CSLB grants staff discretion to waive California building exam for some out‑of‑state applicants

At its meeting, the Contractors State License Board authorized staff to waive the California general building trade examination on a case‑by‑case basis for out‑of‑state applicants who have passed the NASCLA Commercial General Builders Examination and who meet other statutory and documentary requirements.

Board staff told members the waiver authority would rely on the registrar's statutory discretion under Business and Professions Code section 7065.4, and that staff would retain responsibility for verifying applicants'licensure status and other conditions before granting a waiver. "The registrar can waive a trade exam on a case‑by‑case basis," said Registrar Stark, explaining the legal basis staff relied on when proposing the change.

The change would allow staff to accept NASCLA exam results without returning to the board each time…