“Do they even have a State License in California? “
Absolutely, you have to have a state license in order to buy a city license.
One person in a corp. has to have a personal license to qualify a corp. for a state license.
Let’s face it local licensing serves one purpose only, to fatten the coffers of local governments. It took changes in Florida law to stop local municipalities from requesting local licenses for State Certified contractors. But not to lose potential dollars whole new license categories have been thought up by some local governments. The City for which I once worked required licenses for such trades as installing brick pavers. Yep can you imagine the threat to public health safety and welfare should the bricks be laid out in a spiral pattern instead of a circular one?
The issue with Joe seems to be that he lacks a local license for the City of Toledo. According to officials he must have either an apprentice or journeyman or full license to do ANY plumbing work in that city. So I must ask does this mean that every plumbing company licensed in the City of Toledo only employs journeyman or apprentices for field work? And wouldn’t that be rather cost prohibitive? You mean to tell me that even to unclog a drain you have to carry a license? I say BS on this. Simply put it would drive plumbing companies out of business. I have never heard of unlicensed employees not being able to work under the direct or sometimes even indirect supervision of a license holder.
There can be no doubt that one of plumbing’s well known adages is being experienced by poor Joe. “Shit Runs Down Hill”.