Unlicensed Contractors Place High Bids in Novato Sting Operation

Via Press Release For Ledger Dispatch, Updated May 2, 2024


Sacramento – The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) cited unlicensed individuals who illegally placed bids as high as $15,000 for residential contracting work during a recent one-day sting in Marin County.

In mid-April, CSLB’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) and the Marin and Sonoma County District Attorney’s Offices went undercover to catch unlicensed contractors in Novato. A Notice to Appear in criminal court was issued to five individuals at the sting site. Five others were referred to the Marin County District Attorney for misdemeanor prosecution for placing a construction bid after leaving the property or advertising while being unlicensed.

The bids ranged from $1,600 to as much as $15,000 for home improvement projects including tree removal and fence rebuilding – all above the legal $500 threshold for which a contractor’s license is required. In California, contracting without a license is a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of up to $15,000.
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