at test-takers.psiexams.com/cacon or by phone with PSI at (877) 392-6422; PSI centres are open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday except major holidays. Eligibility runs 18 months from the day the application is accepted (posted); miss it and “your application is considered void, and you will have to submit a new application with new fees.” A failed exam may be retaken after 21 calendar days, provided the 18-month void date has not passed. The trade exam must be taken in person in California or Oregon; the Law and Business exam is additionally offered at PSI centres in eighteen other states. Cancelling or rescheduling without forfeiting the fee requires notice to PSI two days before the appointment; a no-show forfeits the fee. Official CSLB examination study guides are free on CSLB’s website in English and Spanish. Accommodations under the ADA and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act must be requested from CSLB and approved before scheduling. Separate from these two qualifying exams, every new applicant must complete the asbestos open-book examination and submit the verification form before CSLB can issue the licence. The trade examination may be waived under reciprocity (for plumbing, only from Arizona) or under the sec. 7065-7065.4 waiver and exemption provisions, in which case a different application form is used — the Application for Original Contractor License - Examination Waiver (7065), form 13A-1A.

Renewal & continuing education

Active licences expire every two years; inactive licences expire every four years. Approximately 60 days before expiration CSLB mails a renewal application, and an acceptable renewal application must be received at CSLB’s Headquarters Office before the expiration date to avoid unlicensed time — “It is your responsibility to make sure your license is renewed, even if you don’t receive a renewal form.” If a renewal has not arrived within 45 days of the expiration date the licensee can order one online or by calling 1-800-321-CSLB. If an acceptable renewal is not received on or before the expiration date a delinquent fee is due, equal to 50 percent of the renewal fee. Since 2021 the registrar is required to retroactively reinstate an expired contractor’s licence if a completed renewal application with the appropriate fees is received within 90 days of the expiration date (SB 1474). Maintaining an ACTIVE licence requires the $25,000 contractor’s bond, the $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual where the licence is qualified by an RME or a sub-10-percent RMO, and either proof of workers’ compensation coverage or a filed exemption (C-36 may file an exemption if it has no employees and is not qualified by an RME); the current qualifying individual must also file a statement verifying their capacity as qualifier (Bus. & Prof. Code sec. 7068(f)). An INACTIVE licence requires no bonds, no workers’ compensation proof or exemption, and no designated qualifying individual, and the holder may not bid or contract for work; returning to active status requires an Application for Reactivation and the reactivation fee. A licence cannot be renewed at all where the business entity has changed (sole owner to corporation, partnership to corporation, and so on), where the corporate registration number assigned by the Secretary of State has changed, or where the owner of a sole-owner licence or the general partners of a partnership licence have changed — a new licence application is required instead. Before renewing a corporate licence CSLB verifies the corporation’s status and registered name with the Secretary of State: the corporation must have “Active” status, a suspension must be cleared first, and CSLB cancels the licence if the corporation has dissolved, merged or surrendered the right to do business in California. None. California does not require continuing education to renew a contractor licence. CSLB’s renewal requirements are the renewal fee, the $25,000 contractor’s bond, the Bond of Qualifying Individual where applicable, workers’ compensation coverage or a filed exemption, an active business entity status, and a current qualifying individual and address — with no continuing-education component anywhere in the renewal process. There is likewise no continuing-education requirement on an individual plumber, because California issues no individual plumber credential to renew.

How to apply

Applications are handled by California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Does California license individual plumbers?

No. California licenses the contractor — the business and its qualifying individual — through the Contractors State License Board’s C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification. There is no California journeyman or master plumber licence, certification or registration. CSLB says so directly when describing journey-level experience: such a person “has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision. However, that person does not have a license and is not able to contract for jobs that require a building permit or use employee labor or are more than $1,000 in labor and materials.” A plumber employed by a licensed C-36 contractor needs no state credential at all — CSLB’s list of persons exempt from licensing includes “an employee who is paid wages, who does not usually work in an independently established business, and who does not have direction or control over the performance of work or who does not determine the final results of the work or project,” which is Business and Professions Code section 7053. Journey-level status in California is something you document as experience on a contractor licence application, not something you hold.

