Contractor Registration

Due to maintenance, the Public Works Contractor Registration (PWCR) system will be offline from Friday, Friday, May 1 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, to Monday, May 4 at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time. If the system is not available, please try again later.

System Maintenance Notice

Due to maintenance, the Public Works Contractor Registration (PWCR) system will be offline from Friday, Friday, May 29 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, to Monday, June 1 at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time. If the system is not available, please try again later.

System Maintenance Notice

Due to maintenance, the online application will be unavailable Friday, August 23, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. PDT.

System Maintenance Notice

Please be assured that contractors will not be penalized for any failure to comply with the public works registration or eCPR requirements as a result of technical issues which are beyond their control due to the rollout of the updated new public works contractor registration and eCPR systems.

Who Is Eligible to Register?

Contractors must meet the following requirements to register:

• Have workers' compensation coverage for any employees and only use subcontractors who are registered public works contractors.
• Have Contractors State License Board license if applicable to trade.
• Not have any delinquent unpaid wage or penalty assessments owed to any employee or enforcement agency.
• Not be under federal or state debarment.
• Not be in prior violation of this registration requirement once it becomes effective. However, for the first violation in a 12-month period, a contractor may still qualify for registration by paying an additional penalty.

Public works contractors can register or renew for one, two, or three fiscal years (July 1-June 30)
for a fee of $400, $800 or $1,200

If you have not created a new account since May 24, 2024, you must create a new account for your contractor on Public Works Website Services. See this how-to guide for detailed instructions.

Please note: credit card payments can be processed within 24 hours while other forms of payment may delay registration up to eight weeks. See below for consequences of failing to register.

* Consequences of Failing to Register

Contractors can be subject to a penalty in the following cases:

• First-time registration: A penalty of $2,000 applies when a contractor is registering for the first time and did any of the following in the past 12 months:
  1. bid or was awarded a public works project
  2. worked on a public works project
• Late renewal (between July 1 and September 30): If a contractor bid on, was awarded, or worked on a public works project after their registration expired:
  1. a penalty of $400 applies when the lapse in registration is accidental
  2. a penalty of $2,000 applies when the lapse in registration is not accidental
• Renewal after September 30 or reactivation: A penalty of $2,000 applies when a contractor did any of the following in the past 12 months while unregistered:
  1. bid or was awarded a public works project
  2. worked on a public works project
• Repeat violations: Contractors who are found to be in violation of the registration requirement twice in 12 months can be disqualified from working in public works for up to 12 months at a time.

To learn more about public works contractor registration, please go to the frequently asked questions. For further help, please contact us.

For more information and to find exact legal definitions and language please see the