My name is Nick Dowgul, the owner and founder of North State Law where we safeguard your professional license so you can get back to business. This is blog #1 in a frequently asked question series that will feature seven blogs. The question below is the one that I receive the most, hence the reason it is first.
Am I prohibited from using my NC professional license while a licensing complaint is pending?
No, you’re not prohibited from using your license while a complaint is pending against your professional license. You’re free to keep using your license while that complaint works its way through the system with your licensing board or state agency and that’s across all boards and state agencies. It doesn’t matter what profession you’re in. You have a right to keep using your license while the complaint is pending, and you have a right to a hearing if the board or state agency recommends an encumbrance on your license or suspension/revocation.
However, as soon as a board or state agency signs an order implementing a suspension or revocation against your license, then you would have to stop practicing under your license. There’s one exception though. Again, this is for all professions and that is a summary suspension. If a board or agency issues a summary suspension, then you immediately must stop practicing and your license is suspended until further notice and until you get an opportunity to be heard by a board or an agency or administrative law judge. A summary suspension does not happen very often. A summary suspension is only going to be done if the allegation against the licensee is so severe that what the licensee has done has made the licensee a threat to the safety of the public. If the allegation is that severe and the board or agency has sufficient evidence, then they will likely file a summary suspension and the licensee’s license will be suspended until the licensee has an opportunity for a hearing.
There are a couple of options that can be exercised if you receive a summary suspension against your license. If you have any questions regarding a summary suspension, or any other professional license matter, please do not hesitate to call North State Law at 919-521-8810. Our YouTube channel has a number of informative videos and can be found here and our website has a number of helpful blogs and can be found here.
*Nothing in this blog is to be considered legal advice and this blog does not establish an attorney-client relationship.