To look up a business license in California, you go to the specific state agency that regulates the profession, or to the city or county for a local business tax certificate. There is no single statewide database that covers every license, so the first step is figuring out which agency issues the license you care about. Once you know that, each agency runs its own free public search tool where you can confirm status, expiration, and, in some cases, disciplinary history.
Start With CalGold if You Don’t Know Which License Applies
If you’re not sure what license a particular business is supposed to hold, California’s CalGold tool is the fastest way to find out. It’s a free state-run permit-assistance tool that identifies which federal, state, and local permits apply to a given business based on its location and industry. You pick a city and a business type from the dropdown menus, and CalGold returns a list of applicable permits along with contact information for each issuing agency.
CalGold itself does not issue licenses or look up individual license numbers. It only tells you which permits a business should have and which agencies to contact. If your business type isn’t listed, search “General Business Information” for the relevant city or county for a general overview. Once you know the agency, go directly to that agency’s search tool.
State Agency License Searches by Profession
State-level licenses are tied to specific professions and industries, and each has its own regulator with its own lookup.
Contractors
The Contractors State License Board runs a “Check a License” tool where you can search by license number, contractor name, or the name of personnel associated with the license. Results show the license status, classification, bond details, and workers’ compensation insurance information, including the surety company that issued the contractor’s $25,000 bond, the bond number, and workers’ comp policy details with expiration dates.
This is one of the most detailed public license records in the state. Open the full detail page rather than stopping at “active” status. A contractor whose workers’ comp policy expired last month is a warning sign even if the license itself is still current.
Real Estate Agents and Brokers
The California Department of Real Estate has a public license lookup that accepts a licensee’s name, company name, or license ID number. It confirms whether an agent or broker holds a current license and shows license history. You can narrow results by mailing address city if a common name returns too many matches.
Other Regulated Professions
The California Department of Consumer Affairs oversees roughly 255 professions through its boards and bureaus, covering accountants, architects, veterinarians, vocational nurses, and many more. The DCA runs a unified license search that spans all of these boards. Each record shows whether a license is current or expired and flags any disciplinary action such as suspension or revocation.
Some DCA boards also use an online system called BreEZe. Whether you go through the main DCA search page or a specific board’s BreEZe portal, you’ll reach the same underlying records.
Liquor Licenses
The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control maintains its own lookup for bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and any other business that sells alcohol. You can search by license number, licensee’s name, business address, or the business’s DBA name. This is the tool to use when you want to see the license type a restaurant holds or check whether a nearby establishment is properly licensed.
Insurance Agents and Brokers
The California Department of Insurance offers a license status inquiry tool for agents, brokers, adjusters, bail agents, and business entities. Search by license number or name; results include license status and discipline history. A policy sold by an unlicensed agent can create serious problems if you ever need to file a claim, so this one is worth the two minutes.
Seller’s Permits
Businesses that sell tangible goods need a seller’s permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. CDTFA’s online verification tool covers seller’s permits, cigarette and tobacco retailer’s licenses, and eWaste accounts. Not every permit type is available through the public search, but most standard seller’s permits are.
Business Entity Records at the Secretary of State
The California Secretary of State’s bizfile Online tool lets you search for corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships registered in the state. You can search by entity name or entity number. Results include the entity’s status, formation date, agent for service of process, and links to filed documents.
One point trips people up: being registered with the Secretary of State is not the same as holding a business license. Entity registration means the business has filed its formation documents. It does not confirm that the business holds the professional or local licenses it needs to actually operate. Registration tells you the business legally exists; a license search tells you it’s authorized to do the work.
The status codes on bizfile Online carry real meaning. “Active” means the entity is authorized to do business. “FTB Suspended” or “FTB Forfeited” means the Franchise Tax Board shut down the entity’s powers for failing to file returns or pay taxes. “SOS Suspended” or “SOS Forfeited” means the Secretary of State suspended the entity for not filing required Statements of Information. “Dissolved” means the entity has wound down voluntarily. Anything other than “Active” means the business has lost its legal authority to operate.
Local Business Tax Certificates
Most California cities and counties require businesses operating within their borders to hold a local business tax certificate, sometimes called a business license or business permit. These are separate from any state-level professional license. A licensed contractor still needs a local business tax certificate in each city where they work.
To look one up, you need the specific city or county where the business operates, then check that jurisdiction’s website. Larger cities typically have online search portals through their finance departments or business license divisions. Smaller jurisdictions may not offer online lookup, in which case call or email the city clerk’s office or local licensing department.
Local records generally show less than state records. Expect the business name, address, license status, and expiration date, but not the disciplinary history or bond information you’d get from a state agency.
When a Business Uses a Different Name (DBAs)
If a business operates under a name different from its legal name, it must file a Fictitious Business Name statement, commonly called a DBA. These records are maintained at the county level by the county clerk or registrar-recorder in the county where the business is located.
This matters when your bizfile Online search comes up empty. The business may be operating under a DBA while registered with the state under a completely different legal name. Check the county clerk’s records where the business operates, find the legal entity behind the trade name, and then run that legal name through the state searches.
How to Read the Results
Finding the record is half the job. Interpreting it is the other half.
License Status
Every tool displays a status, and the terminology varies. DCA shows licenses as “current,” “expired,” or flagged with disciplinary action like suspension or revocation. CSLB uses similar categories. The Secretary of State uses “Active,” “Suspended,” “Forfeited,” “Dissolved,” and related codes.
Anything other than “active” or “current” is a warning. An expired license might mean the holder simply hasn’t renewed yet. A suspended or revoked license means the state has taken enforcement action, and you should not hire that business.
Disciplinary Actions
State licensing boards publish disciplinary actions as part of the public record. Enforcement ranges from citations for minor violations to formal accusations charging serious misconduct, up through license revocation. A citation is generally a lower-level action; an accusation is a formal legal document alleging violations of the licensing laws. Both appear on the public record.
A single old citation isn’t necessarily disqualifying. A pattern of complaints or a recent suspension is. Read the dates and the nature of each entry, not just whether entries exist.
Bond and Insurance Details
For contractors, the CSLB license detail page shows the $25,000 surety bond information, including the surety company, bond number, and effective date. It also shows workers’ compensation status with the carrier name, policy number, and expiration date. If you hire a contractor who lacks workers’ comp coverage and someone gets injured on your property, you could face personal liability. Checking these details takes thirty seconds.
What to Do if a License Is Missing or Invalid
If your search shows a business is operating without a valid license, your response depends on the license type.
For contractors, file a complaint directly with the CSLB through its online complaint form. The board also accepts complaints against people practicing contracting without any license at all. For other DCA-regulated professions, each board accepts complaints about unlicensed or improperly licensed activity. Start at the DCA’s main website or go directly to the specific board that regulates the profession.
As a general rule, if you find the problem before any work has started, walk away and find a properly licensed alternative. If you’ve already paid and then discover the provider was unlicensed, document everything. California law gives you significant leverage against unlicensed contractors: you’re not legally required to pay someone who performs contracting work without a state license, and they can’t sue you for nonpayment. That protection is one of the strongest reasons to run the search before you sign anything.