Public CSLB records
PrelienLook up a contractor

Our data

Data Sources

Every field on Prelien traces to an authoritative government source.

Primary Source: California Contractors State License Board (CSLB)

All contractor data on Prelien is sourced from the CSLB Public Data Portal, operated by the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

The CSLB was established in 1929 and is the state agency responsible for licensing and regulating California's construction industry. As of 2026, the CSLB maintains records on over 225,000 active contractor licenses across 74 trade classifications, covering all 58 California counties.

CSLB Public Data Portal: cslb.ca.gov/onlineservices/dataportal

Data fields sourced from CSLB:

  • License number and business name
  • Business type and address of record
  • License status and classification(s)
  • Issue and expiration dates
  • Contractor bond details (surety, bond number, dates)
  • Workers' compensation insurance details (carrier, policy number, status, dates)

What CSLB does not provide in bulk data:

  • Email addresses (excluded per California Business & Professions Code §27)
  • Detailed complaint narratives or disciplinary case files (available on individual CSLB license lookups, not in the bulk data download)

Legal References

Prelien's compliance content cites California Civil Code directly. Primary statutory references include:

  • California Civil Code §8200: Preliminary notice requirements for private works
  • California Civil Code §8204: Contents and timing of the 20-day preliminary notice
  • California Civil Code §8414: Mechanics lien recording deadlines
  • California Civil Code §§8132, 8134, 8136, 8138: Statutory lien waiver forms (conditional progress, unconditional progress, conditional final, unconditional final)

Full statutory text is accessible at the California Legislative Information website: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

Refresh Schedule

Prelien refreshes contractor data from the CSLB Public Data Portal on a regular basis. Each refresh captures changes to license status, bond records, workers' compensation coverage, and classification updates. For the most current status on any specific contractor, verify directly with the CSLB Instant License Check at cslb.ca.gov.