Does San Francisco issue its own general contractor license?

San Francisco does not issue its own general contractor license — California's Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is the sole statewide licensing authority and its B (General Building) and C-class specialty licenses cover every parcel inside the city.

What SF layers on top is a regulatory overlay, not a duplicate license. Anyone pulling a permit must be a CSLB-licensed contractor (B, B-2, or applicable C-license) under Business & Professions Code §7026 et seq., must maintain a $25,000 contractor's bond, and must carry workers' compensation insurance (Labor Code §3700) before SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI) will accept the application.

The city-level overlay includes:

• DBI permits issued under SF Building Code (Title 16 of the Municipal Code), which adopts the 2022 California Building Code with SF amendments.
• SF Planning Code review for any work that touches scope outside a like-for-like interior remodel — including §311 neighborhood notification on residential alterations and §317 demolition controls.
• Discretionary Review (DR) hearings before the Planning Commission when neighbors within 150 feet file a protest.
• Historic Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness (CofA) under Planning Code Articles 10 and 11 for landmark and conservation-district properties.
• SFFD Fire Prevention signoff under SF Fire Code §105 for sprinklers, alarms, and any change of occupancy.

For business operations, the contractor must also register with the SF Treasurer & Tax Collector's Office (a Business Registration Certificate under Business & Tax Regulations Code Article 12), which is a tax registration — not a competency license.

Verify any contractor on the CSLB's online lookup before signing. The CSLB record will show license status, bond, workers' comp coverage, classifications, and any disciplinary history. SF DBI's Permit Tracking System (PTS) lets you confirm the contractor pulled the permit in their own name rather than allowing an unlicensed party to operate under it — a scheme prohibited by B&P Code §7028. SF's regulatory complexity makes contractor selection consequential; a B-licensed firm without SF Planning Code fluency will burn months at intake.