County Registering

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JayWebb

New User
Location
Clearwater, FL Pinellas County
My brother and I recently started our own business and we are figuring things out as we go here. I took Mike Holts Prep Class for the EC and during the course I remember the instructor saying that once you have paid the state and are a Certified contractor with the state that you only have to register with the counties that you with you work in, not pay more money. No problem. I went to register with Pinellas County and they are sticking their had out for money to register. I politely told the lady that I have already paid to register with he state and I don't see the reason to pay to register with the county. If they want to see who I am its on the state website and that I just wanted to make them aware I was working in Pinellas. She looked puzzled when I asked her to show me why I had to pay. Can anyone confirm that the registering fees are unnecessary? :D
 
In most cases each county or city can have their own occupational licensing and registration fees.

Roger
 
Sounds like a scam isn't there a statewide licensing program? Around here you pay for a State license and it's illegal for any town or city to try and dip their greedy hands into your pocket. The OP sounds like the way they run things in NYS.
 
infinity said:
Sounds like a scam isn't there a statewide licensing program? Around here you pay for a State license and it's illegal for any town or city to try and dip their greedy hands into your pocket.
Click to expand...

That's how it works where I am. I pay one license fee to the state. However, it sounds like this is more of a business license in each county they are talking about.
 
peter d said:
Is this a town and city fee you have to pay just to operate an EC business?
Click to expand...

In a nut shell yes.
If you want to pull a permit and have it inspected, you need to register your business with them.

We have stopped doing work in a few out lying areas, we were not doing enough work to warrant paying the extra fees, when we can hardly keep up with local stuff.
 
cpinetree said:
In a nut shell yes.
If you want to pull a permit and have it inspected, you need to register your business with them.

We have stopped doing work in a few out lying areas, we were not doing enough work to warrant paying the extra fees, when we can hardly keep up with local stuff.
Click to expand...

Can you slide that work in under the radar? ;)
 
cpinetree said:
In a nut shell yes.
If you want to pull a permit and have it inspected, you need to register your business with them.

We have stopped doing work in a few out lying areas, we were not doing enough work to warrant paying the extra fees, when we can hardly keep up with local stuff.
Click to expand...

I often wonder how the consumer benefits from scams like these, after all one would assume that the rationale behind these registries is consumer protection.
 
TN has the "pay to play" rules. Individual jurisdictions can not require additional testing for folks holding the appropriate State license but those jurisdictions can charge you for licencing and business licenses and permits.
 
cpinetree said:
We get to pay the counties and often the city's we work in. :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...

OK, I miss spoke, I just spoke to our book keeper, that was they way it was up until this year / recently.

The state passed some kind of law that said that it was double dipping and each area can not charge an additional fee.

With that being said we do still pay a fee to the county and city that the business is operating in, along with the state EC fee.
 
Many years ago I was an independent soft drink distributor, and I had to have a business license in each city I delivered to. So I would guess it is most everyone who goes into the city to do business.
 
infinity said:
I often wonder how the consumer benefits from scams like these, after all one would
assume that the rationale behind these registries is consumer protection.
Click to expand...

my assumption it was to generate local revenue.

before i can pull a permit in a city in california, i have to have a
business license in that city. before they issue a business license,
they check and see if my state license is valid.

those local business licenses, in my experience, run from about
$75 a year, to about $500 a year.

then we get to deal with permit fees. i see in the course of my work,
a lot of permits all over the state. the fees charged are astounding.
a 3,000 square foot build out with a $9,000 permit fee?

three separate electrical permits for a single 1,200 sq ft retail space?
 
I don't understand, if you have a statewide licensing program how are all of these fiefdoms allowed to put a gun to your head and steal your money?
 
infinity said:
I don't understand, if you have a statewide licensing program how are all of these fiefdoms allowed to put a gun to your head and steal your money?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if this is the OP's situation but, what I'm referring to is not the same as the EC or ER license, it basically boils down to being a business license and can/does apply to all businesses.

Roger
 
infinity said:
I don't understand, if you have a statewide licensing program how are all of these fiefdoms allowed to put a gun to your head and steal your money?
Click to expand...

roger said:
I'm not sure if this is the OP's situation but, what I'm referring to is not the same as the EC or ER license, it basically boils down to being a business license and can/does apply to all businesses.

Roger
Click to expand...


Here a state contractor's license just gives you the right to contract. You don't have to open a business, you can work for someone else and sponsor their business as the master of record.

If you want to open a business then you are required to have a local business license in the jurisdiction where the business is located. After that other jurisdictions will honor this business license but may have additional bonding requirements.

We used to have other jurisdictions that would charge a small registration fee before you could get a permit but they stopped that and just charge more for the permit ( still the same money).
 
infinity said:
I don't understand, if you have a statewide licensing program how are all of these fiefdoms allowed to put a gun to your head and steal your money?
Click to expand...
Can't speak for where OP is at. Here there is statewide licensing though. You only have to pay state AHJ for your license, other local AHJ's still may charge a "registration fee", just to have you in their system. You must have a valid state license to register, you must be registered to work within their jurisdiction, the local AHJ can not issue or charge you for a license of any kind.
 
kwired said:
Can't speak for where OP is at. Here there is statewide licensing though. You only have to pay state AHJ for your license, other local AHJ's still may charge a "registration fee", just to have you in their system. You must have a valid state license to register, you must be registered to work within their jurisdiction, the local AHJ can not issue or charge you for a license of any kind.
Click to expand...

Our system here is so simple, you pay one fee for your state license and that's it. When you go to the town/city hall for your permit, you show them your license, pay the permit fee that the town charges, and it's done. No registration fees, nothing. All you need is to have a valid electrical contractor's license.
 
infinity said:
I don't understand, if you have a statewide licensing program how are all of these fiefdoms allowed to put a gun to your head and steal your money?
Click to expand...

the authority having jurisdiction does what it wants to do.

santa ana, calif. has issues with enough revenue to stay afloat.

here is the language on their website about this:

"DO I NEED A BUSINESS LICENSE IF I AM AN OUT-OF-CITY
STATE LICENSED CONTRACTOR DOING BUSINESS IN THE
CITY OF SANTA ANA?
If you are an Out-of-City State Licensed Contractor doing business in
the City of Santa Ana you are required to secure your own individual
business license(s). The Santa Ana Municipal Code requires that
General Contractors (including Builder Owners) submit a verification
form identifying all specialty contractors engaged with any building
permit obtained to work within the City of Santa Ana. In accordance
with City ordinance, no Certificate of Occupancy or Final Inspection
may be granted by the City until all business license fees have been
paid by every prime contractor and subcontractor engaged."


so, in performing a title 24 lighting certification in the city of santa ana,
where i am on site for 60 minutes, performing no physical install,
i need a license. iirc, it's about $350 for the year. the building inspector
will check every single person who performed work on that site to make
sure that fee gets paid.




 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top