Examination - Repossessors - Business & Professions - CA

Section § 7504

If you want to get a qualification certificate to recover collateral legally in California, you need to be at least 18 years old and have at least 4,000 hours of two years' experience in the field. This experience must be from legitimate work, like skip tracing or collateral recovery, and must be certified by past employers. You must fill out an application, pass an exam, and pay any fees. Your personal details will remain private and are protected by law. Once approved, you'll get a pocket ID card with your photo and employer's name. False information on your application can lead to denial or loss of your certification.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, an applicant for a qualification certificate shall comply with all of the following:

(1) Be at least 18 years of age.

(2) Have been, for at least two years of lawful experience, during the five years preceding the date on which his or her application is filed, a registrant or have had two years of lawful experience in recovering collateral within this state. Lawful experience means experience in recovering collateral as a registrant pursuant to this chapter or as a salaried employee of a financial institution or vehicle dealer. Lawful experience does not include any employment performing work other than skip tracing or actual collateral recovery.

Two years’ experience shall consist of not less than 4,000 hours of actual compensated work performed by the applicant preceding the filing of an application.

An applicant shall certify that he or she has completed the claimed hours of qualifying experience and the exact details as to the character and nature thereof by written certifications from the employer, licensee, financial institution, or vehicle dealer, subject to independent verification by the director as he or she may determine. In the event of the inability of an applicant to supply the written certifications from the employer, licensee, financial institution, or vehicle dealer, in whole or in part, applicants may offer other written certifications from other persons substantiating their experience for consideration by the director. All certifications shall include a statement that representations made are true, correct, and contain no material omissions of fact to the best knowledge and belief of the applicant or the person submitting the certification. An applicant or person submitting the certification who declares as true any material matter pursuant to this paragraph that he or she knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(3) Complete and forward to the bureau a qualified certificate holder application which shall be on a form prescribed by the director and signed by the applicant. An applicant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to this paragraph that he or she knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor. The application shall be accompanied by two recent photographs of the applicant, of a type prescribed by the director, and two classifiable sets of his or her fingerprints. The residence address, residence telephone number, and driver’s license number of each qualified certificate holder or applicant for a qualification certificate, if requested, shall be confidential pursuant to the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code) and shall not be released to the public.

(4) Pass the required examination.

(5) Pay the required application and examination fees to the bureau.

(b) Upon the issuance of the initial qualification certificate or renewal qualification certificate, the bureau shall issue to the certificate holder a suitable pocket identification card which includes a photograph of the certificate holder. The photograph shall be of a size prescribed by the bureau. The card shall contain the name of the licensee with whom the certificate holder is employed.

(c) The application form shall contain a statement informing the applicant that a false or dishonest answer to a question may be grounds for denial or subsequent suspension or revocation of a qualification certificate.

qualification certificate collateral recovery registrant

Section § 7504.1

This law allows the director to refuse, suspend, or revoke a qualification certificate if the person has done something that would also prevent them from getting a license. If a certificate is denied, there must be a written explanation, and the person can request a hearing within 30 days to challenge the decision. Any hearing will follow specific government procedures.

The director may refuse to issue a qualification certificate, or may suspend or revoke a previously issued qualification certificate, if the individual has committed any act which, if committed by a licensee, would be grounds for refusing to issue a license, or for the suspension or revocation of a license under this chapter.

The denial shall be in writing and shall describe the basis for the denial. The denial shall inform the applicant that if he or she desires a hearing to contest the denial, the hearing shall be requested of the director within 30 days of the issuance of the denial.

When a hearing is held under this section, it shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

qualification certificate refusal certificate suspension certificate revocation

Section § 7504.2

This law states that exams and re-exams are held at least every other month for certain professions. The exact dates and locations are decided by the chief in charge.

Examinations and reexaminations shall be given at least once every other month at such places and on such specific dates as the chief may from time to time determine and fix.

examinations reexaminations frequency

Section § 7504.3

If you want to take an initial exam, you must submit your application and pay the fee at least 30 days before the exam date at the bureau's office in Sacramento. If you miss this deadline, the bureau may arrange for you to take the next available exam instead.

In order to be eligible for an initial examination, an applicant shall have completed and filed his or her application together with the application fee prescribed by this chapter in the office of the bureau in Sacramento, California, not later than 30 days prior to the next scheduled examination date. Applicants whose applications are not completed and filed within the time limits of this section may, at the discretion of the bureau, be scheduled for the first examination next following the scheduled examination.

initial examination application deadline application fee

Section § 7504.4

If you don't pass your first test, you have to pay a fee and submit a new application to try again. Make sure to do this within the same rules and time limits as the first application.

If an applicant fails to pass an initial examination, the applicant shall not be eligible for a subsequent examination except upon payment of the reexamination fee for each subsequent examination, accompanied by a completed application for reexamination filed within the time limits and conditions relating to applications for initial examinations provided in Section 7504.3.

initial examination reexamination fee subsequent examination

Section § 7504.5

If you are applying for a license, you'll need to go through an evaluation to check your skills, experience, and qualifications. The person in charge, called the chief, can also ask others to give sworn testimony about you.

All applicants shall be examined concerning their competency, experience, and qualifications by the chief and the chief may take testimony of anyone in regard thereto under oath.

applicants examination competency evaluation experience assessment

Section § 7504.6

If you don't finish your application within a year, or you don't take the required exam within a year of being eligible, it's like dropping the process, and you must start over with a new application.

If an applicant fails to complete his or her application within one year after it has been filed, or fails to take the examination within a one-year period after becoming eligible therefor, the application shall be considered to be abandoned. An application submitted subsequent to the abandonment of a former application shall be treated as a new application.

application abandonment one-year period exam eligibility

Section § 7504.7

This law section explains how qualification certificates for repossession agents are renewed. Initially, the certificate lasts for one year, and if renewed, it lasts for two years. The renewal process is similar to that for a repossession agency license, following certain specific sections.

(a) Except as provided in this section, every qualification certificate issued or renewed under this chapter is subject to the same renewal provisions that apply to a repossession agency license as set forth in Sections 7503.10, 7503.11, 7503.12, 7503.13, and 7503.14.

(b) An initial qualification certificate shall expire one year following the date of issuance, unless renewed as provided in this chapter.

(c) A renewal qualification certificate shall expire two years following the date of renewal, unless renewed as provided in this chapter.

qualification certificate renewal provisions initial qualification

Section § 7504.8

If someone is waiting to receive their qualification certificate but has already been approved, they can still work by carrying a printed approval from the bureau’s website and a photo ID. If the certificate is lost, damaged, or destroyed, they can continue working with the printed or electronic approval from the website and a photo ID.

A person may work as a qualified certificate holder pending receipt of the qualification certificate if he or she has been approved by the bureau and carries on his or her person a hardcopy printout of the bureau’s approval from the bureau’s Internet Web site and a valid picture identification. If a qualification certificate is lost, damaged, or destroyed, a certificate holder may continue to operate by carrying on his or her person a hardcopy printout or electronic copy of the bureau’s approval of the certificate from the bureau’s Internet Web site and a valid picture identification.

qualified certificate holder bureau approval qualification certificate