DIR Reminds Public Works Contractors to Renew Registration before January 1 to Avoid Hefty Penalty

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OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) announced today that a mandatory renewal deadline is approaching for contractors who bid or work on public works projects in California. Contractors whose public works contractor registration expired June 30, 2015, and have ongoing public works projects or plan to bid on new ones, must pay the $300 renewal fee before January 1, 2016 or face an additional $2,000 late penalty after that date.

"Contractor registration ensures that only those contractors who play by the rules can bid and work on public works projects," stated Julie A. Su, State Labor Commissioner. 

As a result of Senate Bill 854, all contractors have been required since April 1, 2015, to register with DIR to be awarded a public works contract, even if the project did not go out to bid.

If you believe that your public works registration with DIR is still active, you can check the active contractor registration search tool to locate and confirm your registration. If your registration does not appear, it may have expired or you were not registered. DIR's Frequently Asked Questions page has more information.

If you were registered last year and have not bid nor worked on any public works projects on or after July 1, 2015, you can renew for this fiscal year without incurring a penalty.

The required annual registration fee of $300 is used to fund such activities as DIR's compliance monitoring and enforcement, prevailing wage and public works coverage determinations, and enforcement appeal hearings.

DIR registration requires that all contractors affirm under penalty of perjury that they have workers' compensation insurance coverage, have no outstanding wage judgments, and are licensed with the Contractors State License Board.  

DIR maintains a listing of registered contractors and subcontractors on its website to assist awarding bodies who must confirm this registration before considering a bid or awarding a contract, and for contractors who must confirm that their bid team members are registered. For more information, visit the DIR Public Works page.

DIR protects and improves the health, safety and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws.

DIR's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), also known as the Labor Commissioner's Office, enforces prevailing wage rates and apprenticeship standards in public works projects, inspects workplaces for wage and hour violations, adjudicates wage claims, investigates retaliation complaints, issues licenses and registrations for businesses and educates the public on labor laws.

Members of the press may contact Erika Monterroza or Peter Melton at (510) 286-1161, and are encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR's press releases or other departmental updates.     

https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaDIR 
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http://www.dir.ca.gov/email/listsub.asp?choice=1   

The California Department of Industrial Relations, established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. For general inquiries, contact DIR's Communications Call Center at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department.

SOURCE California Department of Industrial Relations, California Labor Commissioner's Office

Related Links

http://www.dir.ca.gov