Day one of California Certification

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bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
When this legislation first came down out of Sacramento I laughed. This state can't do anything right it seems. That was 1999 I think and they just kept moving the deadline date year after year. I did the right thing and took the test (even though as an EC I'm not required to) and 2 of my j-men have the cert. 2 more will test this month and I work for a training company teaching others to take the test. So far only about half of the people estimated to need certification have even applied and that does not include the HUGE underground economy of handymen, illegals, etc. If it weren'y so serious it would be fun to watch how it all plays out.
 

bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Title 24, now there's a good one. I'll admit it is doing some good in reducing energy consumtion but the lighting portion is a joke. People hate the flourescent lighting (esp in the bathrooms) and the vacancy sensing switches. I do alot of business replacing the light fixtures after the building is finaled. I wonder if that is a crime????????
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
bkludecke said:
I do alot of business replacing the light fixtures after the building is finaled. I wonder if that is a crime????????
I don't know. Did you get a permit, and do you have the mandatory certification? :grin:
 

bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
OK, I'm turning myself in. I'll report to Folsom Prison, CA @ dawn (why mess w/ a trial). I can use the rest anyway. Hey John, can you do a side job for me???
 

satcom

Senior Member
Better get a good chair. If Cal is anything like Jersey, it only took them 40 years to start enforcement, and as of this March, they are still training the law enforcement branches, how to enforce the laws.

Jersey is finally going after illegal contractors, and a good number of very unhappy contractors paying all the required expenses and doing everything legal, are finally turning in the illegal guys.
 

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
satcom said:
Better get a good chair. If Cal is anything like Jersey, it only took them 40 years to start enforcement....
Cal. law has NO TEETH WHATSOEVER.
Here is the "law" and the "enforcement" status:
Enforcement Questions

Some of my favorites...
What agency checks the electricians and enforces the law on job sites?
The Statute does not currently provide for state enforcement.

Who is penalized when an electrician is found working without a valid certification?
The individual who is not certified will be considered illegally working.

What is the penalty when an electrician is found working without a valid certification?
According to our Regulations 294.0 - any person who displays a certificate, or otherwise claims to be certified, who is not certified shall be prohibited from taking the test for certification for a period of five(5) years.


Did ya see that?
The Statute does not currently provide for state enforcement.

LOL

So let's say, someone does actually come around and find you w/o your certification...so what?
Now you "can't" take the test for another 5 years...so what?
You'll still work....NO ONE is enforcing anything!
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
Everyone is calling me and asking if we are enforcing it and I keep asking enforcing what?

It's a state law put into effect by the Contractors State License Board and they have not deputized me or even told me what I would do if the person didn't have their cert.

Gotta love those "no teeth laws".
 

kingpb

Senior Member
Location
SE USA as far as you can go
Occupation
Engineer, Registered
Read a little closer:

What is the penalty when an electrician is found working without a valid certification?
According to our Regulations 294.0 - any person who displays a certificate, or otherwise claims to be certified, who is not certified shall be prohibited from taking the test for certification for a period of five(5) years.

The question was glossed over and never answered. As long as you don't try to claim to be certified (i.e. don't lie if asked), or don't display a fake certificate, then you can still take the test.

Frankly, I think the law is an underhanded way to crack down on illegals.
 

bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
cowboyjwc said:
Everyone is calling me and asking if we are enforcing it and I keep asking enforcing what?

It's a state law put into effect by the Contractors State License Board and they have not deputized me or even told me what I would do if the person didn't have their cert.

Gotta love those "no teeth laws".
Actually it's worse than that. The law was put in to effect by the Dept. of Industrial Relations- Beurau of Apprenticship Standards and they never even talked to the CSLB about it. It has only been in the last year that many ECs were even aware of it because the CSLB never made mention of it in their newsletter. I'd rather watch sausage being made than watch the CA legislative process. They held the whole thing up for over a year because the test in Spanish was too hard. The required apprentiship training which is now required before you can take the test is under fire because it is completely unworkable with the few programs available. One could be in a in blimp and fly under the radar of this system. The sad thing is that the idea was a good one, it works in many other states and CA can't even begin to get it right.
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
John,

There is a new law in CA that "anyone" working as an electrician, other than the License holder, must be certified by taking a test that is given by the state and you must carry this card with you just as you would a license and produce it if asked.

Bob,

Because remember Tim Owens kept saying that we should just do whatever some of the other states are doing, but as usual CA had to try and reinvent the wheel.
 

bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
JohnJ0906 said:
There might be a few of us over on the other coast besides me wondering exactly what "mandatory certification" y'all are refering to!:-?
As Cowboy said anyone who works for an EC must be certified. If a person is not certified but is in a state approved apprenticship program (union or non-union) they can work so long as there is a one-on-one supervision ratio; that means for every apprentice there must be at least one supervising j-man on the job. It gets worse. By law a general contractor may do electrical work and his electricians do not need to be certified, neither do electricians working for commercial facilities, industrial plants, municipalities etc. I stay in this state because it's so much fun to watch it happen!
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
bkludecke said:
By law a general contractor may do electrical work and his electricians do not need to be certified, neither do electricians working for commercial facilities, industrial plants, municipalities etc. I stay in this state because it's so much fun to watch it happen!

It sounds to me like they want to have it both ways. They (are still trying to) implement a "certification program" while basically leaving the old system still completely intact.

I wonder if my CT license will count towards getting certified so I can move out there and watch the fun with you??? :D
 

bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Just fill out the app and mail it in with your check (nobody is verifying the qualifications), then you take a very easy open book test on the '99NEC and you are certified. Or you can not do any of that and work here anyway 'cause nobody is looking anyway. GOD I LOVE THIS
 
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