How Much Does a C-36 Plumbing License Cost in California? Every Fee, From the Law Itself

A California C-36 plumbing license costs a $450 application fee and a $200 initial license fee for a sole owner ($350 for a partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture), plus a separate exam fee for each exam paid directly to PSI, fingerprinting, and a $25,000 contractor's bond, which most contractors carry through a surety company. The state sets the application and license fees in the Business and Professions Code. The exam fee is paid to PSI and the fingerprinting cost varies depending on the Live Scan location, so check those when you book.

Here is every cost, where it comes from, and the ones you can avoid.

Key facts

The fees, in the order you pay them

Application fee: $450

You pay it when you file. B&P Code section 7137 sets the application fee for an original license in a single classification at four hundred fifty dollars ($450). CSLB is clear that it is not refundable: the $450 fee is for processing your application, regardless of whether it is accepted.

Adding a second classification on the same original application is $150 more.

Exam fees: paid to PSI, one per exam

You take two exams, the C-36 trade exam and Law and Business. The law says the fee to take an examination run by an outside organization is paid directly to the organization by the applicant, and can be no greater than the actual cost of administering it. CSLB's exam FAQ says the same in plain words: you pay the associated fees directly through PSI, and each exam is a separate fee.

PSI sets the amount, so look it up when you schedule. What matters for your budget is that every attempt is a fee. If you fail an exam, you pay PSI again to reschedule. Miss your appointment, arrive late, or cancel too late, and you forfeit the fee.

Fingerprinting

All license applicants must submit a full set of fingerprints for a criminal background check, compared to California Department of Justice and FBI records. After CSLB receives your application, it sends each person on it instructions on how to submit fingerprints. CSLB says the cost for fingerprints varies depending on the Live Scan location.

Initial license fee: $200 or $350

After you pass, CSLB asks for the initial license fee: $200 for a sole owner or $350 for a non-sole owner, good for two years.

If you are a veteran, read this twice. B&P Code section 7137 tells the board to grant a 50-percent reduction in the initial license fee to an applicant who is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve components, and was not dishonorably discharged. You show it with a driver's license or ID card with the word "Veteran" printed on its face, or your DD214 long form.

The $25,000 bond

An active license needs a $25,000 contractor's bond or cashier's check. CSLB says most contractors carry a bond through a surety company, and some choose to submit a cashier's check instead. Ask more than one surety company for a quote.

You do not need the bond on day one. Candidates who pass their exams receive a Bond and Fee letter in the mail with additional instructions.

Workers' compensation, if it applies

If you hire any employees who reside in California, you need proof of current and valid workers' compensation insurance before the license is issued.

After you are licensed: renewal

An active license for an individual owner renews at four hundred fifty dollars ($450). For a partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture, it is seven hundred dollars ($700). Renew late and you add a delinquency fee equal to 50 percent of the renewal fee.

The cost you can actually control

The fees above are fixed. The one that grows is the number of exam attempts. Every failed exam is another PSI fee, plus at least 21 calendar days before you can retake it. All of it has to fit inside the 18 months your application gives you to pass. If that window closes, the application is void and you start over with a new application and new fees, which means paying the $450 again.

So the cheapest license is the one you pass on the first attempt. For every official exam rule, see C-36 exam facts: what CSLB actually says.

Common questions

How much is the C-36 application fee?

$450 for an original license in a single classification, set by B&P Code section 7137. It is not refundable, even if the application is not accepted.

Is the exam fee included in the $450?

No. B&P Code section 7137 says the exam fee is paid directly to the organization that gives the exam, and CSLB's FAQ says you pay the associated fees directly through PSI, with each exam a separate fee.

How much is the C-36 initial license fee?

$200 for a sole owner and $350 for a partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture. Veterans who were not dishonorably discharged get a 50-percent reduction.

How much is the contractor bond?

The bond amount is $25,000. Most contractors carry the bond through a surety company; some submit a cashier's check instead.

How much does it cost to renew a C-36 license?

$450 for an active license held by an individual owner, or $700 for a partnership, corporation, LLC or joint venture. Late renewal adds a delinquency fee of 50 percent of the renewal fee.

Sources

• California Business and Professions Code: Contractors State License Law
• CSLB, Get Licensed to Build
• CSLB Examinations Frequently Asked Questions
• CSLB, Fast Facts: License Bond

_Last reviewed: 2026-10-15. Every fee above is quoted from the law or CSLB document it cites and checked by code against our stored copy of that document. Lee esta página en español._

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