If you have a valid contractor license in, Arizona, Nevada or Utah, you may be eligible for a California contractor license without taking the trade portion of the exam.
The CSLB believes that reciprocity among respective licensing programs is a valuable benefit. Therefor specified classifications where practice and licensing requirements are either identical or fundamentally indistinguishable from California qualify for reciprocity. Reciprocity, if you are eligible, can make it much easier to get a license.
REMEMBER – CSLB may waive the Trade portion of the exam, but retains the right to require the Trade exam.
IMPORTANT – When the applicant is granted reciprocity, they are still be required to take the Law and Business portion of CSLB’s Contractor exam.
Reciprocity Exam Requirements:
Reciprocity requirements are the same in each participating state:
- The contractor must be applying for a license in a classification that appears on that state’s Reciprocal Classifications List.
- Also, they must have held an active license in good standing in one of the reciprocal states for the previous five years.
- Submit to CSLB the Request for Verification of License form that is completed by the licensing entity under which he or she already is licensed.
- Finally, complete the Application for Original Contractor’s License.
For example, a C-7 Carpentry license in Arizona corresponds to a C-5 Framing and Rough Carpentry license in California.
The following are the Reciprocal License Classifications for CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, NEVADA, and UTAH.
Contractor State License Boards:
The following four state licensing boards each participate in the reciprocity program.
- California State Contractors License Board.
- Arizona State Contractors Board.
- Nevada State Contractors Board.
- Utah State Contractors Board.
The following are the Reciprocal License Classifications for CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, NEVADA, and UTAH.
| State | Class Code & Description | |
|---|---|---|
| CALIFORNIA | A | GENERAL ENGINEERING |
| Arizona | A | General Engineering |
| Arizona | A-19 | Electrical & Transmission Lines |
| Arizona | KA | Dual Engineering |
| Nevada | A | Electrical & Transmission Lines |
| Nevada | A-19 | Electrical & Transmission Lines |
| CALIFORNIA | B | GENERAL BUILDING |
| Arizona | B | General Residential Contractor |
| Arizona | B-1 | General Residential Contractor |
| Arizona | B-2 | General Small Commercial Contractor |
| Arizona | B-3 | Commercial Re-modeler & Repair Contractor |
| Arizona | C-61 | Limited Remodeling & Repair |
| Arizona | KB-1 | Dual Building Contractor |
| Arizona | KB-2 | Dual Residential & Small Commercial |
| Arizona | L-61 | Carpentry, Remodeling & Repairs |
| Nevada | B | General Building |
| Nevada | B100 | General Building Contractor |
| Nevada | R100 | Residential & Small Commercial Contractor |
| CALIFORNIA | C-4 | BOILER, HOT WATER & STEAM FITTING |
| Arizona | C-4 | Boilers Including Solar |
| Arizona | C-4R | Boilers |
| Arizona | K-4 | Boilers, Steamfitting & Process Piping |
| Arizona | K-74 | Boilers, Steamfitting & Process Piping Including Solar |
| Arizona | L-4 | Boilers, Steamfitting & Process Piping |
| Arizona | L-74 | Boilers, Steamfitting & Process Piping Including Solar |
| Nevada | C-1a | Boilers |
| CALIFORNIA | C-5 | FRAMING & ROUGH CARPENTRY |
| Arizona | C-7 | Carpentry |
| Arizona | K-7 | Carpentry |
| Arizona | K-61 | Carpentry, Remodeling & Repairs |
| Arizona | B-3 | Commercial Remodeler & Repair Contractor |
| Arizona | C-61 | Limited Remodeling & Repair |
| Arizona | L-7 | Carpentry |
| Arizona | L-61 | Carpentry, Remodeling & Repairs |
| Nevada | C-3 | Carpentry, Maintenance & Minor Repairs (excluding C-3c Cabinets & Millwork) |
| Nevada | C-3a | Carpentry, Remodeling & Repairs |
| CALIFORNIA | C-6 | CABINET, MILLWORK & FINISH CARPENTRY |
| Arizona | K-61 | Carpentry, Remodeling & Repairs |
| Nevada | C-3b | Finish Carpentry |
| CALIFORNIA | C-7 | LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEMS |
| Nevada | C-2d | Low Voltage |
| CALIFORNIA | C-8 | CONCRETE |
| Arizona | C-9 | Concrete |
