Tennessee licenses electricians at both the state and local levels. Regardless of the type of electrician's license you hold in Tennessee, you've worked long and hard to meet requirements, which typically include hundreds of hours of training and years of work experience, in addition to taking and passing a test. With all of that time and effort invested in your license, it's important that you take steps to protect it if a complaint is filed against you. The future is bright for electricians in general – job openings for electricians through 2033 are projected to increase at more than 2-1/2 times the average annual rate for all professions. You don't want to let a disciplinary issue sideline your career.
That's where the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help. Our experienced attorneys regularly represent tradespeople in disciplinary proceedings across Tennessee. We're here to help you review the allegations made against you and to defend you and your license during the disciplinary process. Call us today at 888.535.3686 or fill out our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our professional license defense attorneys to learn more about how we can help.
Electrician Licenses in Tennessee
There are several types of electrician licenses available in Tennessee. The state issues two main types of licenses: Limited Licensed Electrician licenses and Contractor Electrical Licenses. In addition, certain counties in Tennessee issue their own electrician licenses – typically journeyman and master licenses – that apply within their borders. This may sound confusing, which is why if you are working as an electrician in Tennessee, it's extremely important to understand the scope of any license you hold.
One of the main issues when it comes to disciplinary proceedings for electricians in Tennessee is whether an electrician is working without the proper license. Just because you hold a master electrician's license issued by Nashville and Davidson County, for example, doesn't mean you're licensed to work in Shelby County, which has its own licensing requirements. And even if you hold a statewide license, such as a Contractor Electrical License, you may still have to register with a local county or city before you can legally do electrical work in that location.
The best way to make sure you're properly registered to work as an electrician in the areas of Tennessee where your jobs (or potential jobs) are is to check with one of the experienced attorneys from the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team. We can review your license situation and discuss where you are working and the types of jobs you are working on, and advise you whether you may need another license or registration before you move forward. That can help prevent a situation where you are facing discipline at the state or local level for failing to have the proper license or registration for the work that you're doing.
The Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE) license is issued by the state of Tennessee. It is limited in more than one way. For one, it only applies to jobs where the total value of materials and labor is less than $25,000. Second, it is only valid in parts of the state that don't otherwise require electricians to have a local electrician's license. Because many counties in Tennessee require a local license, it's important to understand exactly where your LLE license is effective and where it isn't. Even in places where it is effective, you may also need to register with the county or municipality in order to be able to legally work there. And third, an electrician working as an LLE is not allowed to use the term “contractor.”
The state also issues what it calls a Contractor's license. That license can be issued in various forms; the one that allows the contractor to perform electrical work in the state is called the CE license. It's required if the contractor will be working on a job that is worth more than $25,000. The Contractor CE license is accepted statewide, and the contractor holding the license does not need to have a separate license from counties and cities that have their own electrician licensing programs. Note that the contractor may still need to register locally in order to legally work in that particular county or city.
As noted, in addition to the statewide electrician licenses (LLE and Contractor CE licenses), many local governments in Tennessee issue their own licenses to electricians. These are typically of two types: journeyman electrician licenses and master electrician licenses. You need to check carefully with the county or city in which you are going to be working to make sure that you have the proper license to allow you to work in that area.
The Board for Licensing Contractors
The Board for Licensing Contractors is the state-level body responsible for issuing Limited License Electrician licenses and Contractor CE licenses. It is also responsible for license renewals, approving continuing education for electricians, and disciplining electricians for misconduct. It operates under the state's Department of Commerce and Insurance. The Board issues other types of licenses as well – for contractors, it issues licenses under a number of subspecialties such as building, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, and others.
Discipline by the Board for Licensing Contractors
The Board for Licensing Contractors is responsible for disciplining licensees who are found to have committed misconduct. The types of misconduct that the Board can discipline licensees for includes:
- Working as an electrician without the required license
- Failing to complete the required continuing education before renewing a license
- Lack of cooperation with a Board misconduct investigation
- Failing to honor a warranty agreement given to a customer
- Allowing their license number to be used by someone else
- Failing to maintain required worker's compensation insurance
- Having their license suspended or revoked in another state
- Not paying a civil judgment entered against them that is related to their work
- Failing to respond to customer inquiries about completing work or about the quality of work performed
The Board will investigate complaints that are brought to it by consumers and others against Limited License Electricians and Contractors with CE licenses. When the Board receives a complaint, it will be assigned to an attorney who will review it and, as necessary, conduct an investigation. If a complaint is filed against you, it is very likely that during the investigation process, you will be contacted by the Board attorney responsible for the investigation. When that happens, you have an obligation to cooperate with the attorney, but that doesn't mean you have no rights.
