# Official Source Registry - CSLB Law & Business

Last verified: 2026-08-01

| ID | Authority | Source and claim scope | Currency/status | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S01 | Exam authority | CSLB, *Law and Business Examination Study Guide*: seven domains, weights, format, test strategy, named resources | For exams on/after 2021-12-01; publisher line 03-2026; checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/StudyGuides/LawStudyGuide.pdf> |
| S02 | Exam authority | CSLB, Studying for the Examination: Law & Business scope and basic reference | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/contractors/applicants/contractors_license/exam_application/Studying_For_Exam.aspx> |
| S03 | Compiled CSLB reference | *California Contractors License Law & Reference Book, 2023 Edition*: compiled statutes, regulations, licensing and enforcement context | Historical compiled edition; current sources control drift | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/GuidesAndPublications/2023/CSLB-2023-Law-and-Reference-Book.pdf> |
| S04 | Statutory authority | California Business and Professions Code, Contractors State License Law, Chapter 9 | Current code checked 2026-08-01 | <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml?tocCode=BPC&division=3.&title=&part=&chapter=9.&article=> |
| S05 | Licensing authority | CSLB bond requirements: $25,000 contractor bond and qualifier-bond conditions | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/contractors/maintain_license/bond_information/bond_requirements.aspx> |
| S06 | Licensing authority | CSLB renewal: active license two years; inactive license four years | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/contractors/maintain_license/renew_license/general_renewal_information.aspx> |
| S07 | Licensing authority | CSLB personnel changes: qualifier notice/replacement within 90 days and limited extension | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Maintain_License/Change_In_Personnel.aspx> |
| S08 | Licensing authority | CSLB license issuance: bond, workers' compensation filing/exemption conditions, and active/inactive boundaries | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Applicants/Contractors_License/Exam_Application/Issuing_My_License.aspx> |
| S09 | Contract authority | CSLB home-improvement contracts: written terms, progress payments, $1,000-or-10% down-payment cap, written change orders | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Hire_A_Contractor/Home_Improvement_Contracts/What_Is_A_Contract.aspx> |
| S10 | Contract authority | CSLB contract warnings/exceptions: three-day cancellation baseline and five-day senior rule with scope | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Hire_A_Contractor/Home_Improvement_Contracts/Warnings_And_Exceptions.aspx> |
| S11 | Lien authority | CSLB mechanics-lien prevention: preliminary notice, releases, 90/60/30-day recording windows | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/consumers/legal_issues_for_consumers/mechanics_lien/How_To_Prevent_A_Mechanics_Lien.aspx> |
| S12 | Statutory authority | California BPC 7048 minor-work exemption: under $1,000 aggregate with conditions, effective 2026 | Current code checked 2026-08-01 | <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7048.> |
| S13 | Employment/tax authority | EDD California Employer's Guide DE 44: registration, payroll-tax reporting, withholding, records | Revision 52 (04-2026), checked 2026-08-01 | <https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/pdf_pub_ctr/de44.pdf> |
| S14 | Employment authority | EDD reporting requirements: new or rehired employees within 20 calendar days | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://edd.ca.gov/en/payroll_Taxes/Reporting_Requirements> |
| S15 | Federal tax authority | IRS Publication 15 (2026): federal payroll deposits, lookback schedules, $100,000 next-day rule | 2026 edition checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.irs.gov/publications/p15> |
| S16 | Wage authority | California DLSE overtime FAQ: general 8-hour/day and 40-hour/week baseline, subject to exceptions | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_overtime.htm> |
| S17 | Wage authority | California DLSE meal-period FAQ: first meal by end of fifth hour and conditional waivers | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FAQ_MealPeriods.html> |
| S18 | Insurance authority | DWC employer FAQ: workers' compensation required when employing one or more employees | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.dir.ca.gov/DWC/faqs.html> |
| S19 | Public-works authority | DIR contractor registration: eligibility, $400 per year, fiscal-year term, registration before bidding/working | April 2026 page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/Contractor-Registration.html> |
| S20 | Public-works authority | DIR public-works FAQ: $25,000 construction and $15,000 maintenance registration exemption thresholds; prevailing-wage baseline above $1,000 | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/PublicWorksSB854FAQ.html> |
| S21 | Safety regulation | Cal/OSHA Title 8 section 3203: written IIPP, inspections, correction, training, and records | Current regulation checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3203.html> |
| S22 | Safety regulation | Cal/OSHA Title 8 section 342: serious injury/illness or death reporting as soon as practical, no later than eight hours | Current regulation checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/342.html> |
| S23 | Safety authority | Cal/OSHA construction-employer guide: applicable safety-order families and administrative duties | Live guide checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/Construction-guide-summary.html> |
| S24 | Applicant survey | CSLB September 2025 board packet: 2024-25 survey response rate and reported use of study guides, Law Book, website, and classes | Official board packet checked 2026-08-01; self-selected 11% response rate | <https://web.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/BoardPackets/2025/Sept5Packet_Electronic.pdf> |
| S25 | Compiled CSLB reference | *California Contractors License Law & Reference Book, 2026 Edition*: current licensing, enforcement, home-improvement, and statutory reference | 2026 edition checked 2026-08-01; live statute controls if a later operative date differs | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/GuidesAndPublications/2026/2026_CSLB_Law_Book.pdf> |
| S26 | Applicant/licensing authority | Current original-license application: fees, entity/qualifier positions, four-in-ten experience, RME 32-hour/80-percent rule, workers' compensation, LLC bonds and liability insurance | Revision 01-2026 checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/FormsAndApplications/ApplicationForOriginalContractorsLicense.pdf> |
| S27 | Applicant/licensing authority | CSLB Before Applying: minor-work exemption, penalties, qualifier duties, multiple-license conditions, out-of-state applicants | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Applicants/Contractors_License/Exam_Application/Before_Applying_For_License.aspx> |
| S28 | Exam authority | CSLB Examination FAQ: PSI scheduling, 18-month eligibility, Spanish versions, translators, and accommodations | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/About_us/Examination_FAQ.aspx> |
| S29 | Classification authority | CSLB descriptions of A, B, B-2, and C classifications and the B/B-2 scope restrictions | May 2025 publication checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/GuidesAndPublications/DescriptionClassifications_ENG0525_ADA.pdf> |
| S30 | Licensing authority | CSLB fingerprint, conviction, substantial-relationship, and rehabilitation review criteria | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_Us/faqs/fingerprint_q_and_a.aspx> |
| S31 | Bond authority | CSLB contractor-license bond guide: purpose, eligible claimants, $25,000 amount, and bond-versus-insurance distinction | Live publication checked 2026-08-01 | <https://cslb.ca.gov/Resources/GuidesAndPublications/ContractorsLicenseBondsGuide.pdf> |
| S32 | Contract statute | Current BPC 7159: over-$500 home-improvement contract threshold, required content/type sizes, progress payments, down payment, and cancellation notices | Current code checked 2026-08-01 | <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7159> |
| S33 | HIS statute | Current BPC 7152: HIS definition, one-or-more contractor rule, identification duty, and exemptions | Effective 2026-01-01; checked 2026-08-01 | <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7152.> |
| S34 | Asbestos authority | CSLB asbestos certification: initial-license open-book awareness exam versus C-22/certification and DOSH requirements for asbestos-related work | Live page checked 2026-08-01 | <https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classifications/ASB_-_Asbestos_Certification.aspx> |

