Arizona to California: general contractor license reciprocity
California has a reciprocity agreement with Arizona: a Arizona general contractor can get a California license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
CSLB reciprocity: Arizona building classifications mapped to B General Building
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Arizona is one of five states CSLB has a formal reciprocity agreement with, and it is the broadest of them at this level. CSLB maps Arizona B General Residential Contractor, B-1 General Commercial Contractor, B-2 General Small Commercial Contractor, B-3 General Remodeling and Repair Contractor, C-61 Limited Remodeling and Repair, KB-1 Dual Building Contractor and KB-2 Dual Residential and Small Commercial to California B General Building; Arizona L-61 Carpentry, Remodeling and Repairs maps to either B General Building or C-5 Framing and Rough Carpentry. Hold one of those Arizona licenses active and in good standing for the previous five years, have the Arizona Registrar of Contractors complete CSLB's License Verification Request and return it sealed, and file it with the Application for Original Contractor's License and the $450 fee. Unlike the Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina rows, the Arizona mapping carries no NASCLA condition. CSLB may waive the trade examination but keeps the right to require it, the Law and Business examination is never waived, and the experience, fingerprinting, bond, insurance and fee requirements all still apply.
The same Arizona agreement separately maps Arizona A General Engineering, A-17 Electrical and Transmission Lines and KA Dual Engineering to California A General Engineering, which is a different classification from B and has to be applied for in its own right. Reciprocity is granted case by case under Business and Professions Code section 7065.4, which lets the registrar waive the trade examination on written certification from the other state that the license has been in good standing for the previous five years. Check your exact Arizona class against CSLB's Reciprocal Classifications List before filing, since the list is by classification and not by state alone.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- You must have held your Arizona license for at least 5 years.
- The Arizona classification must be one CSLB maps to B General Building: B, B-1, B-2, B-3, C-61, KB-1, KB-2, or L-61 where the applicant chooses B rather than C-5 Framing and Rough Carpentry.
- Your Arizona license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.
What you'll do to get licensed in California
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($450). Non-refundable original application fee of $450, covering one classification. The same fee applies whether the application is by examination or by waiver..
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Initial license fee of $200 for a sole owner, or $350 for a non-sole owner, for a two-year license, paid once CSLB approves the application..
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. CSLB Law and Business examination, administered by PSI Exams. It is never waived under reciprocity..
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). B General Building trade examination. CSLB may waive it when reciprocity is granted but retains the right to require it, so prepare for the possibility of sitting it..
- 5Background check. Complete a background check. Live Scan fingerprinting for the mandatory criminal background check: $32 to the Department of Justice and $17 to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, plus the site's own rolling fee..
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($25,000). Contractor's bond of $25,000 under Business and Professions Code section 7071.6, on an Attorney General approved form from a surety licensed in California, filed before an active license can issue..
- 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($25,000) (if applicable). Bond of Qualifying Individual of $25,000 where the license is qualified by a responsible managing employee, or by a responsible managing officer holding less than 10 percent of the voting stock..
- 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation insurance or a certificate of self-insurance if the business has employees; an exemption if it has none, except where a responsible managing employee qualifies the license..
- 9Other. Sealed License Verification Request completed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, forwarded unopened with the Application for Original Contractor's License..
Published fees on this path total $650, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Law / code exam
- Trade exam · if applicable
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond · $25,000
- Surety bond · $25,000 · if applicable
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
How California licenses general contractors
California general contractor · “B - General Building Contractor (Class A General Engineering is the separate fixed-works license)”
Statewide license
Issued by Contractors State License Board
California's unlimited building credential is the Class B General Building Contractor license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), and there is no dollar limit or tier system above it. Under Business and Professions Code section 7057 a general building contractor's principal business is structures requiring at least two unrelated building trades or crafts; a B contractor may not take a prime contract on a project involving other trades unless the contract needs at least two unrelated trades besides framing and carpentry, or it holds the relevant specialty classification, or it subcontracts to a licensed specialty contractor, and fire protection (C-16) and well drilling (C-57) always need the specialty license or a subcontractor. Class A General Engineering is a parallel classification rather than a grade above B: it covers fixed works requiring specialized engineering knowledge such as highways, bridges, tunnels, dams, pipelines, sewers, grading and earthmoving, and a contractor who does both kinds of work holds both classifications. Below B sits B-2 Residential Remodeling, limited to existing residential wood frame structures and contracts using three unrelated trades. CSLB issues the license to a business entity and the person who meets the experience and examination requirements is named on it as the qualifying individual, a responsible managing employee (RME) or responsible managing officer (RMO), so an out-of-state general contractor moving to California applies as that qualifier. A license from another state cannot be used here even as a subcontractor or for a single project, and cities and counties additionally require a local business tax registration that does not replace the state license.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the California general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Arizona?
- The trade exam is waived, but California requires a law or code exam.
- How long do I need to have held my Arizona license?
- At least 5 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a California general contractor license from Arizona?
- Published fees on this path total $650, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Arizona work hours count in California?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward California's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from California to Arizona?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from California to Arizona, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- California Business and Professions Code Sec. 7068 - Qualification of applicants; responsible managing employee; out-of-state experience · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7068 · California Legislative Information (Office of Legislative Counsel) · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - Bond Requirements · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7071.6, 7071.8, 7071.9 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - A General Engineering Contractor classification · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7056 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - B General Building Contractor classification · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7057 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - B-2 Residential Remodeling Contractor classification · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7057.5 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - List of All CSLB Fees · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - Get Licensed to Build: A Guide to Becoming a Licensed Contractor (May 2025) · Contractors State License Board · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- Contractors State License Law - 2026 CSLB Law Book (B&P Code Division 3, Chapter 9 and 16 CCR Division 8) · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7065.4, 7068; former Sec. 7067.5 (repealed 2016); 16 CCR Div. 8 · Contractors State License Board · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - Licenses for Limited Liability Companies (LLC) · Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 7065, 7071.6.5, 7071.19, 7076.2 · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - If You Already Have a Contractors License From Another State or Country · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - Reciprocal Classifications List · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - Reciprocity Requirements · Contractors State License Board · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CSLB - License Verification Request (reciprocity) · Contractors State License Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.