Is a license required in your state?

[SouthernSky]

In Louisiana, satellite installers are required to pass a board-issued examination. Our state is very harsh on installers who are found not to be properly licensed. And a separate license is required for the installation of off-air antennas.

SBCA certification is, of course, quite useless though it does ensure a familiarity with common practices. Needless to say, our state does not recognize SBCA and likely never will.

In various municipalities, local ordinances even state only licensed electricians can install low voltage wiring within city limits. This is a political issue more than a legal one as it ensures only licensed electricians can get the contracts in town.

So the question is -- does your state require any specific license to install satellite dishes? Antennas? Or is this an "only in Louisiana" thing?

Thanks for any input! ..john..

[waydwolf]

*MOST* states have such laws. CT requires what is known as a V-7 for cable, satellite, and antenna work. It is not made easy to get and you need to prove your ability to pass the exam before they give you permission to take the exam in the first place.

It is hardly ever enforced and 99.999% of DBS people in this state are NOT licensed. You are covered if the actual employee of a V-7 holder while performing that work and work in the course of that job. Side work would not come under your employer's V-7. Subcontractors ARE NOT covered by a client's V-7.

Telephone, LAN, and other low-voltage wiring outside of alarm work which has a separate licensing structure, requires either a T-1 or a T-2 while working under a T-1 holder. A T-1 or T-2 does not cover employees in CT much less sub-contractors.

Over a certain limit, a full E-1 or E-2 under an E-1 holder is required which is an electrician's license. Cable telephony installation at 90-100 volts for instance requires that. The market for electricians is kind of glutted and you can do $3000 in a week when orders are high for cable telephony. But with the economy down, it is more like $1500/week at most.

BTW, these laws ARE NOT for protecting markets. They are because all work which involves the electrical system is inherently dangerous. Mis-grounding, or failure to ground, or disrupting of the existing ground can cause motors to malfunction, overheat, burn as well as cause faults and cause faults to go other than the proper ground, like through a living person. Electrocutions and house fires are not things to mess with.

[PSB]

Much the same as above here in MN. I have a "Technology Systems Contractor" license, its needed here to install satellite systems. But as above as long as you work for a licensed person you are covered to install. The law changed slightly here with little change in the field, they now require one licensed person for every three unlicensed techs. I was hoping it would bring me some more work but I have seen no effect. Again most of the installers out there doing 8 installs a day are unlicensed, and it shows!

[Strong]

As in most things, Florida lags the rest of the nation in ceritfications, licences, etc.

Here, if you show up at most cable/satellite installers with a ladder and some tools, they will put you to work immediately! They are primarily concerned with subcontractors having liability insurance.

If there are any state requirements, I haven't heard of them.

Strong

[Jtater]

Strong, it sounds to me like you are referring to a company named CTIS. They are one of Comcast's subs and they do horrible work. You wouldn't beleive some of the messes I have cleaned up behind them. TN has a licensing program that can be defined as political at best, it's one place where the system is designed for the large companies and descriminatory to the rest. Here an individual can get a LLE license which limits his contracts to not exceed the sum of $10,000 per contract. It sounds good on the surface, however T.C.A clearly states that municipalities with their own testing standards in place are not required to recognize a LLE. What happens is that people end up taking multiple licensing exams for multiple localities and shell out many a dollar. I am licensed as a Master Electrician so this doesn't affect me but I can imagine the headaches many LLE's experience trying to get a permit for the one time they land a job in a municipality that has its own testing standard. Somehow it just seems wrong that someone can be licensed by the state, but localities can reject said license. It's about the same as individual counties requiring one to take their local driving exam because they decided they don't want to honor a state issued drivers license.

[SouthernSky]

It sounds like several states require licensure and others don't. I think I'll write to the SBCA and see if they can put together a list. Thanks for all your replies.

[waydwolf]

It sounds like several states require licensure and others don't. I think I'll write to the SBCA and see if they can put together a list. Thanks for all your replies.

Keep in mind that 99% of the rest of the satellite dish industry regards the SBCA as a joke AT BEST. There are hundreds of guys nationwide certified in professional VSAT work by Gilat, GM, etc., for corporate data and private video, and many of them pointedy do not dabble in DBS anymore because of the idiot requirement of the SBCA certification by E* and DTV.

If you want a more thorough cert in DBS, go with the ETA-SDA certs and on top of it, the NCTA and SCTE certs in cable. Anyone with one NCTI cert is worth more than anyone with all the DBS certs in my book. Cable certs are that involved and technical in comparison.

[beegfoot]

When I SBCA certified, the class of 25 had a failure rate of 50%. And these guys were all experienced doing C-Band and DBS. This was even before DishPro technology.

When one of my subcontractors took the test a few months later, they had an open book test.

SBCA is a joke. No, change that. It's another tax to take money from the installers and retailers.

BTW, no license required here in Texas, SS.

[Msguy]

To my knowledge there are no laws in Mississippi that require anyone to have a license to install Satellite Dishes. When Direc Tv first came out in like 1994 My neighbor at the time owned a small local TV repair shop and he was one of the first places in my small town that sold the mini dishes at that time. I bought my unit from him and had him to install it that very same evening i bought the dish after he got off work. He had no license to install a dish.

[25_Bullberry]

All you need in South Dakota is the tools and your SBCA certification. Not that it is right, but it is how it works here.

[SouthernSky]

All you need in South Dakota is the tools and your SBCA certification. Not that it is right, but it is how it works here.

So I guess the followup question is -- if I put an unlicensed installer to work in my state and he gets hurt, would/could my liability agent deny a claim?

[25_Bullberry]

So I guess the followup question is -- if I put an unlicensed installer to work in my state and he gets hurt, would/could my liability agent deny a claim?

If your state has any requirements beyond SBCA certification, I woulnd't put it to the test without a really good lawyer on your side. And if you think as much of lawyers as I do, you just won't take the chance.

Besides, If he gets hurt, wouldn't that be work Comp? It shoudln't fall under liability. that is, of course, unless the laws in your state are different from the SD laws.