How to Vet Contractor Licensing (CSLB, DOB, NYC-DOS, etc.) (2026)
Licensing is jurisdictional — a California CSLB license is worthless in Nevada. This six-step vet works across all 76 jurisdictions AskBaily operates in and catches the three most common cross-jurisdiction scams.
Step 1: Identify the correct licensing authority for the PROJECT location (not the contractor's home base)
California = CSLB (cslb.ca.gov). Arizona = ROC (roc.az.gov). Texas = TDLR (tdlr.texas.gov) plus municipal registration (Austin BDS, Dallas Code Compliance, Houston PW&E). Florida = DBPR (myfloridalicense.com). NYC = NYC DOB + NYC DCWP (home-improvement specialty). New York state ex-NYC = DOS Division of Licensing. Washington = L&I (lni.wa.gov). Ontario = HCRA (hcraontario.ca). Full 76-jurisdiction directory at /for-pros/requirements.
Step 2: Confirm the license is Active and the class matches the project scope
CSLB class B = general building. Class A = general engineering (not for residential). Specialty classes C-36 (plumbing), C-10 (electrical), C-20 (HVAC), C-39 (roofing). A C-36 plumber cannot legally bid a full kitchen remodel — they can only do the plumbing portion. Confirm class matches scope. Reject any status other than Active.
Step 3: Check bond amount against the jurisdiction minimum
CA CSLB = $25K contractor's license bond. AZ ROC = up to $15K by tier. WA L&I = $12K. NV NSCB = $1K-$500K by monetary-limit tier. Bond amounts on file at the authority's lookup portal. A contractor quoting a $200K project with a $5K bond is either bonded at the wrong tier or not legally allowed to bid at that size.
Step 4: Check workers' compensation status
42 of 50 US states require workers' comp for contractors with any paid crew. CA, AZ, NV, WA, OR, NY all mandatory. Exception: TX makes workers' comp optional, but the homeowner becomes directly liable for any crew injury on-site. CSLB portal shows workers' comp status as 'Active' or 'Exempt' — Exempt is acceptable ONLY if the GC works solo with zero paid help.
Step 5: Search the disciplinary history section
Every public license lookup has a disciplinary-action or complaints section. A single resolved complaint from 5 years ago is acceptable. A pattern of unresolved complaints, open disciplinary actions, or a recent disgorgement order is a walk-away signal. CSLB's 'Actions' tab shows these. NYC DOB's 'Violations' tab does the same.
Step 6: Screenshot the verification page on the date of contract signing
License status can change mid-project — a suspension or revocation mid-build is legal grounds to terminate without penalty. The screenshot proves the license was Active when the contract was signed. Save it with the contract in your project folder.
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Baily is named after Francis Baily — an English stockbroker who retired at 51, became an astronomer, and in 1836 described something on the edge of a solar eclipse that nobody had properly articulated before: a string of bright beads of sunlight breaking through the valleys along the moon’s rim.
He wasn’t the first to see them. Edmond Halley saw them in 1715 and barely noticed. Baily’s contribution was clarity — describing exactly what was happening, in plain language, so vividly that the whole field of astronomy paid attention. The phenomenon is still called Baily’s beads.
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