# California State Contractor License Scraper (CSLB) (`jungle_synthesizer/cslb-california-scraper`) Actor Scrape California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) contractor records. Accepts license numbers or business name search terms and returns full license details: business name, address, phone, entity type, issue/expiry dates, license status, classifications, bonding, workers compensation info. - **URL**: https://apify.com/jungle\_synthesizer/cslb-california-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [BowTiedRaccoon](https://apify.com/jungle_synthesizer) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per event This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## California State Contractor License Scraper (CSLB) Scrape contractor license records from the **California Contractors State License Board (CSLB)** public portal at [cslb.ca.gov](https://www.cslb.ca.gov). Supports two modes: direct lookup by license number, or enumeration by business name search. Returns full license detail for every matched record. ### What you get Each record includes: | Field | Description | |---|---| | `license_number` | CSLB contractor license number | | `business_name` | Contractor or business name | | `address` | Street address | | `city` / `state` / `zip` | Location | | `phone` | Business phone | | `entity_type` | Sole Ownership, Corporation, Partnership, etc. | | `issue_date` | Date license was issued | | `expire_date` | License expiration date | | `status` | Active, Inactive, Suspended, etc. | | `additional_status` | Any supplemental status notes | | `classifications` | Trade classifications (e.g. "C-7 - LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEMS") | | `bonding_info` | Bonding status summary | | `workers_comp` | Workers compensation status | | `license_url` | Direct link to the license detail page | | `scraped_at` | ISO timestamp of when the record was scraped | ### Input #### Mode A — License number lookup (recommended for known contractors) Provide a list of CSLB license numbers. Each number is fetched directly, returning its full detail page. ```json { "licenseNumbers": ["1000001", "963795", "856234"], "maxItems": 50 } ```` #### Mode B — Business name search Provide one or more business name prefixes. The actor POSTs each term to the CSLB name-search form, paginates through all result pages, then fetches each matched license's detail page. ```json { "searchTerms": ["smith construction", "abc plumbing"], "maxItems": 100 } ``` If both `licenseNumbers` and `searchTerms` are provided, Mode A runs first. If `licenseNumbers` is empty or omitted, Mode B runs. ### Anti-bot / CAPTCHA The CSLB portal loads a reCAPTCHA v2 script but does **not** render the widget on any lookup form and does not require CAPTCHA completion for license lookups. No proxy or bypass is needed — the actor sends direct unauthenticated HTTP requests using a Chrome User-Agent. ### Rate limiting Requests are spaced 500 ms apart per government-server courtesy. Requests are sequential. For large batches, the `timeoutSecs` default of 14 400 s (4 hours) is sufficient for tens of thousands of records. ### Performance - Mode A: ~2 requests/record (ViewState bootstrap + detail POST) - Mode B: ~3 requests/record on average (bootstrap + search + detail) ### Use cases - Contractor due-diligence and background verification - Lead generation for construction-related B2B services - License status monitoring for compliance teams - Building contractor directories or databases # Actor input Schema ## `sp_intended_usage` (type: `string`): Please describe how you plan to use the data extracted by this crawler. ## `sp_improvement_suggestions` (type: `string`): Provide any feedback or suggestions for improvements. ## `sp_contact` (type: `string`): Provide your email address so we can get in touch with you. ## `licenseNumbers` (type: `array`): List of CSLB contractor license numbers to look up (e.g. \["1000001", "1000002"]) ## `searchTerms` (type: `array`): Business name prefixes to search (e.g. \["smith", "abc construction"]). Used when licenseNumbers is empty. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of license records to scrape ## Actor input object example ```json { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "licenseNumbers": [ "1000001", "1000100" ], "searchTerms": [ "smith construction" ], "maxItems": 5 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "licenseNumbers": [ "1000001", "1000100" ], "searchTerms": [ "smith construction" ], "maxItems": 5 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("jungle_synthesizer/cslb-california-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "licenseNumbers": [ "1000001", "1000100", ], "searchTerms": ["smith construction"], "maxItems": 5, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("jungle_synthesizer/cslb-california-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "licenseNumbers": [ "1000001", "1000100" ], "searchTerms": [ "smith construction" ], "maxItems": 5 }' | apify call jungle_synthesizer/cslb-california-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=jungle_synthesizer/cslb-california-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "California State Contractor License Scraper (CSLB)", "description": "Scrape California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) contractor records. Accepts license numbers or business name search terms and returns full license details: business name, address, phone, entity type, issue/expiry dates, license status, classifications, bonding, workers compensation info.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "JUWRCnnvodYmpeKRV" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~cslb-california-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-jungle_synthesizer-cslb-california-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~cslb-california-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-jungle_synthesizer-cslb-california-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~cslb-california-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-jungle_synthesizer-cslb-california-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "maxItems" ], "properties": { "sp_intended_usage": { "title": "What is the intended usage of this data?", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Please describe how you plan to use the data extracted by this crawler." }, "sp_improvement_suggestions": { "title": "How can we improve this crawler for you?", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Provide any feedback or suggestions for improvements." }, "sp_contact": { "title": "Contact Email", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Provide your email address so we can get in touch with you." }, "licenseNumbers": { "title": "License Numbers", "type": "array", "description": "List of CSLB contractor license numbers to look up (e.g. [\"1000001\", \"1000002\"])", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "searchTerms": { "title": "Business Name Search Terms", "type": "array", "description": "Business name prefixes to search (e.g. [\"smith\", \"abc construction\"]). Used when licenseNumbers is empty.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max Items", "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of license records to scrape", "default": 50 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```