STATE LICENSE
RequiredContractors State License Board (CSLB)
C-33 Painting and Decorating is a full CSLB classification, not an exempt trade. The scope is broad: preparing surfaces by scraping, sandblasting or other means, and applying paints, papers, textures, fabrics, pigments, oils, varnishes, shellacs, stains, fillers, waxes, adhesives and other mediums that adhere by evaporation, for decorating, protecting, fireproofing and waterproofing.
The regulatory weight in California painting sits in lead. EPA administers the Renovation, Repair and Painting rule directly in California — the state is not one of the fifteen EPA-authorised programmes — so any paid work disturbing painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes, childcare facilities and preschools requires firm certification and certified renovators. California layers its own Department of Public Health lead-related construction certification on top, at $135 per certificate or renewal and $70 per state certification exam.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Painting is licensed only at state level; no California city or county issues a painting trade licence. Where a permit is required, B&P § 7031.5 obliges the building department to collect a signed statement of the licence number or exemption basis. Local air districts separately regulate the volatile organic compound content of architectural coatings and may restrict sandblasting, and cities levy business tax certificates.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every California county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of September 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
California is not an EPA-authorised RRP state, so EPA runs the federal renovation programme here directly. The CDPH lead-related construction certification is a separate California requirement with its own exams and fees — holding one does not satisfy the other.
The classification text expressly includes preparing surfaces 'by scraping, sandblasting or other means'. Surface prep is licensed painting work, not an unlicensed adjunct to it.
CDPH set the fee at $135 for each certificate or renewal and $70 before each state certification exam effective July 1, 2020, and those are the amounts still published.
A practical sequence for a new painting contractor in California. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
A misdemeanor with escalating penalties: up to $5,000 and/or six months on a first conviction, and a fine of 20 percent of the contract price plus at least 90 days in jail on a second.
The customer of an unlicensed painter may bring an action to recover all compensation paid, and the painter may not sue for anything still owed.
The registrar issues citations with orders of abatement for unlicensed painting activity independent of any criminal prosecution.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on September 2026.
Pending verification: The EPA RRP firm certification fee and its validity period — not stated on the EPA programme page loaded · Which specific CDPH certification types (worker, supervisor, inspector, project monitor) a painting contractor needs, and the regulation section governing them — the CDPH landing page links these to separate pages not loaded · Whether CDPH lead certification is legally required for all pre-1978 repaint work or only for defined abatement activities · Local air district architectural coating and sandblasting rules — set independently by each district
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.