Credentials Archives - Page 2 of 2

Holding Oneself Out

In California, a person who is not an active licensee of the State Bar and is “advertising or holding himself or herself out as practicing or entitled to practice law” is guilty of a misdemeanor. The penalty is up to one year in a county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

The title of certified public accountant is protected in the same way. Washington State law says: “No individuals may hold themselves out to the public or assume or use the designation” “certified public accountant” or “CPA” without a license.

Check the License First

California’s Contractors State License Board gives homeowners one rule above all: “Check the License First.” Anyone doing a construction project “valued at $500 or more (combined labor and material costs) must be licensed.” The board tells consumers to “Verify the license and make sure it is in good standing.”

A license requires more than a test. Contractors must “post a license bond,” and those with employees “must carry workers’ compensation insurance.” A common phrase in American trade advertising puts it in three words: licensed, bonded and insured.