California CSLB classification
The lowest barrier to a real contracting business. Classes, paperwork, bonding and business setup handled by one team, in English or Spanish.
✓ Licensed in as little as 90 days. Payment plans available. Se habla español.
What the license covers
The C-33 classification covers applying paints, coatings, stains, varnishes and wall coverings to surfaces, including the surface preparation, masking, and protective work that goes with it.
Homeowners, property managers, general contractors, apartment owners, and commercial facilities.
C-33 has one of the lowest equipment costs of any classification, which makes it a common first license. It is also a trade where volume work — apartment turns, tract housing, commercial repaints — rewards a licensed contractor who can carry insurance and hold contracts.
CSLB requirements
Four years of journeyman-level experience in painting and decorating work, verified by someone who can attest to it. Apprenticeship, technical training and certain degrees can substitute for up to three of those years.
You'll also need a valid Social Security number or ITIN to file the application.
The CSLB Law & Business exam, plus the C-33 trade exam. Both are taken at a CSLB testing center.
Live Scan is required for every applicant and qualifier. Prior convictions don't automatically disqualify you, but they must be disclosed.
Filed with the CSLB before your license is issued. You pay an annual premium to a surety, not the full bond amount.
As of 2026 nearly all licensees must carry workers' comp coverage, including many contractors who previously qualified for the no-employee exemption.
Course options
Every course covers the Law & Business exam and your C-33 trade exam, updated for 2026 code.
8-week online
$895
For contractors who already know the trade and want to test fast.
Most students pick this
4-month online
$1,195
The balance of time and coaching that gets the most people licensed.
7-month online
$1,495
For anyone working full time who needs room to study around the job.
Payment plans available on every course. Not sure which fits? Call and we'll tell you straight.
Related classifications
Most contractors end up holding more than one. These are the classifications that most often sit alongside a C-33.
See all 44 CSLB classifications →
Straight answers
Surface preparation incidental to a painting contract is within scope. A standalone pressure-washing contract with no painting is generally not contracting work requiring a license.
For pre-1978 housing, federal RRP rules require lead-safe certification separate from your CSLB license. CSLB does not issue it — it comes through EPA or the California Department of Public Health.
Patching incidental to a paint job is fine. Contracting for drywall as its own scope is C-9.
Most students are licensed in about three months. The timeline depends on how quickly you finish the course, when you schedule your exams, and current CSLB processing times.
Yes. We complete and file everything — the application, experience verification, bond and insurance documentation. Incomplete applications are the number one cause of delay, so we check every line before it's submitted.
Sí. Todo nuestro equipo es bilingüe. Las clases, la ayuda con la aplicación y todas las actualizaciones están disponibles en español.
Ready when you are
A C-33 lets you pull permits, take jobs over $1,000, and bid the painting and decorating work you're already good enough to do. Thirty thousand contractors have done it with us.
