Contractor Resource Blog

Contractor Hat Full of Money

Contractor License Bonds Increase January 1, 2023

Update: This increase is now in effect. Since January 1, 2023, the California Contractor License Bond and the Bond of Qualifying Individual have both been $25,000 (SB 607). LLC licenses also need a separate $100,000 LLC Employee/Worker Bond.

Effective January 1, 2023, the Contractors State License Board of California (CSLB) will increase a contractor license bond from $15,000 to $25,000 as detailed in Senate Bill 607.  The increase applies to the contractor license bond (from $15,000 to $25,000) and the bond of qualifying individual (from $12,500 to $25,000)

To get your Contractor Bond Quote: Get a California Contractor Bond Quote

Bond questions? Call 530.320.3617.

Copy of the CSLB bulletin below:

September 30, 2022

CSLB Reminds Licensees of Contractor’s Bond Increase to $25,000 Sacramento, CA – The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is reminding all licensees that the contractor’s bond amount is increasing to $25,000 on January 1, 2023.

CSLB first publicized this increase in December 2021. The increase is the result of Senate Bill 607, which was signed into law in 2021. The increase applies to the contractor license bond (from $15,000 to $25,000) and the bond of qualifying individual (from $12,500 to $25,000). CSLB distributed notices to 203 surety companies on September 28, 2022, with instructions for automatically increasing all licenses’ bonds and bonds of qualifying individuals currently on file with CSLB.

If you are a licensed contractor, your surety company or broker should contact you soon to inform you of any changes to your bond premium.

You can also contact your surety company directly to ensure they have returned documentation to CSLB to increase your bond. If you know the name of your surety company, you can look up their contact information here. The name and contact information of your surety is also on your bond agreement itself or your broker can provide it.

Questions about any increase to your bond premium must be directed to your broker or surety company and not CSLB. Revised contractor bond and bond of qualifying individual forms with the new bond amounts will be available to the sureties in December 2022.

The increase occurred in part due to a license bond study CSLB conducted as required by Business and Professions Code section 7071.6. The study determined that the current $15,000 amount of the contractor bond is not sufficient and an increase may be necessary.

To get your Contractor Bond Quote: Get a California Contractor Bond Quote

Bond questions? Call 530.320.3617.

Get listed free in Find a Contractor

Licensed and insured? Claim your free Verified listing so homeowners can see you’re the real deal.

  • Free, with no strings. Never tied to buying anything.
  • Your Verified badge shows homeowners you’re licensed and insured
  • Get listed early, before the public directory opens in 2027

You’ll need your contractor license number and your general liability certificate of insurance from any insurance company.

Claim Your Free Verified Listing

Leave a Comment

NEED HELP FINDING RESOURCES TO FIT YOUR NEEDS?

Please reach out to us with specific questions so we can help steer you in the right direction. We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision about the contracting resources available to you in the market today.