S3057

An Act concerning applicants for licensure as a locksmith and amending P.L.1997, c.305.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 7 of P.L.1997, c.305 (C.45:5A-27) is amended to read as follows:

7. a. An applicant seeking licensure to engage in the alarm business shall:

(1) Be at least 18 years of age;

(2) Be of good moral character, and not have been convicted of a crime of the first, second or third degree within 10 years prior to the filing of the application;

(3) Meet qualifications established by the board, in consultation with the committee, regarding experience, continuing education, financial responsibility and integrity; and

(4) Establish his qualifications to perform and supervise various phases of alarm installation, service and maintenance as evidenced by successful completion of an examination approved by the board, in consultation with the committee, except that any person engaged in the alarm business on the effective date of this act and filing an application within 120 days following the effective date of this act, shall not be required to submit evidence of the successful completion of the examination requirement if that person shows proof of having completed 40 hours of technical training prior to the effective date of this act, which training has been approved by the board, in consultation with the committee. No examination or training requirement shall apply to any person providing evidence of having been engaged in the alarm business for at least one year prior to the effective date of this act.

b. An applicant seeking licensure as a locksmith shall:

(1) Be at least 18 years of age;

(2) Be of good moral character, and not have been convicted of a crime of the first[,] or second [or third] degree , or any other crime, as determined by the board, that is directly related to the fitness and qualification of the applicant to be involved in providing locksmithing services, within 10 years prior to the filing of the application;

(3) Present evidence to the board of having successfully completed any training and continuing education requirements established by the board, in consultation with the committee; and

(4) Successfully complete a written examination approved by the board, in consultation with the committee to determine the applicant's competence to engage in locksmithing services, except that no examination requirement shall apply to any person engaged in locksmithing services who has practiced locksmithing services for at least one year prior to the effective date of this act and who files an application within 120 days following the effective date of this act.

(cf: P.L.1997, c.305, s.7)

2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to applications for licensure as a locksmith filed on or after the effective date.

STATEMENT

This bill revises the eligibility requirements for an applicant seeking licensure as a locksmith based on criminal background. Under current law, in order to be eligible for licensure as a locksmith an applicant must not have been convicted of a crime of the first, second or third degree within 10 years prior to the filing of the application. The bill revises this requirement to provide that the applicant must not have been convicted of a crime of the first or second degree, or any other crime that is directly related to the fitness and qualification of the applicant to be involved in providing locksmithing services within the 10 years prior to the filing of the application.

This bill is intended to specify that lower level crimes that are not directly related to the fitness and qualification of an applicant to be a locksmith will not be a bar to licensure.