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How to Verify a Professional's License in Newark?

Professionals in Newark are primarily licensed by the 51 Professional and Occupational Boards and Committees of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, and this includes professionals like electrical contractors, landscape architects, engineers, land surveyors, and plumbers. Before you hire any of these professionals for a job in the city, you must verify that they have been duly licensed. You can utilize the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs' license verification system to perform this task. In addition to state licensing, professional building contractors in Newark must obtain a local license from the city's Business License Office. You can contact this office at (973) 877-9415 to confirm if your intended professional has met this city-level licensing requirement.

After confirming your intended professional has been duly licensed, you have to ensure you obtain the required permits for your project. If your projects require the services of building contractors, plumbers, and electrical contractors, you need to obtain permits from the Building Division of the Newark Department of Engineering, and failing to do so before commencing your projects may attract sanctions. For more information on the Newark permitting process, you can direct your queries to the city's Building Division at (973) 733-8520.

Do Newark Neighborhood Councils
Issue Permits?

No, the Newark people's assembly does not issue permits. The Newark people's assembly is a bridge between the various communities and the city hall of Newark, and it was created to allow the significant stakeholders of the city and the different neighborhoods to give opinions on projects, initiatives, and development. The people's assembly encourages the residents of Newark to participate in community-based organizations. The neighborhood associations formed through this assembly are influential and ensure that needs and wants of the communities are attended to. For example, the Ivy Hill Neighborhood Association endorsed the activities of Safety First, which is an independent community-based emergency medical service to provide a volunteer Emergency Medical Response service to the residents of Newark. Similarly, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs initiative is helping some Newark nonprofits like the Urban League of Essex County to receive funding for local revitalization efforts in addressing housing and economic development. To learn more about the city's people's assembly and projects being carried out within your neighborhood, you can send your queries via email to the Newark people's assembly.

How to File an Unfair Business
Complaint in Newark?

Residents of Newark who believe that a professional or business in the city has been deceptive or unlawful can file a complaint with the Office of Consumer Protection of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. These complaints can be filed by completing an online complaint form. Note that you will be required to scan and upload all accompanying relevant supporting documents to the online portal. If you are unable to submit your complaint online, you can print and complete a paper version of the complaint form and then send it, accompanied with relevant copies of all supporting documents, to:

• New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
• P.O. Box 45025
• Newark, New Jersey 07101

You can also contact the Division of Consumer Affairs at (973) 504-6200 to request a general consumer complaint form be mailed to you.

Alternatively, complaints against Newark professionals can be filed by completing the online complaint form provided by the relevant professional board in charge of issuing licenses to the category of professionals in question. Before filing your complaint, you can read the File a Consumer Complaint Against a Business to guide you through the complaint process.

After receiving and reviewing your complaint, the Office of Consumer Protection determines if the matter will be investigated or referred to another agency for further investigation. The Office of Consumer Protection of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs cannot guarantee restitution or other personal remedies. You can hire the services of a lawyer to pursue your private legal actions by contacting the lawyer referral services of Essex County Bar Association at (973) 622-6204. However, if your claim is $3000 or less, you can file a Newark small claims action at the New Jersey Small Claims Court located at:

• Essex County Dr. Martin Luther King Junior
• Justice Building
• 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
• Newark, NJ 07102

Small claims courts typically employ rules that are easy to interpret, and you do not need legal representation to file claims with them. Nonetheless, the New Jersey Small Claims Court provides online resources that you can utilize to get information on what it entails to self-represent in court.