By Shauna Krause, President, Capitol Services
A ‘now you see it, now you don’t situation has one contractor’s plans going off the track! I like and assist contractors nationwide, but my ‘heart’ is in the West. Another has to consider if ‘less is more’ when put to the test…
Q: We have been licensed in CA for many years as a General Engineering contractor. Our Qualifier has been the Responsible Managing Office er (RMO) for at least four different licenses over the years. We need to get a NV license. We submitted an application to the NSCB with sealed verifications of all the RMO’s licenses and Nevada rejected the Waiver request stating that our Qualifier never took the exams in CA. However, he absolutely took the exams when he originally obtained the first license back in 1990. When I contacted the CSLB, they told me they purge their files and therefore they don’t have record of him passing the test. Is there anything you can do to help?
A: Unfortunately, I will not be able to assist with this situation. The CSLB purges their “old” records regarding testing, and I’ve run into this many times where the CSLB cannot verify an individual’s passing results because they are too “old”. The NSCB will never, under any circumstance, Waive an exam unless they can verify the individual took the exam in the reciprocal State, and they have been actively licensed for the previous four years upon submittal of the application.
Q: We need to obtain our General Building license in several States and are trying to figure out the best approach. In doing some research, it appears there is a national exam called NASCLA, which is accepted in several States. Is it better to have our Qualifying Individual take that, or take each individual State license separately?
A: I only assist with licensing in CA, NV, and AZ. All three of the States I handle accept the NASCLA General Building exam to Waive the State Trade exam. I know there are several other States which also accept the NASCLA exam, but I’m not familiar with the specifics. It’s up to your Qualifier whether they would rather do the NASCLA exam, or if they want to do each State separately. I’ve heard through the grapevine the NASCLA exam is a bit more difficult than the State exams, but at the same time, the less exams required might be a better option for him/her!
Q: I have been reading your articles about Waiver options and have seen you mention how an employee that has worked for the licensed company in a Supervisory capacity for over five years can apply to replace the existing Qualifier and ask for a Waiver of the exams. I see the reference to five years of W-2’s. What if we lease our employees from one of our parent entities? Therefore, the W-2’s will not show the licensed entity as the employer. Will that be a problem?
A: Yes, the Waiver request will only be approved if the individual has worked for the licensed entity directly, with W-2’s to document that, for five out of the last seven years.
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