Do you need a license to do plumbing work in California?

You need a CSLB licence to bid or perform any plumbing job where labor, materials and all other items total $1,000 or more, or that requires a building permit, or on which you employ anyone to help. Business and Professions Code section 7048(a) exempts work “of casual, minor, or inconsequential nature” where the aggregate contract price is under $1,000 and the work does not require a building permit. But the exemption is easy to lose: section 7048(b) withdraws it where the construction is only part of a larger or major operation, or where an operation is divided into sub-$1,000 contracts to evade the law, and section 7048(c) withdraws it from anyone who advertises or puts out a sign, card or other device that might indicate to the public that they are a contractor or qualified to be one, or who employs another person to perform or assist in the work.

Did California's $1,000 contractor threshold change recently?

Yes. It was $500 until January 1, 2025, when Assembly Bill 2622 (Carrillo, Chapter 240, Statutes of 2024) raised it to $1,000. CSLB’s own bulletin, CSLB #24-07 of December 31, 2024, is titled “License Requirement for Minor Work Increases from $500 to $1,000” and adds the warning that “there is a catch: the work cannot require a permit, and the unlicensed person cannot employ anyone for the project.” The same bill raised the unlicensed-advertising ceiling in section 7027.2 to $1,000, still requiring the advertisement to state that the person is not licensed. Section 7048 has been amended once more since, by AB 1170 effective January 1, 2026 — that is the Legislature’s annual “Maintenance of the codes” bill, and the $1,000 figure is unchanged in the current text.

How much experience do you need for a California C-36 plumbing license?

Four full years at journey level or higher in the C-36 classification, obtained within the last 10 years. CSLB is unusually concrete about what that means for plumbing: “If you want to apply for a C-36 Plumbing license you must show that you performed plumbing every day for four (4) full years, for approximately eight (8) hours per day,” and it notes that “A plumbing apprenticeship is normally five (5) years, plus another four (4) years of journeyman time to apply.” Up to three of the four years can come from training or education, but the credit is tiered: an A.A. degree in building or construction management earns a maximum of 1-1/2 years; a four-year degree in a listed field, a law degree, or substantial listed coursework earns a maximum of two years; and only a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship in the classification, or a four-year degree in construction technology/management or directly related engineering, earns the full three years. At least one year must be actual practical experience, so an A.A. holder still needs 2-1/2 years of qualifying experience. CSLB imposes no education requirement as such: “You do not have to meet any education requirements in order to qualify for a contractor license.” Owner-builder experience does not count toward C-36 — CSLB accepts it only for the B-General Building classification.

What exams are required for a C-36 license, and who gives them?

Two exams administered by PSI Exams at computer testing centres under contract with CSLB: the Law and Business examination and the C-36 trade examination. Each is multiple-choice with 3-1/2 hours allowed, and you self-schedule and pay PSI directly once CSLB approves your application and refers it for testing, with each exam carrying a separate fee. You have 18 months from the day your application is accepted to pass them, or the application is void and you must reapply with new fees; a failed exam can be retaken after 21 calendar days within that window. One logistical trap: the trade exam can only be taken in California or Oregon, though the Law and Business exam is also offered in eighteen other states. Beyond these two, every new applicant must also complete CSLB’s asbestos open-book examination and submit the verification form — “If the form is not submitted, the CSLB cannot issue a license, pursuant to Business and Professions Code Section 7058.5.”

How much does a California C-36 plumbing license cost?

