Solar license in California: C-46, HIS registration and how to get one

Which license covers solar work?

The CSLB has a classification written for this work. It defines a C-46 Solar contractor as one who “installs, modifies, maintains, and repairs thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems” (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026). If your business will only do solar, C-46 is the license that describes it.

Electricians have a second path. The C-10 Electrical classification covers anyone who installs or connects wiring and equipment that generates or uses electricity, and its scope names “solar photovoltaic cells” directly. A licensed electrical contractor can therefore take on rooftop PV without adding C-46.

The CSLB’s position on who needs which credential is spelled out in its 2020 bulletin on solar lead generation: installing a solar energy product is a “home improvement,” which only a licensed contractor can do, and anyone selling home improvement goods or services must be registered (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026). Homeowners checking a company against these rules should read how to find a licensed solar installer instead of this page.

How to get a C-46 or C-10 license, step by step

1. Meet the basic requirements. You must be 18 or older and have at least four full years of experience at journey level, or as a foreman, supervisor or contractor, in the classification you are applying for, within the ten years before you apply (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).
2. Document the experience. Credit is given only for journey-level, foreman, supervising, contractor or owner-builder experience. Up to three years can come from technical training, apprenticeship or education, but at least one year must be practical. A qualified person who watched your work must certify it on the application.
3. Apply for the exam. The application processing fee is $450 (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026). Some applications are sent for a formal investigation before approval.
4. Pass the exam and complete the extras. The CSLB also requires an open-book asbestos examination before a license issues.
5. File the bond and insurance. Before the CSLB issues the license you need a $25,000 contractor bond or cashier’s check, a certificate of workers’ compensation insurance (or self-insurance) or an exemption if you have no employees, and a $25,000 bond of qualifying individual if that applies to your business structure. LLCs have additional bond and liability-insurance requirements.
6. Pay the initial license fee. It is $200 for a sole owner and $350 for other business types (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).

Sources: CSLB applicant pages and the HIS application form, checked September 23, 2026.

Selling solar: the Home Improvement Salesperson registration

Door-to-door and in-home solar sales run on this registration. The CSLB says you must register “if you solicit, sell, negotiate or execute home improvement contracts for a licensed contractor,” with limited exceptions such as officers, partners and the license’s qualifying person. The application fee is $200, every applicant submits fingerprints for a criminal background check, and the registration expires two years from the last day of the month it was issued (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).

A registered salesperson may work for more than one contractor. Before hiring one, each contractor must notify the CSLB on its prescribed form. Selling without registering is a misdemeanor, according to the CSLB’s solar bulletin.

Referrals only: when no license is needed

A business that only introduces homeowners to licensed contractors does not need a CSLB license or registration. The CSLB says lead generators and solar brokers may serve as a referral source, provide contractor contact information and set up appointments. Once a company quotes a price, negotiates or signs contracts, it needs the credential that matches. The practical boundaries are covered in what a solar broker can legally do.

Starting a solar company in California

The license is the foundation, but a company selling residential solar takes on contract rules that apply to every job. A CSLB bulletin from November 17, 2020 reminded licensees of three: the down payment on a home improvement contract cannot exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less; the contract must give an approximate start date and an estimated completion date; and anyone selling for the company needs HIS registration (CSLB bulletin #20-22, checked September 23, 2026).

Residential solar contracts also carry the solar energy system disclosure document required by Business and Professions Code section 7169. It goes on the front or cover page and shows the total cost and payments including financing, how customers can complain and the cancellation period. The contract and disclosure must be in the language used in the sales presentation (CSLB, checked September 23, 2026).

Beyond the CSLB, a new company deals with local permits and each utility’s interconnection process, and it will be compared against every other bidder on the same points homeowners use. The statewide guide to choosing a solar company shows what customers are told to check, and the contractor verification guide covers the license record they will read.

For homeowners: why these rules matter to you

Every requirement above is something you can check. The license number and classification, the salesperson’s SP number, the bond and the disclosure document all exist on paper before you sign. If a company cannot show them, that tells you more than any review. See the solar contract red flags for what else to look for, and the guide to door-to-door solar sales if the pitch started on your porch.