| Arizona | K-9 | Concrete |
| Arizona | L-9 | Concrete |
| Nevada | C-5 | Concrete |
| CALIFORNIA | C-10 | ELECTRICAL |
| Arizona | C-11 | Electrical |
| Arizona | K-11 | Electrical |
| Arizona | L-11 | Electrical |
| CALIFORNIA | C-11 | ELEVATORS |
| Arizona | C-18 | Elevators |
| Arizona | K-12 | Elevators |
| Arizona | L-12 | Elevators |
| Nevada | C-7 | Elevation & Conveyance |
| CALIFORNIA | C-12 | EARTHWORK & PAVING |
| Nevada | A-16 | Paving of Street, Driveways & Parking Lots |
| CALIFORNIA | C-16 | FIRE PROTECTION |
| Arizona | C-16 | Fire Protection Systems |
| Arizona | K-16 | Fire Protection Systems |
| Arizona | L-16 | Fire Protection Systems |
| Nevada | C-41 | Fire Protection |
| Utah | S370 | Fire Suppression Systems Control |
| CALIFORNIA | C-20 | C-20 HVAC – WARM AIR HEATING, VENTILATING & AIR CONDITIONING |
| Arizona | C-39 | Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Including Solar |
| Arizona | C-39R | Air Conditioning & Refrigeration |
| Arizona | K-39 | Air Conditioning & Refrigeration |
| Arizona | K-79 | Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Including Solar |
| Arizona | L-39 | Air Conditioning & Refrigeration |
| Arizona | L-79 | Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Including Solar |
| Nevada | C-1f | Heating Cooling & Circulating Air |
| Nevada | C-21 | Refrigeration & Air Conditioning |
| Utah | S350 | HVAC Contractor |
| CALIFORNIA | C-27 | LANDSCAPING |
| Arizona | A-21 | Landscaping & Irrigation Systems |
| Arizona | K-21 | Landscaping & Irrigation Systems |
| Nevada | C-10 | Landscaping |
| CALIFORNIA | C-29 | MASONRY |
| Arizona | K-31 | Masonry |
| Arizona | L-31 | Masonry |
| Nevada | C-18 | Masonry |
| Utah | S360 | General Masonry Contractor |
| CALIFORNIA | C-33 | PAINTING & DECORATING |
| Nevada | C-4 | Painting & Decorating |
| CALIFORNIA | C-34 | PIPELINE |
| Arizona | C-37R | Sewers, Drains & Pipe Laying |
| Nevada | A-15 | Sewers, Drains & Pipes |
| Nevada | A-19 | Pipeline & Conduits |
| Nevada | A-20 | Industrial Pipeline |
| CALIFORNIA | C-35 | LATHING & PLASTERING |
| Nevada | C-17 | Painting & Decorating |
| CALIFORNIA | C-36 | PLUMBING |
| Arizona | C-37 | Plumbing Including Solar |
| Arizona | C-37R | Plumbing |
| Arizona | K-37 | Plumbing |
| Arizona | K-77 | Plumbing Including Solar |
| Arizona | L-37 | Plumbing |
| Arizona | L-77 | Plumbing Including Solar |
| CALIFORNIA | C-38 | REFRIGERATION |
| Arizona | L-49 | Commerical, Industrial Refrigeration |
| Nevada | S-360 | Refrigeration |
| Utah | S-360 | Refrigeration Contractor |
| CALIFORNIA | C-39 | ROOFING |
| Arizona | C-42 | Roofing |
| Arizona | K-42 | Roofing |
| Arizona | L-42 | Roofing |
| Nevada | C-15 | Roofing & Siding |
| Utah | S-280 | General Roofing Contractor |
| CALIFORNIA | C-42 | SANITATION SYSTEMS |
| Arizona | A-12 | Sewers, Drains & Pipe Laying |
| Nevada | A-15 | Sewers, Drains & Pipes |
| CALIFORNIA | C-43 | SHEET METAL |
| Arizona | C-1e | Sheet Metal |
| Arizona | C-21e | Solar Air Conditioning |
| CALIFORNIA | C-45 | ELECTRICAL SIGN |
| Nevada | C-6 | Masonry |
| Nevada | C-6b | Masonry |
| CALIFORNIA | C-47 | GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING |
| Arizona | C-68 | Mobile Home Remodeling & Repair |
| CALIFORNIA | C-50 | REINFORCING STEEL |
| Arizona | K-62 | Reinforcing Bar & Wire Mesh |
| Arizona | L-62 | Reinforcing Bar & Wire Mesh |
| CALIFORNIA | C-51 | STRUCTURAL STEEL |
| Arizona | A-11 | Steel & Aluminum Erection |
| Arizona | C-17 | Structural Steel & Aluminum |
| Utah | S360 | Steel Erection Contractor |
| CALIFORNIA | C-53 | SWIMMING POOL |
| Arizona | A-9 | Swimming Pools |
| Arizona | A-21 | Swimming Pools, Including Solar |
| Arizona | B-5 | General Swimming Pool Contractor |
| Arizona | B-6 | General Swimming Pool Contractor, Including Solar |
| Arizona | KA-5 | Dual Swimming Pool Contractor |
| Arizona | KA-6 | Dual Swimming Pool Contractor, Including Solar |
| Nevada | A-10 | Swimming Pools |
| CALIFORNIA | C54 | TILE (CERAMIC & MOSAIC) |
| Nevada | C-20 | Masonry |
| Nevada | C-6b | Masonry |
| CALIFORNIA | C-57 | WELL DRILLING |
| Nevada | C-23 | Drilling Wells |