California's contractor licensing board ran 39 undercover stings and jobsite sweeps this fall and came away with 73 enforcement actions against people working without a license, according to a Nov. 2 release from the Contractors State License Board (via CSLB). The work was California's share of a national push organized by the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies, or NASCLA.
The sting side of the operation ran in three California counties, which CSLB didn't name. Investigators posted ads for construction projects, then met the people who answered at set locations and let them bid. The jobs on the table ranged from $1,100 to $35,000.
Those stings produced 25 misdemeanor Notices to Appear for unlicensed contracting and illegal advertising, 10 administrative citations, and 6 cases referred to district attorneys.
CSLB also sent investigators to 182 jobsites across 18 counties to check licenses on the spot. That side of the effort turned up 11 more referrals to district attorneys, 13 citations to licensed contractors, 6 citations to people without a license, and 2 letters of admonishment. Investigators also issued 11 stop work orders and 20 advisory notices.
The board said people who were cited also got information on how to get licensed and come into compliance.
CSLB Registrar David Fogt said in the release that unlicensed activity often crosses state lines and that NASCLA's coordinated effort "sends a unified message" about the consequences.
NASCLA says its 2026 National Coordinated Enforcement Effort ran Oct. 12-23 and included 15 regulatory agencies from 13 states and Washington, D.C. (North Carolina had two agencies taking part). The other states were Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Across the country, agencies made more than 3,900 jobsite and residential visits (NASCLA via PR Newswire).
Other states have posted their own numbers. Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation reported 1,975 site visits, 1,300 license checks and 55 unlicensed-activity cases during the same two weeks. Michigan's licensing agency inspected nine electrical and plumbing jobsites and reported full compliance on apprentice ratios.
California's 2026 numbers came in lower than last year's. In its 2025 round, CSLB reported 119 legal actions and 454 site visits, compared with 73 actions and 182 site visits this time.
Under California law, you can't bid on or contract for a job without a license if the project needs a building permit, uses employees, or adds up to $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials.
The penalties can sting. CSLB says a first misdemeanor conviction for contracting without a license can bring up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000, and administrative fines run from $200 to $15,000. A second offense carries a mandatory 90-day jail term and a fine of 20% of the contract price or $5,000. Contracting without a license in a declared disaster area, or using someone else's license, can be charged as a felony. Customers also aren't legally required to pay an unlicensed contractor.
The board also warned homeowners that unlicensed operators often don't carry workers' compensation or insurance, which can leave the property owner on the hook if someone gets hurt or something gets damaged.
Anyone can check a license or report unlicensed activity at cslb.ca.gov or by calling 1-800-321-CSLB (2752).
Why it matters for Contractors
If you're licensed in California, you're the one getting underbid by people who skip the license, the insurance and the workers' comp. Crackdowns like this one won't clear every unlicensed operator out of your market, but they do put real cases in front of district attorneys, and that's worth knowing when a homeowner tells you somebody else quoted half your price.
A few practical things for small shops. Keep your license number on your ads, bids, trucks and website, since advertising rules are part of what CSLB enforces. Check the license of every sub you bring onto a job before they start; if a sub's license or workers' comp isn't in order, your job could be the one that gets a stop work order. And when you lose a bid to a price that doesn't make sense, it's fair to point the customer to the CSLB license lookup.