Licensing Law

What to Know: Advocates for occupational licensing laws are pushing back against efforts to free more people to do more jobs.

“Would you want to get on an airplane flown by an unlicensed pilot? Would you want your house wired by an unlicensed electrician?” asks Leonard Aguilar, executive director of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council in the Austin American Statesman. “Would you be comfortable knowing the elevator in your office building was installed by someone off the street? Would you think it fair if your boss put your job in the hands of an unlicensed polygraph operator? Would you want someone removing mold in your home to have little practical experience? This doesn’t touch on the equally obvious needs for state oversight in health professions like medicine, dentistry and nursing, or in public safety professions like police, firefighting and emergency services. Not every license in Texas protects lives or promotes health and safety, but all address important consumer interests.”

The TPPF Take: Occupational licensing is often both unnecessary and costly.

“Too many jobs require expensive and difficult-to-obtain occupational licenses that serve no good purpose,” said TPPF’s Vance Ginn. “It’s easy to bring up public safety concerns with pilots and doctors, but most occupational licenses serve only to protect an industry from competition. We should be eliminating barriers to prosperity – such as excessive occupational licensing.”

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