Can You Get a California Contractor License With a Felony?

A felony does not automatically bar a California contractor license. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) examines the actual conviction, its timing and its relationship to contractor duties when reviewing an initial application. Someone who already holds a license faces a different question: a covered conviction may trigger a written report to CSLB and a separate disciplinary review. The charge or record alone cannot predict the result. (Business and Professions Code section 480; CSLB criminal-background guidance)

If you are applying for your first CSLB license

Under section 480, a conviction can support denial only if it is substantially related to the qualifications, functions or duties of the licensed work and fits a statutory timing ground. The usual grounds are a conviction within seven years before the application, current incarceration for the crime, or release from incarceration for it within those seven years. An old conviction is not automatically irrelevant: the ordinary seven-year limit does not apply to specified serious felonies, specified registration offenses, or a financial crime currently classified as a felony that is directly and adversely related to a contractor’s fiduciary duties under CSLB’s regulation. “Currently classified” describes the offense’s legal classification, not when the conviction occurred. (Section 480(a)(1); 16 CCR section 868.1 in CSLB’s 2026 law book)

CSLB does not treat every felony alike. Its substantial-relationship rule considers the offense’s nature and gravity, how much time has passed, and a contractor’s duties. Examples include contractor-law violations, certain dishonest or violent conduct, and substantial or repeated disregard for public safety. These are categories for review, not automatic denials. Rehabilitation evidence also matters; CSLB’s criteria examine the actual sentence, compliance with probation or parole, elapsed time and later conduct. No single waiting period guarantees a license. (16 CCR sections 868 and 869 in CSLB’s 2026 law book)

The current CSLB initial application does not ask applicants to list convictions. CSLB nevertheless requires fingerprints and checks Department of Justice and FBI records. It may ask for mitigating information about criminal history, but section 480(f)(2) makes that disclosure voluntary and bars treating a decision not to submit it as a negative factor. Answer the actual application’s other required questions accurately, including questions about prior license discipline, and read any individual CSLB request before responding. An arrest or pending charge is not itself a conviction; a proposed plea can change the analysis. (CSLB original application, revised January 2026; section 480(d), (f) and (h))

A certificate of rehabilitation, pardon, qualifying showing of rehabilitation, or qualifying dismissal can protect an applicant from denial based on that conviction or its underlying acts under section 480(b)–(c). Bring the actual order: for certain dismissals, the applicant must provide proof if the Department of Justice report does not show it. Record relief does not waive the other requirements for a contractor license or necessarily remove the record from the fingerprint response. (Section 480(b)–(c); CSLB guidance)

If you already have a contractor license

The reporting rule is specific. A licensee must report in writing to the CSLB registrar within 90 days after learning of the licensee’s conviction for any felony, or for another crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions and duties of a licensed contractor. That is not a rule to report every arrest or every misdemeanor, and the clock is not simply the next renewal date. Check the conviction record, when the licensee learned of it, and any CSLB correspondence promptly. (Business and Professions Code section 7071.18(a))

Reporting and discipline are separate. A substantially related conviction is a ground for CSLB disciplinary action, but a felony label alone does not automatically suspend or revoke the license. The existing-license rule permits action on a qualifying conviction after the statutory conviction stage, even if a later dismissal is obtained; that differs from section 480’s protections for an initial applicant. (Sections 7123 and 490)

What should you bring for a case review?

Bring the charging paper or proposed plea, the exact judgment and offense, conviction and custody or release dates, any relief order, and proof relevant to rehabilitation. Also bring the current CSLB application or license number and every Board letter or notice. If CSLB denies an application, read the actual notice: the section 485(b) notice route gives 60 days after service to request a hearing in writing. For a denial based on a substantially related crime, section 7073 requires an earliest reapplication date; it also permits a probationary license in place of denial. Do not assume an informal inquiry starts the hearing-request deadline. (Sections 485 and 7073)

The Law Offices of David S. Chesley can discuss the California criminal charge or proposed plea and its possible licensing consequences. If a CSLB application or disciplinary proceeding is active, ask about coordinating with separate licensing counsel. Call (800) 755-5174.