Listed below is general information to assist you as you complete the attached application. Detailed instructions are provided on the application. For more detailed information about the home improvement salesperson (HIS) registration, please refer to the Contractors State License Board’s (CSLB) website (www.cslb.ca.gov) and view information on the Applicants page.
HIS registrants are allowed to represent multiple employers. Prior to the employment of a current and active HIS registrant, the contractor must notify CSLB of the intended employment on a form prescribed by the Registrar. HIS registrants maintain their own individual registration that will be valid for a two-year period before it must be renewed.
This application is for new HIS registrations only. Existing HIS registrations that are currently active and nearing their expiration date and registrations that are within three years after their expiration date are renewable. If you already have an HIS registration that needs to be renewed, please visit the Forms and Applications page of CSLB’s website or call CSLB at (800) 321 CSLB (2752) to request a renewal form for your registration. If your previously-issued HIS registration was cancelled or revoked and you now wish to reestablish it, you must submit this application to apply for a new registration.
Do not submit this General Information page with your completed application – the actual application begins immediately after this section on Application – Page 1 of 2. Before you submit your application, please review, and comply with the following:
- Enclose the nonrefundable $200 application fee with your completed application. CSLB cannot process your application without the appropriate fee made payable to the Registrar of Contractors.
- Your application may be returned to you if it is inaccurate or incomplete. You must provide any missing information, make corrections, and resubmit your completed application to CSLB within 90 days from the date that it was originally returned to you or your application will become void. You cannot reinstate a void application – you must submit a new application and $200 application fee if you wish to pursue registration after a previous application has been voided.
- Complete the application and all accompanying forms legibly in black or dark blue ink, or on CSLB’s website using the Easy-Fill feature. Forms completed in pencil will be returned to you. Please make sure that you sign and date the bottom of the application.
- Full legal names are required. You must provide your full legal name. If you do not have a middle name, write “None” or “No Middle Name” in the space provided. If you have only an initial for your first or middle name, write “(Initial Only)” after the initial.
- Leave no space blank.
- You must provide an address of record (mailing address) for your registration that will be made available to the public if you become registered. This address will also be used for service of all official correspondence, notices, and orders from CSLB, such as renewal notices. P.O. boxes and private mailboxes (PMB) are acceptable for the address of record. You must also provide a residence street address that will be used only for CSLB’s internal administrative purposes – P.O. boxes and PMBs are not allowed for the residence address.
- You must provide your personal U.S. Social Security number (SSN) or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) if you do not have an SSN.
WHO IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A HOME IMPROVEMENT SALESPERSON REGISTRATION? WHO IS EXEMPT?
A home improvement salesperson is defined in the law as a person who is registered and engaged in the business of soliciting, selling, negotiating, or executing contracts for home improvements, for the sale, installation, or furnishing of home improvement goods or services, or of swimming pools, spas, or hot tubs on behalf of a licensed home improvement contractor. Anyone who performs such duties for a licensed contractor outside the contractor's normal place of business, regardless of the dollar amount of those contracts, must be registered with CSLB. The following individuals do not need to be registered:
- Salespersons whose sales are all made pursuant to negotiations between the parties if the negotiations are initiated by the prospective buyer at or with a general merchandise retail establishment that operates from a fixed location where the goods or services are offered for sale;
- A person who contacts the prospective buyer for the exclusive purpose of scheduling appointments for a registered home improvement salesperson;
- A bona fide service repairperson who is in the employ of a licensed contractor and whose repair or service call is limited to the service, repair, or emergency repair initially requested by the buyer of the service; and
- The following official personnel listed in the CSLB's records for the contractor's license: qualifying individuals; general partners; officers of a corporation; managers, members, and officers of a limited liability company; and responsible managing employees.
Military (Questions 4 and 5)
Expedited Processing and 50% reduction of the Registration fee for Military Personnel
CSLB will expedite the licensure process and reduce the registration fee by 50% for an applicant who is a current active duty member of the Armed Forces or who was not dishonorably discharged after having served as an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard or Reserves. Please provide the following documentation: Evidence of your current military duty (copy of your military orders) or your previous military service (copy of your latest DD 214 long form – Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty showing discharge status or a copy of a current and valid driver’s license or identification card issued by this state or another state with the word “Veteran” printed on its face) or for National Guard discharge status (copy of your NGB 22 form), or for Reserves discharge status (copy of your DD256 form).
Expedited Processing and Fee Waiver for Military Personnel Spouses or Domestic Partners
CSLB is required to expedite the license process and waive the licensure fees for an applicant who:
- Is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in California under official active duty military orders.
AND
- Holds a current license in another state, district, or territory of the United States in the profession or vocation for which the applicant seeks a license from the board.
If you answer “Yes” to question 5 and you would like to be considered for this expedited processing and waiver of licensure fees, please provide a copy of your current license from the other state, district, or territory of the United States documenting a contractor license, registration, permit, or certificate in the same classification for which you are seeking licensure AND documentation of your marriage or legal union AND your spouse’s or partner’s active military duty. For example, in addition to the licensure documentation, attach a copy of the marriage certificate or certified declaration/registration of domestic partnership filed with the Secretary of State AND military orders establishing a duty station in California. For other forms of “legal union” not recognized by California, you may submit other documentary evidence of legal union issued by the state that recognizes your legal union for consideration by CSLB in meeting this requirement.
