APPLICATION FOR ADDITIONAL CLASSIFICATION

Note. Please review the detailed instructions on the State application forms. If you have questions, call the Contractor's State License Board at (916) 255-3900 and ask to speak with an information technician. For recorded information, call (800) 321-2752. If those lines are busy, you can call or visit one of the local offices listed on the attached sheet entitled "CONTRACTORS STATE LICENSE BOARD OFFICES."

Fill out the application forms in ink (preferably blue or black) or with a typewriter. Do not use a pencil.

The following suggestions are in reference to the questions that appear starting on page one of the "APPLICATION FOR ADDITIONAL CLASSIFICATION" (form 13A-2, revised 3/95). This same form may also be used to replace the qualifying individual (QI) of a license.

Question 1. State the name of the business as it appears on your current pocket license

Question 2. Copy the license number from your current pocket license.

Question 3. This address will be shown on official records for the license. The Board will send all correspondence to this address. It may be the same as your residential address.

Question 4. The number "4" was inadvertently omitted from this application form. If you listed a P.O. Box in your answer to question 3, enter your business street address in this space.

Question 5. Give the code for the license classification (C-9, C-10, C-33, etc.). The classifications are listed in the instruction sheet attached to the application.

Question 6. Give a brief description that is consistent with the classification you are adding to your license. For example, for the C-33 (Painting) classification this might read "Residential Painting and wallpapering."

Questions 7 and 8. Skip these two questions unless you want to replace the qualifying individual of your original license.

Question 9. List the FULL legal name of the qualifying individual (QI). For most individual licenses, this is the name of the owner. When listing a name, do not use an initial unless the initial is the complete legal name. If you have no middle name, say so. Be sure to fill in the Social Security number. It is no longer optional.

Next enter the residential address of the QI. P.O. boxes are accepted for residential addresses. A street address is required. If none is available, list the road or district and the nearest cross-streets. Finally, don't forget to check one of the boxes under TITLE OR POSITION.

Question 10. This is where you date and sign the application. On the first line, after the date, you must include the city, county, and state. A common mistake is to omit the name of the county. Notice that two signatures are required. If this is an individual license and you are the owner And QI, you must enter your signature in both spaces. Print your name legibly under each signature.

Questions 11-15. Any "yes" answer requires a detailed explanation on a separate sheet of paper.

Question 14. The board may deny a license if a crime is "substantially related to the qualifications, functions or duties of a contractor licensee" (California code of Regulations, title 16, division 8, section 868).

Question 16. This boils down to "Will the QI really be responsible for directly supervising and controlling the business in an active way?" The answer had better be "yes" or there is no need to proceed any further. Note that the QI must work at least 32 hours (or 80 percent of the total hours) per week.

Question 17. If you are not completing this application as an individual you must  answer either 17(a) or 17(b).

Question 18. This applies only to a responsible managing officer (RMO) or qualifying partner. You can skip this question if you are the sole owner and QI.

Questions 19-21. These questions may be skipped if the QI:

1. has passed the law and trade exam in the same classification within the past five years;
2. was the QI for another license in good standing and in the same license classification within the past 5 years.

Question 19. If you completed a union apprenticeship and want to apply it toward your experience requirement, fill in this section. If you don't have an official apprenticeship certificate, be prepared to submit impressive documentation with your application. Overseas apprenticeships are valid if they are comparable or exceed U.S. apprenticeships and can be documented.

Question 20. If you can provide the transcripts, the following credit toward experience may be approved:

• Up to 1-1/2 years credit: For an A.A. degree in building or construction management.
• Up to 2 years credit: For a 4-year degree in accounting, business, economics, math, physics, or areas related to the specific trade being applied for; for a professional law degree; or for substantial course work in accounting, architecture, business, construction technology, drafting, economics, engineering, math, or physics. (If no degree was completed, partial credit may be given on a course-by-course basis of approximately one-month for every 3-unit college course completed.)
• Up to 3 years credit: For a 4-year degree in architecture, construction technology, or any engineering field that is directly related to the trade applied for; for the C-27 license only, a 4-year degree in horticulture or landscape horticulture; for a completed union apprenticeship in the trade applied for.

Question 21. At least 4 years experience within the past 10 years must be listed, although credit from question 19 or 20 can be applied toward the 4-year requirement. The experience listed must be in the trade classification you are adding to the license. Administrative duties, such as estimating, bidding and bookkeeping, without actual field experience in the trade are not acceptable.

Before describing your work experience, read the CSLB's definition of the trade classification.

Check the "part-time" box if you did not work continuously and on a full-time basis during the dates indicated. For example, if during a 10-year period you worked full-time but only every other year, you may claim only 5 years: Check the "part-time" box and enter 5 years 0 months in the spaces next to "Total."

Question 22. Copy the name of the business and the license number as they appear on your current pocket license.

Question 23. Fill in this section if you took the exams for an original license or for an additional classification within the last five years. The "Application Receipt No." should be on your canceled check or on the "SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF EXAMINATION" notice that you were given at the state exam site.

CERTIFICATE IN SUPPORT OF EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS

The board requires that you verify the work experience outlined in your answer to Question 21 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.

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.

Although not required, CERTIFICATES SHOULD BE HAND WRITTEN. You can show the certifier your answer to question 21, but be sure that the certifier phrases the certificate in his or her own language.

The certificates must be included with the application. Do not mail them separately. Letters of recommendation may not be substituted for certificates.

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.

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 don't the application lapses and you will have to start over. The application fee is not refundable, even if the application is ultimately denied.