Requirements To Obtain A License

To get a contractor’s license in California, it is necessary to have reached the age of 18 and to take a written exam on the regulations of the work and on the trade of contractor itself. In turn, to be able to make this exam, the interested parties must prove that they have at least four years of experience in the trade.

The state agency issues 43 types of licenses, for different specialties, such as electricians, plumbers, or painters. A general contractor can perform specific jobs, such as repairing a roof, or subcontracting other professionals for each specialty, and supervise their work.

Other requirements to obtain the license include having a valid social security number and presenting fingerprints. The application must be accompanied by proof of insurance for the workers, in the case that the candidate has dependents, or a certificate of insurance exemption, indicating that he has no workers under his supervision.

Contractors Without Immigration Documents

As a result of the passage of SB 1159, those immigrants who do not have records, but want to obtain a professional license, can do so by submitting a social security number, or taxpayer identification number or ITIN.

Other careers that, thanks to the implementation of law SB 1159, allow undocumented persons to obtain a professional license are, among others, hairdressing and cosmetology, accounting, dental hygiene, architecture, pharmacy, and optometry.