By Shauna Krause, President, Capitol Services
In comedy, it’s said timing is everything, and the same is true of contractor licensing. Only it’s deadlines instead of punchlines! Assisting contractors for many years, I know being lucky is also often as important as being good…
Q: My contractor’s license expired in January of 2021. Am I still able to renew it? Will I need to be fingerprinted again? I remember when I originally obtained my license that the background check took a long time because I live in Washington, and I did the hard copy fingerprint cards locally.
A: You have five years from the date of the license expiration to renew so you are still within the window. You will not have to be fingerprinted again to renew the license.
Q: Our company is currently licensed in Arizona as a corporation. We are thinking of forming a new Limited Liability Company (LLC) in California and obtaining a contractor’s license under the new LLC. I know there are rules about a Qualifying Individual being listed on multiple licenses. Our Qualifier doesn’t have any ownership in the corporation or the new LLC. Do we need to designate a new person to qualify for the CA LLC?
A: No, you can use the same person. While you are correct there are rules about an individual Qualifying multiple licenses within the same state unless there is some sort of common ownership, those rules do not transfer from State to State. You can use the same individual to Qualify both AZ and CA licenses, regardless of ownership.
Q: We are contemplating obtaining a NV license for some potential work we have coming up. Does NV allow for any of the “loopholes” that CA has for waiving the exam requirements? I was able to waive the exams in CA based on my experience working for the company for over five years.
A: No, NV does not allow for any waiver options based on experience, time with a licensed company, or being an Officer on a license for a period. You would need to sit for the NV exams to obtain the license.
Q: The Qualifying Individual on our license is going to retire at the end of this year. We have a few employees who we believe would meet the qualifications for replacing him. However, when they were hired, we ran background checks on them, and they both have a history. The top candidate has a DUI. In your experience, does a DUI prevent someone from qualifying for a license?
A: No. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, and assuming the individual has completed the requirements for the offense, as in they are not currently on probation or parole, a DUI does not prevent someone from qualifying for a contractor’s license. We have assisted many applicants with “colorful” backgrounds obtain their license successfully!
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While knowledge is power, knowing where to go for the answers is half the battle. Get expert assistance immediately when you call 866-443-0657, email info@cutredtape.com, or write us at Capitol Services, Inc., 3609 Bradshaw Rd, Ste H, #343, Sacramento, CA 95827. Search past columns at www.cutredtape.com