California CSLB classification
Commercial refrigeration pays better than residential HVAC. 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-38 classification covers constructing, fabricating, installing, maintaining and repairing refrigeration systems — compressors, condensers, evaporators, refrigerant piping, walk-ins, and cold storage equipment.
Restaurants, grocery stores, cold storage facilities, food processors, and commercial property managers.
Refrigeration failures are emergencies with inventory on the line, which supports both premium service rates and maintenance contracts.
CSLB requirements
Four years of journeyman-level experience in refrigeration 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-38 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-38 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-38.
See all 44 CSLB classifications →
Straight answers
Contractors serving restaurants, grocery and food service usually want both. C-20 covers comfort heating and cooling, C-38 covers refrigeration.
Yes, separately. EPA Section 608 certification is a federal requirement for handling refrigerants and is not issued by CSLB.
Yes. Ice machine installation and service is within the refrigeration scope.
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-38 lets you pull permits, take jobs over $1,000, and bid the refrigeration work you're already good enough to do. Thirty thousand contractors have done it with us.