## Claim-status notes

- **Confirmed:** CSLB publishes seven approximate weights totaling 100%: 13/15/20/12/21/5/14. The test is closed-book, four-choice, one-best-answer, may include calculations, provides a calculator, and has no guessing penalty. [S01]
- **Confirmed:** current CSLB pages state a $25,000 contractor bond, two-year active-license renewal, and a 90-day qualifier notification/replacement period. [S05-S07]
- **Confirmed:** the home-improvement down payment cap is the lesser of $1,000 or 10% and written change orders are required before changed work. [S09]
- **Confirmed:** under the 2026 BPC 7048 rule, the minor-work exemption is below $1,000 aggregate and disappears when a permit is required, workers are employed, contractor status is advertised, or work is split to evade the law. [S12]
- **Confirmed:** current official employment, public-works, and safety pages support the numeric triggers taught in this guide. [S13-S23]
- **Confirmed:** the original-license application still lists $450 application, $200 sole-owner initial, and $350 non-sole-owner initial fees; experience is four journey-level years within the preceding ten, and an RME works at least 32 hours or 80 percent of operating hours, whichever is less. [S26]
- **Confirmed:** CSLB examination eligibility expires after 18 months if the required examination or examinations are not passed. Passing-result and waiver rules should not be collapsed into a generic five-year extension. [S28]
- **Confirmed:** a written home-improvement contract is required when the aggregate price exceeds $500, which is distinct from the under-$1,000 minor-work license exemption. [S12, S32]
- **Confirmed:** as of July 1, 2026, the current unlicensed administrative citation range is $1,500 to $15,000; older $200-minimum material is stale. [S04]
- **Confirmed survey result, not causal proof:** among 1,653 recently licensed respondents, 57% used CSLB study guides, 59% used the Law Book, 61% attended a school/class, and 65% of attendees rated it useful; response rate was 11%. [S24]
- **Derived practice:** markup, margin, break-even, current-ratio, labor-burden, and cash-flow drills are transparent arithmetic mapped to the S01 Business Finances domain; they are not statutory claims.
- **Unknown:** CSLB does not publish the operational question count or passing score in S01. The app uses 25- and 50-question practice sets only as learning formats.
- **User check:** compare the resources and instructions on the Notice to Appear against S01 before exam day.