Common Mistakes To Avoid When Appealing A North Carolina Occupational Licensing Board Decision

Ed. Note: This is the third in a series of three articles examining disciplinary and appeals processes in front of North Carolina professional and occupational licensing boards. See the first article here and the second here.

In North Carolina, the professional or occupational licensing board is responsible for preparing the official record of a disciplinary matter against a license holder.  This record is of primary importance to any future appeal and can be easily mishandled by those who do not understand its importance.

Like a bad reputation, a bad record will follow, haunt, and limit a licensee's options, including the options available to challenge or appeal the outcome of the board's decision. Even if a license holder has good facts and law on his or her side, the failure to properly create and preserve the record at the initial hearing can adversely affect the licensees' chances of success on appeal to the superior or appellate courts.