Can I get a professional license in California without a Social Security number?

This page is general information, not legal advice. Your immigration situation is your own. Talk with an immigration attorney before you apply if you have any open case.

Can I get a license if I am undocumented?

Yes, for licenses from the Department of Consumer Affairs, the State Bar and the Department of Real Estate. Here is the law:

• SB 1159, passed in 2014, added section 135.5 to the Business and Professions Code. It says no entity within the Department of Consumer Affairs may deny a license because of citizenship or immigration status. Every board had to make the change by January 1, 2016.
• Business and Professions Code section 30 says individual applicants give either an ITIN or a Social Security number. A licensing board may not make you tell it your citizenship or immigration status, and may not deny a license based only on that status. This covers the Department of Consumer Affairs boards, the State Bar and the Department of Real Estate.
• Lawyers: a separate law lets the California Supreme Court admit someone who is not lawfully present once they meet all the requirements to practice law.

You still have to meet every other rule: age, education, training hours, exams, fees and a background check.

Which licenses does this cover?

All the boards and bureaus in the Department of Consumer Affairs. Some that many people in our community ask about:

• Barbering and Cosmetology
• Contractors State License Board (contractors, electricians and other trades)
• Registered Nursing, and Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians
• Behavioral Sciences (therapists, social workers, counselors)
• Automotive Repair
• Security and Investigative Services (guard cards, locksmiths)
• Pharmacy, Dental, Medical, Accountancy and many more

See the full list of boards and bureaus (Department of Consumer Affairs). The Department of Real Estate (salespersons and brokers) is covered too.

Some licenses and certificates come from other state agencies, not the Department of Consumer Affairs. A 2018 law, SB 695, covers many of them. By July 1, 2019, it required these agencies to accept an ITIN in place of a Social Security number, and barred them from asking your immigration status or denying you based only on that status:

• Teaching credentials (Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Education Code 44339.5), when you cannot give a Social Security number
• Certified nurse assistant and certified home health aide certificates (Department of Public Health)
• EMT certificates (Emergency Medical Services Authority and local EMS agencies)
• Certified hemodialysis technician certificates

We read this in the chaptered bill text on October 21, 2026. A teaching credential is not the same as a job. A public school that hires you as an employee must still check your work papers on Form I-9.

For any other agency, ask it directly how it treats applicants without a Social Security number.

What does the law not cover?

One clear exception: a firearm permit for a security guard. The law requires proof that you are a U.S. citizen or have permanent legal immigration status. A regular guard card is a different license, under the general rule.

Does a license give me a work permit?

No. A license shows you are qualified. It does not change your immigration status. An employer who hires you as an employee must still check your work papers on Form I-9.

What a license can do is let you work for yourself, in your own business or as an independent contractor. See How to earn money working for yourself and Can I start a business without a Social Security number?

Will I be fingerprinted?

For many licenses, yes. The Board of Registered Nursing, for example, says all applicants must send fingerprints for state and federal criminal history checks through the California Department of Justice.

If you have ever been arrested, or have any immigration case, talk with an immigration attorney before you apply. See Free legal help in the Bay Area.

Who sees my ITIN?

The board collects it. The law also lets the state tax agency (the Franchise Tax Board) and the state employment agency (EDD) ask a board for licensees' ITINs or Social Security numbers. A board may not require you to tell it your immigration status.

How do I start?

1. Pick the license. Find the board on the Department of Consumer Affairs list.
2. Read the requirements. Look for school or training hours, work experience, exams and fees.
3. Plan the cost. Add up school, exam and license fees. Look for scholarships open to everyone. See Scholarships open to undocumented students.
4. Get your ITIN if you do not have a Social Security number. See About the ITIN (IRS).
5. Talk with an attorney about fingerprints and your situation.
6. Apply with your ITIN where the form asks for a Social Security number.
7. Renew on time. Every license has to be renewed.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Department of Consumer Affairs: (800) 952-5210. Boards and bureaus list
• Immigrants Rising and the California Immigrant Policy Center: a free two page guide to professional licenses, in English and Spanish. Important Things for Immigrants to Know When Applying for a Professional License (Immigrants Rising)
• Free immigration legal help: Free legal help in the Bay Area

Is there a checklist I can print?