Santa Fe - New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Superintendent Marguerite Salazar announced Thursday that the Construction Industries Division participated with the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) in a national coordinated enforcement effort, the weeks of June 3 – 21, 2019, which included eleven NASCLA State Members who took part in this event across the country. Participating states included Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Utah.

“This nationally coordinated collaboration provided the opportunity to protect the consumers, deter illegal construction activity and level the playing field for legitimate contractors in the construction industry,” said Salazar.

The national coordinated enforcement effort focused on elevating the regulatory presence in the community and nationally. The goal of state
members was to come together in a united partnership to promote both consumer and public protection through the licensing and/or registration of
contractors.

The Construction Industries Division focused on social media ads along with websites providing referrals for home maintenance and repair services.
Licensing was verified on hundreds of contractors. Thirty-four unlicensed contractors were identified and seven criminal complaints have been filed,
while an additional 27 are still being investigated. Those 27 will result in additional criminal charges, however, some of them may enter into stipulated agreements in an effort to get them properly licensed.

Along with combating the increased illegal unlicensed activity nationally, the intention was to warn consumers that they need to be aware of these activities for regulatory compliance.