Do you need a license to work as a plumber in California?

Yes. In California, a plumbing contractor needs a state contractor license from the Contractors State License Board, in the C-36 plumbing classification set by the board’s rules. Acting as a contractor without a license is a misdemeanor. The C-36 classification covers the supply of safe water and the disposal of fluid waste in all structures, including gas piping and gas appliances. This is Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 7028, 7058, 7000.5; Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 832.36.

WhatCalifornia
Plumber licenseC-36 plumbing contractor license (CSLB)

Source

Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 7028, 7058, 7000.5; Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 832.36

Read the statute in the California Codes (California Legislative Information): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

The linked sections open Justia’s free copy of the code, because the state’s own site has no stable address for each section.

Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

A contractor on Seayora keeps each license with its issuing state, its expiry date and the last four digits of its number, and the business is warned before one lapses — on the website and both phone apps. A customer finding a pro on Seayora sees whether a license is on file.

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