California Reciprocity – Exam Requirements:
If you have a valid contractor license from, Arizona, Nevada or Utah, you may be eligible for a California contractor license without having to take the trade portion of the exam.
the contractor agencies of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah all have formal reciprocity agreements. The CSLB believes that reciprocity among respective licensing programs is a valuable benefit. Thus specified classifications where the practice and licensing requirements are either identical or fundamentally indistinguishable in each state with California qualify for reciprocity, which makes it 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 – If the applicant is granted reciprocity, they will still be required to take the Law & Business portion of CSLB’s exam.
Reciprocity requirements are the same for each state:
- The contractor must be applying for a license in a classification that appears on that state’s Reciprocal Classifications List.
- They also must have held an active license in good standing in one of the reciprocal states for the previous five years.
- As well as submit to CSLB the Request for Verification of License form. (This form must be completed by the licensing entity under which the applicant is already licensed.)
- Then you must complete the Application for Original Contractor’s License.
Reciprocal Classifications List:
The column to the left includes the license class codes and category descriptions for each state. The column to the right lists the corresponding license classification for California. 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.
- California Contractors State License Board.
- Arizona State Contractors Board.
- Nevada State Contractors Board.
- Utah State Contractors Board.
| 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 |