Is It Mandatory? Know the Answer Before You Self-Report to Your Professional Licensing Board
You put in years of education, training, and testing, as well as significant expense, to qualify for your professional license, and you take pride in your work. But now, you have a legally significant issue regarding your personal or professional conduct that may endanger your professional standing. Should you report it to your state’s licensing board?
Before self-reporting when it may not be legally required—and inviting scrutiny unnecessarily—contact the Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm by calling 888-535-3686 or sending us a message to tell us about your case. Our team understands the self-reporting requirements of every professional licensing board in each state in the country, and we can help you determine the best course of action for your case.
What Is the Threshold for Mandatory Self-Reporting?
There is no one single answer to this question, because the threshold for mandatory self-reporting can vary by state, profession, and type of conduct. For example, a for or charged with a DUI within 10 working days, while a a DUI charge that results in a conviction, a plea of guilty, or a plea of no contest (nolo contendere)—there is no reporting requirement for the initial charge.
But what is the harm in self-reporting a DUI charge even though it’s not legally required? Because it draws the licensing board’s attention to possible issues in your personal conduct, and it could trigger an investigation that may widen beyond the initial issue and draw attention to other areas of your professional or personal history.
When You Are Under the Jurisdiction of More Than One Agency
In financial professions such as stockbrokers and investment advisors, there is an additional complication: In addition to complying with the requirements of their state licensing boards, they must also register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which regulates federal securities. For example, the self-reporting rules a stockbroker in California must adhere to and the federal-level have significant overlap, but they are not identical: There are variations in the types of events requiring self-reporting, reporting mechanisms, and reporting deadlines.
To be clear, it is crucial to self-report in any circumstance where your state board requires it. Given the risks involved both in underreporting and overreporting, you need the knowledgeable counsel that the Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm can provide.
Protect Your Professional License
If you have a personal or professional issue that you may need to self-report to your state licensing board, you must treat this situation with the seriousness it deserves to protect your professional license—do not put it at unnecessary risk. You need the Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm for scrupulous commitment to representing your interests to achieve the best outcome. Call 888.535.3686 or complete this contact form now for more information about how our skilled and experienced license defense can help you.