The original application fee is $450 and it is non-refundable — Business and Professions Code section 7138 makes it an earned fee that “shall not be refunded,” so a failed or abandoned application forfeits it. Exam fees are separate and paid directly to PSI, one per exam. Once you pass, the initial licence fee is $200 for a sole owner or $350 for a non-sole owner, covering two years. Active renewal every two years is $450 for a sole owner or $700 for a non-sole owner, with a delinquency fee of 50 percent of the renewal fee if you renew late. A $25,000 contractor’s bond is required at issuance, plus a second $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual if the licence is qualified by a Responsible Managing Employee or by a Responsible Managing Officer owning under 10 percent of the voting stock. Live-scan fingerprinting adds $32 (DOJ) and $17 (FBI) plus the live-scan site’s own rolling fee. Veterans of the United States Armed Forces, including National Guard and Reserve components, who were not dishonorably discharged get a 50-percent reduction in the initial licence fee under section 7137(a)(3)(D). Note that the $20 surcharge shown on CSLB’s fee page applies only to C-10 electrical contractors and funds electrician-certification enforcement — a C-36 plumbing contractor does not pay it.

Does a California plumbing contractor need workers' compensation insurance?

Only if it has employees — and this is where plumbing differs from HVAC. CSLB requires an active licensee or an applicant for an active licence either to file a Certificate of Workers’ Compensation Insurance (or a Certification of Self-Insurance) or to file a signed exemption certifying no employees. A handful of classifications must carry coverage whether or not they have employees, and CSLB names them: C-8 Concrete, C-20 Warm-Air Heating/Ventilating/Air-Conditioning, C-22 Asbestos Abatement, C-39 Roofing, and C-61/D-49 Tree Service. C-36 Plumbing is not on that list, so a C-36 contractor with no employees may file the exemption. Two conditions still block it: you cannot file it if you employ anyone in a manner subject to California workers’ compensation laws, or if your licence is qualified by a Responsible Managing Employee. Once you hire anyone, the exemption is void and proof of coverage must reach CSLB within 90 days.

Does California require continuing education to renew a plumbing contractor license?

No. California does not require continuing education to renew a contractor licence. Active licences renew every two years and inactive licences every four, and the renewal requirements are the fee, the $25,000 contractor’s bond, the Bond of Qualifying Individual where applicable, workers’ compensation coverage or a filed exemption, an active business entity status, and a current qualifier and address. There is also no continuing education on individual plumbers, because California issues them no credential to renew.

Can an out-of-state plumbing contractor get a California license through reciprocity?

Only from Arizona. CSLB runs a reciprocity program with Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and North Carolina, but the waiver only applies to classifications that appear on that state’s Reciprocal Classifications List — and on CSLB’s list the only plumbing entries are Arizona’s: C-37 and K-77 and L-77 (Plumbing, Including Solar) and C-37R, K-37 and L-37 (Plumbing) all map to California’s C-36. Nevada’s list has no C-36 mapping, and Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina reciprocate only into B-General Building. Even with reciprocity you must have held an active licence in good standing in the reciprocal state for the previous five years, submit a Request for Verification of License form completed by that state’s licensing entity, and file the standard Application for Original Contractor’s License — and the waiver is not absolute: “If an applicant is granted reciprocity, the CSLB may waive the trade portion of the exam, but retains the right to require the exam. The applicant will still be required to take the business law portion of CSLB’s exam.”

What else can a California plumbing job be licensed under besides C-36?

Three CSLB classifications overlap with plumbing work and are worth knowing before you apply, because each has its own trade exam. C-42 Sanitation System Contractor “fabricates and installs cesspools, septic tanks, storm drains, and other sewage disposal and drain structures,” including the laying of cast-iron, steel, concrete, vitreous and nonvitreous pipe. C-55 Water Conditioning Contractor “installs water conditioning equipment with the use of only such pipe and fittings as are necessary to connect the water conditioning equipment to the water supply system,” and to bypass the parts of the supply system from which conditioned water is excluded. C-16 Fire Protection Contractor “lays out, fabricates and installs all types of fire protection systems,” excluding electrical alarm systems. Adding a classification to an existing licence costs $230; requesting an extra classification with an original application costs $150.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in California.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 29, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.