Without skilled electricians, our world would be dark. Electricians ensure homes, businesses, and industrial enterprises are fully powered and fully powered. They help us harness the electrical power we need to see in the dark, use our electronics and appliances, keep warm, recharge batteries, and otherwise live our lives in safety and security.
In all areas of Massachusetts, from metropolitan Boston in the east to Pittsfield in the west of the state, electricians provide critical expertise in the installation, operation, maintenance, testing, and repair of electrical systems, components, equipment, and appliances. To their customers, they provide essential and skilled expertise.
As an electrician, you have studied, trained, and practiced your occupation. You have worked with clients to install and upgrade wiring and electrical services to meet their needs. As you give all your attention to your clients and their projects, it can be surprising to learn a complaint has been filed against you. You may find it frustrating to navigate the complaint, investigation, and hearing process on your own.
The Lento Law Firm defends electricians accused of misconduct in Massachusetts. Regardless of the allegations, our experienced attorneys are ready to protect you and fight for your best interests. We can partner with you to challenge any complaint filed against you and your license. Contact our offices at 888-535-3686 or through a confidential online consultation form to discuss your case with our Professional License Defense Team.
Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure and the Board of State Examiners of Electricians Licensing
In Massachusetts, the Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL) and its Board of State Examiners of Electricians (the Board) oversee the licensing applications and renewals, continuing education requirements, and complaint procedures involving licensed electricians.
The Board consists of:
- The state fire marshal;
- The associate commissioner for the Division of Occupational Education in the Department of Education; and
- Nine people who are appointed by the governor, including a representative of the public, a local wiring inspector, and a vocational-technical electrical educator or administrator.
The Board is responsible for protecting the citizens of Massachusetts by setting the education, training, and practice standards for individuals performing electrical installations. Additionally, the Board performs fire investigations, oversees electrical inspectors for work performed by state transportation agencies, and settles disputes between electricians and local wiring inspectors.
The DOL and the Board are both involved in the license disciplinary process.
Becoming a Licensed Electrician in Massachusetts
The Board issues four types of licenses for electricians and individuals working with fire and security systems:
Master Electricians: To become a master electrician, the candidate must have a Massachusetts Journeyman license, at least 1 year of work experience, and completed 150 hours of Board-approved education.
Journeyman Electricians: To become a journeyman electrician, the candidate must complete 600 hours of Board-approved education and a 15-hour class on code updates, as well as have 8000 hours of work experience during at least 4 years working under a licensed Massachusetts journeyman electrician.
Fire Warning and Security Systems Contractors: To become a fire warning and security systems contractor, the candidate needs a Massachusetts fire warning and security systems technician license. Additionally, they must have at least one year of work experience and 75 hours of Board-approved education.
Fire Warning and Security Systems Technicians: To become a fire warning and security systems technician, a candidate must complete 300 hours of Board-approved education and a 15-hour class on code updates. Additionally, they must have worked over 4,000 hours during at least 2 years under a licensed Massachusetts system technician or journeyman electrician.
Once the qualifications are met, the license candidate submits their license application and schedules their exam.
The requirements may differ for out-of-state license applicants, individuals from New Hampshire who are seeking reciprocity, and military applicants.
If an individual performs work without a license in Massachusetts, the Board may prosecute them directly or through the Office of the Attorney General.
Despite the efforts of the DOL and the Board to regulate electricians and maintain a high level of professionalism and expertise, there are still times when complaints are filed against a licensed electrician.
When a license complaint is filed, the DOL will investigate and act against electricians believed to be conducting themselves or performing their trade in violation of professional standards and the Board's rules and regulations.
Standards of Professional Conduct in Massachusetts
The DOL and the Board are committed to ensuring public safety by upholding electrical licensing requirements. If an allegation is made against you, take it seriously. Assume it is a legitimate threat to your license and prepare for the DOL's inquiry and hearing. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can help you challenge any complaint against you or your work.
In Massachusetts, electrician license holders are expected to conduct themselves and their work with integrity, honesty, and competency. The standards of professional conduct prohibit conduct that jeopardizes the safety and quality of electrical services, demonstrates the impaired judgment of the electrical contractor, or leads to the exploitation of the public. Examples of problematic conduct include:
- Engaging in fraud.
- Obtaining a license fraudulently.
- Misusing client funds, information, or records.
- Engaging in sexual misconduct.
- Failing to meet standards of practice.
- Failing to obtain a required permit.
- Acting with negligence.
- Failing to cooperate with the Board.
- Practicing under the influence or when impaired by alcohol or drugs
No one is perfect. Errors and misjudgments happen to everyone. Some customers are determined to be unsatisfied. Don't let an isolated mistake, a simple misunderstanding, or a lapse in judgment derail your career and place your license at risk. The Lento Law Firm can help you regardless of the allegation. We are committed to you and your best interests.
License Complaint Procedure in Massachusetts
The Lento Law Firm defends electricians accused of misconduct throughout Massachusetts. We know that a threat to your license is a threat to your financial security. Our experienced attorneys can partner with you through the disciplinary process.
