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Department of Safety and Professional Services
Department of Safety and Professional Services
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Credentialing

Trades FAQs

Review frequently asked question for trades professions. 

On this page:

A general Credential and LicensE FAQ page with additional help topics can be found here. 

Account Questions

There are several possible reasons your license may not appear in your LicensE account:

  1. You may be logged in to the wrong LicensE account.

    • If you have more than one credential or account, such as an individual license and an organization license, make sure you are using the correct username and are logged in to the account associated with the license you are trying to access.

  2. Your license may be associated with a duplicate LicensE account.

    • If you previously created more than one LicensE account, your license may be associated with a different account.

    • To have us help locate your license, submit a support ticket by selecting Request Support. Include:

      • Your license number

      • Date of birth

      • Last four digits of your Social Security number

      • The email address you would like to associate with your account

      • For organization accounts, provide the last four digits of the FEIN instead of a Social Security number.

    • We will use this information to verify your identity and help determine which account your license is associated with.

An individual account is needed for licenses that are held by a person. An organization account is needed for licenses that are held by an organization or business. 

If you hold both individual and organization licenses (ex: If you hold a Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier), you will have 2 accounts in LicensE. 

Common Application Questions

If you are using a phone or tablet, rotate your device horizontally to view all dropdwon options. If the option is still not visable, please use a computer.

  • After uploading your document, be sure to click "submit" so it sends the document back to the DSPS team for review. 

  • Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

  • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see here on our LicensE dashboard to see what date we are on review of for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required to receive your credential.

Your Due Diligence is how the DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

To view your Due Diligences:

  • Log in to your LicensE account at LicensE.wi.gov.

  • Select “My Applications.”

  • Click the triangle under the "Action" column.

  • Choose “View Due Diligences.”

  • The "Status" column will let you know if the item is "Met," Not Met," or "Not Applicable."

  • Items listed as "Not Met" are items that are still need by DSPS.

  • The "Notes" Column of yout Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

Tip: If you are using a phone or tablet, rotate your device horizontally to view all dropdown options. If the option is still not visible, please use a computer.

  1. Make sure your application has all required documents uploaded before you submit your application.

  2. All documents uploaded must be up to date, and have all required items (signatures, hours, etc.).

  3. Do not submit multiple support tickets on the same issue about your application. This may delay processing timelines. 

In 2024 when Trades credentials were added to LicensE, they received an updated numbering format. A suffix was added to the credential number. 

The format is now:

"1234 - ABC."

  • If you only applied a couple of days ago, your license may not have been reviewed by a member of the Department yet.

  • Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

  • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see here on our LicensE dashboard to see what date we are on review of for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

Continuing Education Questions

The best way to view your continuing education information is through the LicensE lookup at license.wi.gov. 

  1.  Go to license.wi.gov

  2. Click "License Lookup"

  3. Click search by drop down and select "Credential/License Number."

    1. You can also search by name. 

  4. Enter your credential number. 

    1. Ensure your format includes the spaces before and after the dash

    2. Example: 1234 - DCQ

  5. Click on your credential number from the list of results. 

  6. Scroll down to "CE Information for (License Number)"

Video:

All continuing education must be entered by the course provider. If you see any classes missing, or incorrect hours, please contact the course provider to request that it be entered. 

If the course provider has any issues they should contact the Office of Education and Examinations at dspscourseapproval@wisconsin.gov.

You cannot submit your renewal application until all required continuing education is completed and entered by your course provider.

Your course provider has 9 days to enter your continuing education courses into LicensE.

Scope of Practice Questions

DSPS maintains program-specific email inboxes (tech boxes) to answer general code or scope of practice questions. Responses should not be construed as formal code interpretations nor do they supersede any previously issued correspondence from DSPS. Tech boxes should not be used for projects where code officials are already involved.

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