CERTIFICATES IN SUPPORT OF EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS

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Certification of Work Experience 'Instructions

NOTE: If, within the past 5 years, you have either qualified for or passed an examination in the classification you are applying for now, do not complete this form.

For information concerning a waiver of the examination, see Business &Professions Code Section 7065.1(b)or 7065.1(c).

The Certification Statement at the bottom of the Certification of Work Experience form must be completed by a qualified,  responsible person who is able to certify the work experience of the applicant. This form will help the CSLB determine whether the applicant has the experience necessary to become a capable, qualified contractor. Please check each item below to ensure that you understand how to complete this form: This form must be filled in completely in black ink or the application will be returned.

• You must use ink or a typewriter - pencil is not acceptable. Original signatures are required - faxed, photocopied, or stamped signatures are  not acceptable.

• All applicants and certifiers must be at least 18 years old.

• Applicants must list at least four years of full time experience within the last 10 years - in the classification applied for.

• The applicant 's work experience must have been completed at the level of a journeyman, foreman/supervisor, contractor, owner/builder, or self-employed individual, as defined below:

-A 'journeyman ' is an experienced worker who is fully qualified (as opposed to a trainee) and is able to perform the trade without supervision; or, a person who has completed an apprenticeship program. (Board Rule 825)

-A 'foreman/supervisor ' is a person who has the knowledge and skill of a journey person and directly supervises construction projects.

- A 'contractor' is an individual who is currently a licensed California contractor; a former licensed California contractor; personnel of record on a California license; or an out-of-state licensed contractor. A contractor has the skills necessary to manage the daily activities of a construction business, including field supervision.

- An owner/builder or self-employed individual must have the skills necessary to manage the daily activities of a construction business, including field supervision.

• All Certification of Work Experience forms must be submitted with the application. Additional experience cannot be submitted for exam credits after the application is accepted. (Board Rule 829)

• The mandatory Certification Statement must be completed by a qualified and responsible person - an employer; fellow employee; journeyman; union representative; contractor; business associate; or client if the applicant is/was self-employed.

• The person who completes the Certification Statement must have direct knowledge of the applicant 's experience.' Direct knowledge ' means personal knowledge of the experience that does not depend on outside information or hearsay. The certifier must be able to certify that the applicant demonstrated a level of knowledge and skill expected of a journey person or better - in the classification applied for.

• The Certificate of Work Experience form, when filed with an application, becomes the property of the Contractors State License Board and is kept as a matter of record. Make a copy of the completed and signed form for your records - you may be asked to provide further documentation or testimony to verify your experience.

• Any licensee whose signature appears on a falsified Certification of Work Experience form, or otherwise certifies false or misleading experience claims submitted by an applicant to obtain a contractor 's license, will be subject to disciplinary action. (B&P Code 7114.1)

• Anyone who knowingly obtains or offers false or forged documents to be filed, registered, or recorded in any public office in California is guilty of a felony. (Penal Code 115)

The board requires that you verify the work experience outlined in your answer to question 20 of the application. In other words, you must submit one or more copies of the "Certificate in Support of Work Experience" (form 13A-11).

The certificate(s) may be completed by anyone in the building trades who has DIRECT KNOWLEDGE of your work. "Direct knowledge" is defined by law as "personal knowledge of the truth with respect to a particular fact, and which does not depend on outside information or hearsay." In other words, the certifier must have observed your work.

You do not necessarily need a different certificate for each employer or type of work: If one certifier has direct knowledge of your work for several employers or for many types of job, that one certifier may sign for whatever work that he or she has direct knowledge of.

Although some applications may require only one certificate, ANY APPLICATION THAT LISTS SELF-EMPLOYED EXPERIENCE MUST BE VERIFIED BY AT LEAST TWO CERTIFICATES.

The person signing the certificate need not be in the same trade as you: A journeyman, employer, or fellow employee may sign a certificate. The back of the certificate lists who can sign and also defines the level of work (journeyman, foreman, etc.) And the certifier does NOT have to be a licensed contractor!

The section on the certificate entitled "Describe in Detail the Type of Work Experience Performed by the Applicant" is the most important. The certifier should state the trade(s) in which the work was done (e.g., concrete), should state the class of work the applicant did (e.g., residential, commercial, and/or industrial), give examples of the specific tasks the applicant performed (e.g., supervised a crew of 10, worked with tools, interpreted plans, etc.), and describe the work performed (e.g., formed and poured concrete foundations, slabs, and retaining walls). The description need not be formal or technical: It's best if stated in a simple, straightforward manner.

Applicants for a General Building (B) license must list work experience on structures involving three or more different trades per project. Be sure to list structural or weight-bearing work.

The certificates must be included with the application. Do not mail them separately. Letters of recommendation may not be substituted for Certificates. We recommend that a certificate be hand-written by the person signing it: It does not have to be typed.

The board may contact your certifier to verify the information. This does not mean the Board is challenging the application: It is merely verifying it, as required by current administrative practices. You might want to tell the certifier to expect a telephone call. In addition, the Board may request further documentation from you to support any self-employed experience claimed on the application: permits, contracts, paycheck stubs, material receipts, voluntarily produced tax records, etc.

Credit for additional experience may be added to your score by the Board if you fail the trade exam. To be eligible, you must detail all construction experience in the classification beyond the minimum requirement of 4 years. 1/2 point for each year beyond the first four years may be granted UP To 5 points. Once the application is accepted, no additional experience may be submitted. Credit for experience may not be applied to the Law, Asbestos Abatement, or Hazardous Substances exams.

Questions 21-22. Certificates are not required under any one of the following three circumstances. That is, the applicant has already qualified a license and therefore does not have to support the application with certificates and does not have to take qualifying exams.

(1) The QI is already qualifying a license in good standing in the same classification.

(2) The QI has qualified a license in good standing in the same classification within the past 5 years.

(3) The QI has passed the law and trade exams in the same classification within the past 5 years.

Question 23. Read this question carefully if you wish to have an old license number reassigned (or if you do not).

Do not submit any bonds with an original application if you are required to take exams. After passing the exams, you will be notified to submit the required bond(s), initial license fee, and other documents as required. If you wish to create the bond in an inactive status, no bonds are required.

The board does not acknowledge receipt of the application. It will stamp a 7-digit number (the "receipt number") on the front of your check. KEEP TRACK OF THIS NUMBER. Use it in all inquiries regarding the pending application. It is not your license number, however. If you do not receive the canceled check within 3-4 weeks, call the board and ask for an application fee number.

If the board returns your application for revisions or for further information, you must return it within 90 days. If you do not, the application lapses and you will have to start over.

The state's application fee is not refundable, even if the application is ultimately denied.