Suspensions – it’s your choice

It pays to know how each of the three types of LBP suspensions work. MBIE provides guidance below

There are several types of licensed building practitioner (LBP) licensing suspensions – voluntary, relicensing, or disciplinary.  Voluntary suspensions are by choice, but relicensing or disciplinary suspensions happen as a result of your actions as an LBP.

All suspensions appear on your public register page, with the reason for the suspension described, including for disciplinary or relicensing reasons. Clients might steer away from you if you have a disciplinary or relicensing suspension history, so maintaining your current licence status can be very important to your reputation and future business.

Voluntary suspension
You may choose to have your licence (or a class of licence) suspended for up to two years by completing the ‘Voluntary suspension of licence form’. You can end your voluntary suspension at any time by completing the ‘Ending voluntary suspension of licence form’. You need to continue to maintain your skills while on a voluntary suspension.

These two forms can be found on the LBP website: lbp.govt.nz/for-lbps/your-licence/suspend-or-cancel-your-licence

Voluntary suspensions are shown on the public register, but are described as ‘at the request of the practitioner’, to separate them from suspensions placed on your licence by the Registrar or Building Practitioners Board.

Relicensing suspension
Every year, the Registrar will make contact with you about a month prior to your licence ID card expiring to ensure that you wish to remain licensed.

You can renew your licence online, or contact the LBP licensing team. Your licence will be suspended if you do not respond, if you do not pay your yearly licensing fee or do not complete your skills maintenance (required every two years).

It is important to make contact with the LBP team and renew your licence (which can be done online) because, if your licence is suspended, you will be considered ‘non-licensed’. When you are ‘non-licensed’ you are not able to carry out Restricted Building Work (RBW) unless you’re supervised by an LBP, and you can’t supervise RBW. You also can’t tell people that you are an LBP.

Your suspension is required by law to be shown on the public register for three years. You cannot have your suspension history removed. A suspension can impact on your ability to get jobs as consumers check the public register regularly.

Disciplinary suspension
The Building Practitioners Board can suspend an LBP’s licence if an LBP commits a disciplinary offence under section 317 of the Building Act 2004.

A disciplinary suspension means you are ‘non-licensed’ and not able to carry out RBW unless you are supervised by an LBP.  If your license is suspended by the board you can’t supervise RBW and you can’t tell people you are an LBP. Your suspension will also be shown on the public register for three years and may impact on your ability to get work.

This article is an excerpt from Codewords Issue 99. Reading Codewords articles that are relevant to your licence class is a mandatory requirement for Licensed Building Practitioners. These questions can be answered through the LBP portal, online at underconstruction.placemakers.co.nz or recorded on the magazine, then provided at the time of renewal.