You will not need to enclose any fees with this application if you meet all the requirements and submit the requested documentation.
IMMIGRATION STATUS EXPEDITES
CSLB is required to expedite the licensure process for a sole owner entity applicant who immigrate to the United States of America in certain circumstances. Please check the “yes” box to question 6 on this application if:
- You were admitted to the United States as a refugee pursuant to section 1157 of title 8 of the United States Code;
- You were granted asylum by the Secretary of Homeland Security or the United States Attorney General pursuant to section 1158 of title 8 of the United States Code; or,
- You have a special immigrant visa and were granted a status pursuant to section 1244 of Public Law 110-181, Public Law 109-163, or section 602(b) of title VI of division F of Public Law 111-8, relating to Iraqi and Afghan translators/interpreters or those who worked for or on behalf of the United States government.
If you selected YES, you must attach evidence of your status as a refugee, asylee, or special immigrant visa holder. Failure to do so may result in application review delays. Acceptable evidence includes:
- Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, with an admission class code such as “RE” (Refugee) or “AY” (Asylee) or other information designating the person a refugee or asylee.
- Special immigrant visa that includes “SI” or “SQ.”
- Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), commonly known as a “Green Card,” with a category designation indicating that the person was admitted as a refugee or asylee.
- An order from a court of competent jurisdiction or other documentary evidence that provides reasonable assurance that the applicant qualifies for expedited licensure.
FINGERPRINT REQUIREMENT
All applicants for registration are required to submit a full set of fingerprints for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check. Fingerprints will be compared to the records of the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to determine whether a criminal history exists. Your registration will not be issued until CSLB receives fingerprint results from both DOJ and FBI. Even though you may have been fingerprinted previously for an employer or another regulatory body, you will need to undergo the fingerprinting and criminal history check process again specifically for this application. California Penal Code section 11142 prohibits criminal history information from being released to any entity other than the requesting agency that you have authorized to receive it. After an HIS application has been received by CSLB, the applicant will be sent instructions on the process for obtaining and submitting fingerprints. For more information, please visit CSLB’s website and view information on the Applicants page.
NOTICE TO APPLICANT
Once issued, your individual HIS registration will give you the authority to work on behalf and in the employ of one or more licensed home improvement contractors provided that the necessary notifications of employment are made to CSLB by the contractor, as indicated below.
All HIS registrations expire two years from the last day of the month in which the registration was issued.
INFORMATION FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR WHO EMPLOYS AN HIS
Licensed contractors who employ home improvement salespersons must notify CSLB on a form prescribed by the Registrar of the employment of a registered HIS prior to the HIS beginning work for the contractor. The contractor is also responsible for notifying CSLB within 90 days after the date that an HIS registrant ceases to be employed by the contractor. Check CSLB’s website for the appropriate forms.
BPC section 7155.5 states, “Violations of any provisions of this chapter by a home improvement salesperson likewise constitute cause for disciplinary action against the contractor by whom he or she was employed at the time the violation occurred, whether or not the contractor had knowledge of or participated in the act or omission constituting violations of this chapter.”
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ACCOUNT
A grant program was established in 1991 to provide funds for qualified public post-secondary schools that teach construction management. Applicants may voluntarily contribute to the account when paying the application fee or the license or registration renewal fee. If you would like to make a voluntary contribution, please mark the box on the top portion of page 1 of the application, write in the dollar amount in the space provided, and include that dollar amount in the total amount paid with your application or submit a separate check or money order made payable to CSLB/Construction Management Education Account. (See BPC sections 7139 and following.)
COLLECTION OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AND INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS
With the exception of the driver license number, all information requested on the application is mandatory, including disclosure of U.S. Social Security numbers (SSN) and individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITIN). Collection of the SSN and ITIN is authorized by BPC sections 30, 31, and 7145.5. SSNs and ITINs are used exclusively for the purpose of tax enforcement, compliance with any judgment or order for family support in accordance with Family Code section 17520, measurement of employment outcomes of students who participate in career technical education programs offered by the California Community Colleges as required by BPC section 30, and investigation of tax evasion and violations of cash-pay reporting laws as set forth in Section 329 of the Unemployment Insurance Code. If you fail to disclose your SSN or ITIN, your application will not be processed, and you will be reported to the Franchise Tax Board; they may assess a $100 penalty against you.
COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
CSLB collects the personal information requested on the following form as authorized by BPC sections 30, 31, 114.5, 115.5, 141, 480, 7145.5, and 7153.1 and Title 16, California Code of Regulations section 828. CSLB uses this information to identify and evaluate applicants for registration, issue and renew registrations, and enforce licensing and registration standards set by law and regulation. Submission of the requested information is mandatory. CSLB cannot consider your application for registration unless you provide all of the requested information. You may review the records maintained by CSLB that contain your personal information, unless the records are identified as confidential information and exempted from disclosure by the Information Practices Act, including Civil Code section 1798.40. CSLB makes every effort to protect the personal information you provide us; however, it may be disclosed in response to a Public Records Act request as allowed by the Information Practices Act; to another government agency as required by state or federal law or as provided in Civil Code section 1798.24; or in response to a court or administrative order, a subpoena, or a search warrant. The Custodian of Records is responsible for maintaining the information on this form and may be contacted at the address and telephone number listed in the letterhead above for questions about this notice or access to records.