This is where the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help. Most of us are not familiar with being interviewed by someone who has the power to recommend that we be sanctioned for something we have done. This kind of interview can be very intimidating, which is why we will work with our clients to prepare them for the situation. In addition, we can be with you when you're interviewed, to help make sure you only respond to clear questions that are understandable and to protect your rights during the interview process.
We'll also help make sure you cooperate with the Board's investigation so that you can't be accused of failing to do so. We will act as your point of contact with the Board during the investigation and disciplinary process. This can take much of the day-to-day pressure off of you, and also can help make sure you meet any important deadlines and that you respond to Board requests in a timely and effective way.
At some point, when the investigation is complete, the Board may offer to resolve the matter with a Consent Order. This is where the Board proposes a resolution that typically requires you to admit to certain facts. Whether to accept an offer for a Consent Order is entirely up to you, but if you're working with one of the experienced attorneys from the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team, we will help you review the proposed terms and can advise you whether it makes sense in your case to accept them. In many cases, we may be able to negotiate with the Board for better terms. In another case, we may recommend that you refuse the proposed Consent Order and take your case to the hearing stage.
The Board's attorney will present their findings to the Board along with their recommendations of what penalties should be assessed. This is done anonymously – in other words, the name of the licensee and of the person who filed the complaint are not disclosed to the Board. The Board's attorney may recommend that the Board accept a Consent Order where one has been entered into; that it issue a letter of warning or caution to the licensee; or that it schedule a formal hearing in cases where the Board's attorney is recommending more serious penalties and no Consent Order has been agreed to. The Board's attorney can also recommend that the complaint be dismissed in cases where there is not enough evidence to support sanctions against the licensee.
Hearings are available in cases where the Board is seeking to revoke a license or to assess civil penalties, such as fines against the licensee. There are procedural rules that are followed when a complaint reaches the hearing stage. If you're working with one of the experienced members of the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team, your attorney will explain the rules to you and how they will relate to your case and your hearing. And through it all, your attorney will be protecting your rights and working to defend your license against a misconduct finding and penalties that could put you out of business.
What to Do if a Complaint is Filed Against You With the Board for Licensing Contractors
The number one thing you can do when you learn that a complaint has been filed against you with the Board for Licensing Contractors is not to ignore it. You have an obligation to cooperate with the Board when it investigates the complaint, and if you fail to do so, you can be disciplined for that. Make sure you read the complaint and any other information provided by the Board when it notifies you of the complaint, and pay close attention to any deadlines that are mentioned in the notice.
The best way to make sure that you properly defend against the allegations in the complaint is to work with an experienced professional license defense attorney. At the Lento Law Firm, our professional license defense attorneys help clients protect their rights and their licenses during misconduct investigations and proceedings every day. It's what we do, and we understand the laws, rules, regulations, and procedures that apply in these cases. Most importantly, we understand what your rights are, and we will fight to protect your rights and to defend you against the allegations that you're facing.
The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team Can Help Protect Your Electrician's License in Tennessee
Your electrician's license is a valuable personal asset. Whether you hold a Limited Licensed Electrician's license; a Contractor CE license, a local electrician's license, or a combination of some of these, your license is your key to being able to work as an electrician in Tennessee. By fighting to protect it when you've been accused of misconduct, you are investing in your future. The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team is here to help you do that.
Our attorneys regularly defend licensed tradespeople who have been accused of misconduct. We understand the investigations process; we regularly negotiate favorable resolutions such as Consent Orders, and we know when to take a case to the hearing stage. We will keep you informed of what is happening with your case from start to finish and will act as your contact point with the Board for Licensing Contractors so that you can focus on your work.
If a complaint has been filed against you with the Board for Licensing Contractors, call us at 888.535.3686 or fill out our contact form, and we will schedule a confidential consultation. Tell us about your case, and we'll let you know how we can help.
