How many sign contractors are licensed in California?

California has 898 contractors with a C45 (Sign) license from the Contractors State License Board. 860 (96%) hold active licenses. SiteVetter checks each against SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA databases.

What does a C45 license cover in California?

A California C45 license covers sign contractors for commercial and roadway signage. Any contractor performing sign work valued at $500 or more must hold this license. The CSLB issues and regulates all contractor licenses in the state.

What percentage of sign contractors have federal violations?

3.5% of California sign contractors (31 out of 898) have at least one record in federal databases. These include SAM.gov debarments, DOL wage violations, OSHA safety citations, and EPA environmental violations.

Verify Sign Contractors (C45) - Page 4 | CSLB + Federal Check

How to Verify a Sign Contractor (C45) in California

California requires all contractors performing sign work valued at $500+ to hold a valid CSLB C45 license. Of the 898 licensed sign contractors in the state, 96% currently hold active licenses and 3.5% have at least one federal compliance record.

Manual vetting takes 45+ minutes per contractor and routinely misses violations in databases most people don't know to check. SiteVetter runs CSLB status, SAM.gov debarment, DOL wage violations, OSHA safety citations, and EPA environmental records in seconds—creating a timestamped compliance artifact.

Verification Checklist for Sign Contractors

Verify the contractor license is active and in good standing
Request proof of insurance and bonding
Get at least 3 written quotes before selecting a contractor
Check federal databases: SAM.gov, OSHA, DOL, and EPA records
Confirm bond: California requires $25,000+ contractor bond (SB 607)

Why Verification Matters for Sign Work

Under California's "Controlling Employer" doctrine, general contractors face liability for subcontractor safety violations. For sign work specifically, 3.5% of licensed contractors have federal records that a standard CSLB license check wouldn't reveal. SiteVetter's 5-database check catches what a single-source verification misses.

Sign Contractor Verification - Page 4

About C45 License

Sign Contractors

How to Verify a Sign Contractor (C45) in California

Verification Checklist for Sign Contractors

Why Verification Matters for Sign Work