Again, my beef is not with non licensed electricians doing side work they pick up from word of mouth communications. They do so at their own risk and the risk of the consumer who has no legal recourse if something is done improperlly. I don't see it, and don't really care. It is not my desire to catch these people.
My complaint is when unlicensed people have the stupidity or audacity to pay for advertising space in publications and actually entrap innocent people into illegally contracting work with them. If I see an ad for electrical work, the first thing I do is check to see if they are licensed. If they are not, then the state board investigators get to earn their paychecks. This is a right to work state, and always lets the unlicensed off with a friendly warning. The ads stop real soon afterwards. I think this is fair, unlike New Jersey, where fines and felony convictions are automatic.
