PWCR stands for Public Works Contractor Registration. A PWCR number is the registration number the California Department of Industrial Relations issues to a contractor, subcontractor or sole proprietor so they can bid on and work on California public works projects. If you are looking at a bank or credit card line item that reads DIR-DLSE PWCR, that is the state collecting this registration fee: DLSE is DIR's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and PWCR is the registration itself.
It is a California public works contractor registration or renewal fee. DIR publishes the fee as $400 for one fiscal year, $800 for two, or $1,200 for three, so the amount tells you which term was purchased. DIR does not publish the exact wording card processors print, so match it by amount and by who at your company handles licensing and bids.
If nobody at your company bids public works, treat it the way you would any charge you do not recognize and contact your card issuer. DIR's public works portal is the only place this registration is bought.
Yes, they are the same registration. DIR titles the page where you get it Get A Public Works Contractor Registration Number, and DIR's public works FAQ uses the term PWCR number. On bid forms, subcontractor listings and certified payroll you will see the same thing called a DIR number, a DIR registration number, or a PWCR number. There is one registration per contractor, so there is only one number to give out.
| What you hear | What it means |
|---|---|
| PWCR number | Public Works Contractor Registration number, DIR's own term |
| DIR number | Same number, shortened on bid and contract paperwork |
| DIR registration number | Same number, written out |
| CSLB license number | Different thing: your contractor license from the Contractors State License Board, not a DIR registration |
Labor Code 1725.5 says a contractor must be registered to be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or engage in the performance of any public work contract covered by the chapter. DIR states that all contractors, subcontractors and sole proprietors must register before bidding on or working on a public works project.
General contractors
Registration has to be active at bid time, not just at award.
Subcontractors at every tier
Being listed in a bid proposal is itself covered by Labor Code 1725.5, so a sub named in a bid needs to be registered.
Sole proprietors
DIR names sole proprietors explicitly alongside contractors and subcontractors.
Small project exemption
Labor Code 1725.5 does not apply to a public works project of $25,000 or less for construction, alteration, demolition, installation or repair work, or $15,000 or less for maintenance work.
Exemption thresholds and the registration requirement are stated in Labor Code 1725.5 and Labor Code 1771.1. The dollar thresholds apply to the project, so confirm the project value before you assume an exemption.
DIR registers contractors by fiscal year, July 1 to June 30, and lets you buy one, two or three years at a time.
Registration happens directly with DIR. There is no third party step and no software that can register you.
Create a Public Works account
Sign up for a user account on DIR's public works portal at services.dir.ca.gov/pw.
Complete the registration application
DIR asks you to confirm workers' compensation coverage and a valid state contractor license where one applies.
Choose one, two or three fiscal years and pay
This is the payment that shows up on a card statement as a DIR-DLSE PWCR line item.
Give the number out and keep it current
Awarding bodies verify registration through DIR's public contractor search before award, and your subs' registrations get checked too.
The penalties sit in Labor Code 1771.1 and Labor Code 1725.5. They are per day, so a short unregistered stretch adds up fast.
$100 per day, up to $8,000
Labor Code 1771.1 lets the Labor Commissioner assess $100 for each day of work performed in violation of the registration requirement, not to exceed an aggregate penalty of $8,000.
$100 per day, up to $10,000, for using an unregistered sub
A higher tier contractor that lets an unregistered lower tier subcontractor work faces $100 for each day that sub performs work, not to exceed $10,000.
$2,000 penalty registration fee
Labor Code 1725.5 requires a contractor previously found to have bid without registration to pay an additional nonrefundable penalty registration fee of $2,000.
Late renewal penalty
Labor Code 1725.5 allows retroactive renewal where the failure to pay on time was unintentional, on payment of an additional nonrefundable penalty renewal fee equal to the renewal fee.
This page summarizes the statutes and DIR's published guidance. It is not legal advice. Read the sections yourself and talk to your attorney about your project.
Registration is the front door. The ongoing obligation is the payroll reporting. Labor Code 1771.4 requires each contractor and subcontractor to furnish the records specified in Labor Code 1776 directly to the Labor Commissioner in an electronic format, at least monthly or more frequently if the contract with the awarding body says so. DIR calls the electronic submission the eCPR, and it goes through the same public works portal as your registration. Many awarding bodies write weekly submission into the contract, which is why most California contractors run it weekly.
Where CertifiedPayrollPro fits
We do not register anyone with DIR and we do not file anything with any agency. We build the reports you submit: DIR eCPR XML you upload to the DIR portal, plus federal WH-347 for Davis-Bacon jobs. We also store your PWCR number and your subcontractors' registration details so you can see at a glance who is current before they set foot on the job.
PWCR stands for Public Works Contractor Registration. It is the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) registration that a contractor, subcontractor or sole proprietor must hold before bidding on or working on a California public works project.
A PWCR number is the registration number DIR issues when you register. DIR titles the page where you get it Get A Public Works Contractor Registration Number. Awarding bodies ask for it on bid documents, and it appears on your certified payroll records.
DLSE is the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, part of the California DIR, and PWCR is Public Works Contractor Registration. A charge with that description is a public works contractor registration or renewal fee paid to the state. DIR sets the fee at $400 for one fiscal year, $800 for two, or $1,200 for three, so match the amount to the term someone at your company selected.
In practice, yes. DIR calls it a Public Works Contractor Registration Number. Contractors, awarding bodies and bid forms often shorten that to DIR number, DIR registration number or PWCR number. They all refer to the same registration under Labor Code 1725.5, and you only hold one.
DIR lists $400 for one fiscal year, $800 for two fiscal years and $1,200 for three. The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30, and DIR states your registration must be valid each year by June 30 to prevent penalties. Labor Code 1725.5 lets the director set annual registration and renewal fees up to $800 and lets contractors prepay up to three years, so confirm the current amount on the DIR site before you pay.
Labor Code 1725.5 requires a contractor to be registered to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or perform any public work contract covered by the chapter. That covers general contractors, subcontractors and sole proprietors. DIR states that registration does not apply to work on a public works project of $25,000 or less for construction, alteration, demolition, installation or repair, or $15,000 or less for maintenance.
Under Labor Code 1771.1 the Labor Commissioner may assess $100 for each day of work performed in violation of the registration requirement, up to an aggregate penalty of $8,000. A higher tier contractor that uses an unregistered lower tier subcontractor faces $100 for each day that subcontractor works, up to $10,000. Labor Code 1725.5 adds a nonrefundable $2,000 penalty registration fee for a contractor previously found bidding while unregistered.
No. They are two separate obligations. Registration gets you eligible to bid and work. Labor Code 1771.4 then requires each contractor and subcontractor to furnish the payroll records specified in Labor Code 1776 directly to the Labor Commissioner in an electronic format, at least monthly or more frequently if the contract with the awarding body says so. DIR calls that the eCPR.
No. Registration happens only through DIR's own public works portal, and no software can do it for you. What we do is produce the certified payroll reports you submit, including DIR eCPR XML, and store your PWCR number and your subcontractors' registration details with renewal reminders.
Build DIR eCPR XML and federal WH-347 reports from your payroll data, then submit them yourself through the agency portal.
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