Post-Katrina Difficulties

• By one estimate, for every one licensed contractor working in LA, there are five that are unlicensed
• LA Attorney General’s office contractor complaints jumped from 45/year before Katrina to 6000 in the last 2 years
• The Licensing Boards’s fines collected jumped to $363,000 in 2007-three times typical pre-Katrina year

Room for Improvement

• Problem continuing with more reconstruction dollars flowing into state
• Increased capability of common consumer technology to make authentic-looking documents
• Homeowners already strained by hurricane damage aren’t in a position to put a lot of time into contractor research and verification

A Robust Solution

• ID cards with anti-fraud features
• A valuable tool for current enforcement officers and local building authorities to uphold existing rules and regulations of the state
• Instant red flag in system when contractor is not current with the board (insurance, renewal)- more efficient than current paper trail system

The Technology

• Identification cards for contractors
• Using Authentix technology
• Dedicated to identification and removal of fraudulent and counterfeit products
• ID cards issued to Contractors
• One for qualifying party, one for authorized representative in the company

The Verification Process

Flexibility

• Internet-based and phone-based verification