Consumer Help

Contractor, mechanic, and complaint help

Find the safer first stop for contractor trouble, auto repair problems, licensed professional complaints, insurance claims, scams, refund disputes, business-name checks, or small claims questions.

Official link Last reviewed June 30, 2026

Why it matters

A complaint only helps if it lands at the right office. Contractor problems usually start with CSLB. Auto repair and smog shop problems usually start with BAR. Licensed professional complaints may belong with a DCA board. Insurance problems point to CDI. A money dispute may need a court path too. Start by naming the office, then keep the paper trail tidy.

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Start here

Find the right public office for everyday paperwork.

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Route selector

Select the complaint type.

First moves

1
Write down the business name, person name, license number if you have it, phone, address, website, dates, amount paid, and what you asked for.
2
Put the contract, estimate, invoice, receipt, photos, permit, warranty, policy, repair order, messages, ads, and payment records in one folder.
3
Pick the lane first: contractor, mechanic or smog shop, insurance, licensed professional, scam or refund, small claims, business-name check, or before-you-hire check.
4
Check the license or registration source before sending more money or signing a new paper.
5
If it is safe and practical, ask the business for a written answer so the next office can see what was requested and what came back.
6
For contractor work, start with CSLB. For auto repair or smog work, start with BAR.
7
For insurance delays, denials, bills, or claim handling, start with the Department of Insurance.
8
For a broader scam, refund, or business complaint, use the state consumer complaint source and consider the FTC fraud report for scam patterns.
9
If the issue is mostly about getting money back, use California Courts small claims materials before choosing a court step.

Watch for

1
A complaint office, license board, insurance department, and court do different jobs.
2
Some agencies can look at licenses, discipline, mediation, records, or patterns. A court is the place that decides many money disputes.
3
The exact legal name matters. A trade name, truck magnet, website, and corporation name may not all match.
4
An active license is still only one check. Scope, price, permits, insurance, references, and written terms still matter.
5
Contractor, handyman, subcontractor, solar, roofing, plumbing, electrical, and warranty issues can point to different records.
6
Auto repair, smog, collision repair, dealer sale, warranty, title, and lemon-law questions do not all use the same first stop.
7
Credit card, bank, payment app, warranty, insurance, and court deadlines can keep moving while an agency complaint is pending.
8
If a lien, court paper, injury, threat, large loss, license risk, or insurance denial is involved, get qualified help early.

Directory paths

Keep moving through the directory.

Use the nearby shelf when this is the right lane, or jump back to the full directory if the task changed names.

ShelfStart hereFind the right public office for everyday paperwork.DirectoryPaperwork & MoneyReturn to the full tools shelf.Nearby toolLocal office routerA practical map for deciding whether to start with a city, county, state agency, court, utility, or special district.Nearby toolScam, identity theft, and fraud reportsPick the right first stop for identity theft, fake sellers, online crime, crypto or investment trouble, tax scams, benefit fraud, DMV or toll texts, and Social Security impersonators.A-ZFind another California pathUse the directory index when the task has a different name.