CSLB Online License Renewal: Who Can Renew Online and Who Cannot
The CSLB offers a fully online renewal that updates your license record immediately, with no paperwork to post. The catch is that it is only open to some licensees, and the rules on who qualifies have changed since the service launched.
Who can renew online
Online renewal is available to licensed entities with one qualifier.
When it first launched in April 2020 it was limited to sole ownerships without a Responsible Managing Employee. It has since been opened up, so a corporation or LLC with a single qualifier can now use it too.
Once the payment goes through you are done. There is nothing further to submit and the license record updates straight away.
Who cannot
Any license with multiple qualifiers still has to mail or hand deliver a completed renewal form together with the payment.
There is still no option to pay those renewal fees online and post the form separately. Payment and form go in together, by mail or in person, and it goes through standard processing times.
If that applies to you, build in the extra time. A form that arrives after your expiration date means delinquency fees, and any work carried out while the licence is expired is treated as unlicensed work.
What you will need to have ready
Two things now sit inside the renewal process that catch people out.
If you hold a valid certificate of workers compensation insurance, you have to certify the three workers compensation classification codes carrying the highest estimated payroll on your policy. If your policy lists fewer than three, you provide all of them. The codes are on your policy documents, so have them onhand before you start.
If you have unpaid Industry Expert fees from the Enforcement Division, those have to be settled as part of your renewal. They will appear in the renewal portal if you owe them.
A note for active duty military
The CSLB waives renewal fees for a license expiring while the licensee is called to active duty with the US Armed Forces or the California National Guard, subject to meeting certain requirements. It is worth asking about rather than assuming it does not apply.
Home Improvement Salespersons
HIS registrations can also be renewed online, with the registration updated immediately on completion.
Timing
The CSLB usually mails the renewal application around 60 days before expiration. If yours has not arrived within 45 days of the expiration date, order one rather than waiting for it.
Questions about your renewal?
If you are unsure whether your entity qualifies for online renewal, or your renewal is running close to the expiration date, we can help you get it in cleanly.
Call us on (800) 580-8129 for a free consultation, or get in touch and we will talk it through.
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