- Complaint: Cases usually begin with a complaint being filed against you and alleging unprofessional conduct. In Massachusetts, license complaints can be filed online through the state's ePLACE Portal or by mail by sending the complaint form to the Division of Occupational Licensure, Office of Investigations, 1000 Washington Street, Suite 710, Boston, MA 02118.
- Investigation: The DOL's Office of Investigations will process and review the complaint to determine if the division has authority over the complaint. If so, investigators will initiate an inquiry into the complaint and the circumstances surrounding it.
Once the investigation is complete, the complaint and investigative findings are forwarded to the Board. The Board reviews the materials, and either dismisses the complaint or refers the complaint to the DOL's Prosecutions Unit for an adjudicatory hearing.
- Hearing: A hearing allows a licensee to defend themselves and their license. After the hearing, the licensee may be issued a sanction. Sanctions may include a fine or license probation, suspension, or revocation. The DOL actively pursues sanctions against the licensed occupations under its authority and publishes quarterly Disciplinary Actions Reports summarizing actions taken against licensees, including electricians.
If you have received a sanction, you must take immediate action to determine your appeal or reinstatement rights. Many filing deadlines are time-sensitive and require quick action to maintain your rights. Because your license is key to your livelihood, you need a defense strategy that keeps you working.
From your initial response through any necessary hearing, our attorneys can craft a deliberate strategy to defend your license and your work. Let the Lento Law Firm develop and execute a comprehensive defense strategy to protect your license.
Let the Lento Law Firm Defend Your License and Your Future
In Massachusetts, license disciplinary hearings are adversarial, and the licensing board does not care that you need your license to work. You do not need to face the Board alone. Instead, you can build a defense team with the Lento Law Firm.
The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can provide strategic legal guidance and:
- Analyze the allegations made against you and develop a defense strategy.
- Ensure the DOL and the Board conduct the investigation and hearing in compliance with existing law and regulation, including meeting all notice and due process requirements.
- Work with you to prepare for your interview with an investigator or to give testimony during a hearing.
- Draft your response, correspondence, and other documents for timely submission to the authorities.
- Identify mitigating evidence and exonerating witnesses to challenge the allegations against you.
- Advocate on your behalf before, during, and after any disciplinary hearing, including negotiating a settlement or consent agreement on your behalf to resolve the dispute without a hearing.
- Developing an appeal or reinstatement strategy, if necessary.
You've spent years acquiring and practicing your expertise in a complex trade. Your skills and knowledge are in demand. The last thing you need is a license complaint and investigation distracting you from your projects, permits, and job progress. With the Lento Law Firm on your side, we can manage the complaint process and preparation, and you can focus on your work and clients.
A license disciplinary complaint could jeopardize everything you have worked for, putting your occupation, reputation, and future at risk. You don't have to navigate a professional license investigation or hearing alone. The sooner you contact the Lento Law Firm, the sooner we can partner with you to develop and execute a detailed defense strategy. While our Professional License Defense Team fights for your license, you can continue to focus on your work.
License Disciplinary Proceedings Can Lead to Devastating Adverse Consequences
At the Lento Law Firm, we understand the risks inherent in a license disciplinary complaint and can offer strategies to protect yourself. Any complaint that places your license at risk should be vigorously challenged.
In Massachusetts, your license is the foundation of your job and your family's financial security. A single complaint from a disgruntled customer may lead to a disciplinary investigation and sanction that places your reputation, license, and livelihood at risk. Even if the complaint is unfounded, the accusation alone can undermine your reputation and the hassle of managing the initial inquiry can be exhausting.
An adverse determination can undermine your life and career by making it difficult, if not impossible, to work in your chosen profession. Harsh disciplinary sanctions, such as having your license suspended or revoked, may end your current employment and limit future opportunities. You work too hard to lose your license and jeopardize your financial security.
Additionally, a license investigation or hearing can take a huge personal toll on your health and wellness. An accusation of unprofessional conduct can impact your reputation and may lead to an ongoing investigation. It can be an additional burden on your mental and physical health to navigate the adversarial disciplinary process and live with the uncertainty that harsh sanctions may be issued against you. In these cases, the stress of the proceedings often strains personal and familial relationships.
You don't have to navigate the license complaint and disciplinary process alone. You can partner with the Lento Law Firm. The Professional License Defense Team can manage your license defense so that you can continue supporting your clients.
It's Never Too Late to Contact the Lento Law Firm
At the Lento Law Firm, we protect electricians accused of misconduct throughout Massachusetts. We understand the importance of your work to your clients and your future. Whether you have just learned of the complaint against you or are facing a sanction, we can partner with you. Together, we can collaborate to protect you and your license.
From Boston and Cambridge to Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and all the communities in between, our Professional License Defense Team helps electricians respond to complaints and navigate license investigations, hearings, and sanctions before the DOL and the Board. Regardless of the allegations made against you, our experienced attorneys can fight on your behalf. Call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or complete our online consultation form to discuss your case.
