CSLB Certification of Work Experience: How to Complete the Form
Updated November 1, 2026
The Certification of Work Experience is how CSLB decides whether the qualifier has the experience for the license. CSLB says an incomplete form sends the application back for correction, so it is worth slowing down on this one.
What you have to prove
At least four years of experience in the classification you are applying for, obtained within the last 10 years, at one of these levels:
- Journeyman: a fully qualified worker who can perform the trade without supervision, or someone who completed an apprenticeship.
- Foreman or supervising employee: journeyman knowledge and skills, and directly supervises projects.
- Contractor: a current or former California licensee, or an out-of-state licensed contractor, with the skills to manage a construction business day to day.
- Self-employed or owner-builder: journeyman knowledge and skills plus the skills to manage a construction business. Owner-builder experience only works for the B classification and needs an extra project form for each project.
CSLB may credit up to three years for accredited education or an apprenticeship in the trade, and military experience may also count with documentation.
Who can sign as certifier
An employer, fellow employee, journeyman, union representative, contractor, or business associate. They must be at least 18 and have direct knowledge of your experience during the period listed, meaning personal knowledge and not hearsay. A licensee who certifies false or misleading experience can face discipline.
Filling it out, in order
- You complete Part 1 first. That includes the name, license number, and street address of the business where you gained the experience, which may not be your employer.
- The certifier completes Part 2 next, including your trade duties, then dates and signs the certification statement on line 9.
- Use a separate form for each employer or work setting. If duties run over, a separate sheet must be signed under the same certification statement.
- Submit every form with the application. Keep a copy.
What can get a form returned
- Blank fields.
- Pencil. Type it, or print in black or dark blue ink.
- Strikeouts or modifications. Corrections must be initialed by the certifier.
- Faxed, photocopied, or stamped signatures. Original signatures are required, so plan for the time it takes to get one.
Describing the duties
The certifier lists the specific trade duties you performed or supervised. CSLB offers its Description of Classifications as a reference. Describe your real work in your classification, with enough detail to show the level you worked at. See why applications come back.
Be ready to back it up
CSLB says a random 3% of applications are reviewed, that experience must be verifiable through payroll records and similar documents, and that staff may contact your certifier. Knowingly offering false or forged documents for filing with a public office is a felony (Penal Code 115).
When you may not need the form
If you have ever been the qualifier on a license in the same classification, you may not need it. You do need it if you are applying for a waiver under BPC 7065.1(b) or (c), or if a previous application was denied for lack of qualifying experience.
Sources
- CSLB: Application for Original Contractor License
- CSLB: My Original Exam Application Was Returned for Correction
- CSLB: Description of Classifications
This guide is general information, not legal advice. CSLB rules and fees change; always confirm on cslb.ca.gov.