Who is considered an illegal contractor?

It is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform contracting work on any project valued at $500 or more in labor and materials. Besides being illegal, unlicensed contractors lack accountability and have a high rate of involvement in construction scams. They also are unfair competition for licensed contractors who operate with bonds, insurance and other responsible business practices.

What is the CSLB doing to stop illegal activity?
The Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) is set up to monitor and combat illegal activity. SWIFT has teams around the state that conduct stings on a regular basis and sweep construction sites.

SWIFT also conducts joint operations and sweeps with other state agencies dedicated to combating underground activity. The partnerships with other agencies raise the penalties and fines for violators by increasing the scope of violations to include taxes, illegal payrolls, workers compensation and worker safety.

contractors can report unlicensed activity.SWIFT
The Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) receives complaints against
unlicensed individuals actively working on a construction project where the cost for labor and materials is $500 or more.

Reporting unlicensed activity
You may obtain the Board’s SWIFT Lead Referral form on this website, or by calling either the Southern or Northern SWIFT offices. When completed please mail or fax the lead form to one of the offices listed below, based on the county where the unlicensed activity is being performed.

For unlicensed activity performed  in California, send the
lead referral form to:Sacramento SWIFT Unit
P. O. Box 269117
Sacramento, CA 95826-9117
Office numbers (916) 255-2924 / FAX (916) 369-7265.

Read the following article to help you do your research on finding the best contractor for your job

Please provide complete and detailed information about the unlicensed activity and indicate if there are employees on the project. The more information and evidence the better.

Complaints are processed according to the date of receipt, priority, and staff availability if the job site is located in a remote area. The complaint will be assigned to an Enforcement Representative who will follow-up on the information provided.