Earning any professional license requires a fair bit of hard work in order to do, and once you have it, then it is likely the source of your livelihood. Due to that, it is essential to keep your license. While it should be a worry that some action or complaint will have it revoked, it should also be a concern that the day may come where your license is declined by the licensing board for renewal. What then?
UNDERSTANDING WHY RENEWAL WAS DENIED
If your license was denied for renewal, it is your right to know why. Your licensing board should have informed you of the reasons when you received the denial, but if they did not, you need to take actions to find out why. In cases where you feel you have done nothing wrong, you may find that the denial is dependent on certain circumstances or your license has been placed in a probationary period instead.
Reasons your professional license could be denied for renewal are many, but they include:
- Previous arrests or conviction
- Ineligibility for all requirements
- Disciplinary action from the licensing board in another state
- Alleged substance abuse or mental health concerns
- Need to take the required education courses
CONTEST THE LICENSING BOARD’S ACTIONS
If you have been denied for any of the above reasons, or any number of other reasons, you have the right to contest the denial. That contest of their decision should be one that you do immediately. As soon as you are informed of the decision, you should contact a skilled professional license defense attorney. The right attorney can help you understand your rights and often to protect your license through examining the board’s actions.
Often what an attorney does is that they start up a negotiation. They may be able to negotiate a flat out denial into renewal on a more probationary period, or negotiate a probationary license into a renewal with no additional terms. Even if the licensing board was well within their rights to deny you a license, the right professional license attorney can help you defend your livelihood and get your license back.
DON’T PRACTICE WITHOUT A LICENSE
Unfortunately, even after contacting an attorney, fighting for the renewal of your license takes time. It is often much shorter than say, a criminal trial, but all things require time to do right. However, you may be tempted to continue your work without a license, but let us be clear – Don’t.
Practicing any profession that requires licensing without the proper license can be an ethical or even criminal breach. It can open you up to legal action from the board and certainly will hurt your case for renewal after a denial. Professionals without licenses will want to cancel their appointments or otherwise have a colleague at their practice take care of them. Unfortunately, this can leave you without a sufficient paycheck while you wait. This is why it is so crucial to move quickly after a denial. You want that clock ticking and your lawyer working as soon as possible so you can get back to work as soon as possible.
Are you a professional license holder in Minnesota who has had the unpleasant surprise that you were declined for renewal? Contact us today. As a professional license defense attorney, Jennifer Speas and the Speas Law Firm are skilled at representing clients whose professional license is in peril for any reason. Let us help you protect your license and your livelihood so you can get back to your practice. Never just accept a denial of your license for what it shouldn’t be.