Last updated: August 31st, 2026
If you sell, negotiate, or execute home improvement contracts for a licensed California contractor, you may need to register with the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) as a Home Improvement Salesperson, commonly called an HIS.
California’s HIS registration system is now straightforward:
One HIS registration can be used while working for multiple licensed contractors.
The salesperson does not obtain a separate registration for every contractor they represent.
Instead, the responsibility falls on each licensed contractor to notify CSLB before employing the registered HIS.
A Home Improvement Salesperson is generally a person employed by a licensed contractor to:
Depending on the circumstances, certain individuals and activities are exempt from HIS registration.
For example, CSLB identifies exemptions for certain qualifying persons, general partners, appointment setters whose activities are limited to scheduling appointments, and certain bona fide service and repair employees.
Before assuming you need—or don’t need—an HIS registration, review the current CSLB Home Improvement Salesperson requirements.
CSLB’s current requirements are simple.
An HIS applicant must be:
At least 18 years old.
CSLB specifically states that there are no experience, residency, or education requirements to become a Home Improvement Salesperson.
That means you do not need:
simply to qualify for HIS registration.
However, applicants must still complete the required registration process, including fingerprinting and criminal background review.
An HIS registration is now a stand-alone registration.
Once properly registered with CSLB, an HIS may work for more than one licensed contractor.
The salesperson does not need to submit a new registration application each time they begin working for another contractor.
This system has been in place since January 1, 2016 and should now be treated as the standard current rule rather than a “new” change.
An HIS registration is generally valid for two years before it must be renewed.
Even though the salesperson’s HIS registration is stand-alone, a registered salesperson cannot simply begin representing any contractor without the required notification.
Before the HIS begins work, the licensed contractor must notify CSLB of the employment.
CSLB provides a:
Contractor Notification of Home Improvement Salesperson Employment
The contractor can submit the notification through CSLB’s available filing methods, including its online HIS Employment Management system.
The notification must be completed before the registered HIS begins working for that contractor.
This is the contractor’s responsibility—not the salesperson’s responsibility to obtain another registration.
The contractor also has a reporting obligation when the relationship ends.
When a registered HIS ceases to be employed by the contractor, the contractor must notify CSLB within 90 days after the employment ends.
CSLB provides a separate:
Contractor Notification of Home Improvement Salesperson Employment Cessation
This is different from the initial employment notification.
The process is:
Failure to make the required employment or cessation notifications can subject the contractor to CSLB disciplinary action.
Yes.
Once properly registered, a Home Improvement Salesperson can work for multiple licensed contractors.
A separate HIS registration is not required for each employer.
However, each contractor must separately notify CSLB before employing that HIS.
For example, if an HIS works for three licensed contractors:
If the salesperson stops working for Contractor B, Contractor B must submit the required cessation notice within 90 days.
HIS applicants must complete CSLB’s fingerprinting requirements.
CSLB states that HIS registrants must complete fingerprinting and pass the applicable background-review process before they are registered and able to begin work.
Applicants should follow the fingerprinting instructions provided during the HIS application process.
Once the registration is active, contractors can verify the salesperson’s status before submitting the employment notification.
Current HIS registrations are valid for two years.
They expire two years from the last day of the month in which the registration was issued.
The salesperson is responsible for keeping the registration current.
If the HIS registration expires or becomes invalid, the salesperson cannot continue performing activities that require an active HIS registration until the registration is properly renewed or restored.
Before allowing someone to solicit or sell home improvement work for your company, check:
Don’t assume that because the salesperson worked for another licensed contractor, they’re automatically associated with your license.
The HIS registration follows the salesperson, but the employment notification is contractor-specific.
A licensed contractor who employs someone to perform activities requiring HIS registration while that person is not properly registered can face CSLB disciplinary action.
Contractors can also face discipline for failing to submit required employment or cessation notifications.
It’s therefore important to verify registration status before a new salesperson begins soliciting, negotiating, selling, or executing qualifying home improvement contracts.
No.
A properly registered HIS maintains one stand-alone registration and can work for multiple licensed contractors.
Each contractor must notify CSLB separately about the employment.
The licensed contractor must notify CSLB before the HIS begins working.
The contractor must notify CSLB within 90 days after the salesperson’s employment ends.
No.
CSLB states that there is no experience requirement for HIS registration.
No.
CSLB states there is no residency requirement.
No.
There is no education requirement for HIS registration.
You must be at least 18 years old.
A current HIS registration is generally valid for two years before renewal is required.
Yes.
Current CSLB registration requirements include fingerprinting and criminal background review.
California’s current Home Improvement Salesperson rules are much simpler than the old employer-by-employer registration system.
The key rules are:
If your company uses Home Improvement Salespersons, make sure both the salesperson’s registration and your contractor employment notifications stay current.
For official requirements and forms, review CSLB’s Home Improvement Salesperson resources.
