Licensing Requirements for Solar (PV) & Battery Permits

According to the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), license classifications determine who may perform specific types of photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system (ESS) installations. For full details, see the Licensing Classifications page.

License	PV ONLY	ESS ONLY	ESS < 80kWh			ESS ≥ 80kWh
			PV+ESS concurrently	Add ESS existing PV	ESS repair	PV+ESS concurrently	Add ESS existing PV	ESS repair
A	Yes, within scope of permit	Yes	Yes, within scope of permit	Yes, within scope of permit	Yes, within scope of permit	Yes, within scope of permit	Yes, within scope of permit	Yes, within scope of permit
B	Yes	No	Yes, within scope of permit	No	No	Yes, within scope of permit	No	No
C-10	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
C-46	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No

According to the Contractors State License Board (CSLB):

To install a PV system only, A, B**, C-10, and C-46 license holders may perform this work.
To install PV with ESS under 80kWh concurrently, A, B**, C-10, and C-46 may perform this work.
To install PV with ESS of 80kWh or more concurrently, A, B**, and C-10 may perform this work (C-46 cannot).
To add ESS (of any size) to existing PV system, A and C-10 may perform this installation (B** and C-46 cannot).
To install "stand-alone" ESS of any size, A and C-10 may perform this installation (B** and C-46 cannot).
To repair ESS of any size, A and C-10 license holders may perform this service (B** and C-46 cannot).

** Authority Having Jurisdiction may require B contractor to provide proof of qualification or credential. Some manufacturers require specialty certification to install their products.

** A and B licensed applicants may submit plans and obtain permits, but shall provide qualifying credentials of the installer(s).

Please email Planning.BuildingInfo@santacruzcountyca.gov if you have any questions.