Effective August 2023, the Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI) issued an Advisory on Carrying Digital Licenses, which is applicable to all licenses regulated by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS), among other boards. In short, MA Construction Supervisor Licenses are now going digital.
This means that the state will no longer be mailing out physical copies of your license, but you'll still be required to carry a copy of your license on you at all times. This is a significant change, and it's important that you understand all of the details and how it applies to you. In this article, we've outlined everything you need to know in an easy-to-digest format.
1. You will no longer receive a hard copy of your Mass. Construction Supervisor License
Previously, the state would mail you a hard copy of your Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License upon initial licensure and each subsequent renewal. That is no longer the case. Effective immediately, it is no longer an option for you to request or obtain the plastic CS license that you have gotten used to receiving in the past.
Instead, you can access an electronic version of your license through the state's MyLicenseOne portal, which you may have visited in the past to renew your license online. We'll cover how to do that in Step 3 below.
2. You are still required to carry your MA Construction Supervisor License at all times.
One thing that's NOT changing is the state regulation requiring you to carry a license at all times. Remember, if a duly authorized individual requests a copy of your license, you must be able to immediately furnish a digital copy or hard copy of your license. So how do you carry your license when they aren't mailing you a physical copy? It's simple. You are now authorized to carry a digital license that meets one of the following specifications:
- A digital photo of an electronic license. You can keep a digital photo of your electronic license saved on a device that is with you at all times (on your phone, for example). You can do this by taking a screenshot of your electronic license, or otherwise saving the image to your device. This is a more reliable option than some of the others that require an internet connection, as you'll be able to access the photo directly from your device, regardless of your wifi/cellular signal strength.
- Access your digital license through the state's portal. Another option is to access your electronic license directly from the state's MyLicenseOne portal whenever it's requested. Make sure to have the website bookmarked to your device and ensure you know the username/password to access your account. One limitation to this option is that you must have reliable internet access. If you ever work in areas where your internet connection is weak, this would not be considered a reliable method of accessing your digital license. Remember, you must be able to furnish a copy of your license immediately.
- Verify your license through the state's public license verification site. This one also requires reliable internet access, so if that's not something that you can count on, skip this option. You can show proof of your licensure by accessing the OPSI's public license verification site and searching for your license. In this case, you would also be required to show a government-issued photo ID. Remember to keep the state's verification site bookmarked to your device. On the plus side, you don't need to remember a username and password.
- A screenshot of online license verification. This is essentially the same as the previous option, but instead of accessing the state's verification site in real time, you would have your license verification page screenshotted and saved directly to your device. This means you would be able to access it even without internet connection. For this option, you would still be required to produce a government-issued photo ID.
Don't consistently carry a smartphone or other device on you at all times? No worries. You can still print a hard copy from the state's portal and carry the printed piece of paper around with you.
At Leisure recommends that you carry both:
- A screenshot of your digital license saved to your smartphone, and
- A printed out hard copy left in your truck, just in case your phone dies or you forget it at home.
Remember that the license copy you carry, whether digital or hard copy, must reflect an active status (meaning the expiration date has not yet passed), and must show the full license number and expiration date. In other words, when you renew your license every two years, make sure to take a new screenshot and print out a new hard copy.
3. How to access your digital MA Construction Supervisor License
Now that you know what to do with your electronic CSL, how do you actually get a copy of it? The OPSI has made it really easy. Simply log into the state's MyLicenseOne portal here. You may have accessed this portal in the past to renew your license online.
You should see your MA Construction Supervisor License listed under "All Existing Licenses Held."
At the far right, you should see a column titled "Actions" with a "..." next to your license expiration date (see screenshot to the left).
From the dropdown menu that appears, select "Print Photo ID."
A new tab/window of your browser will open with a digital copy of your Construction Supervisor license.
You can download this image, which will save it to your device. If you're viewing it on your smartphone, you can also take a screenshot to save a digital image of the license.
You can access full step-by-step instructions, including screenshots, on the state's website here.
4. Troubleshooting / Issues with accessing your digital MA CSL
We made that sound really easy. If things didn't go as smoothly for you, don't stress. We strongly recommend reviewing the OPSI's step-by-step instructions here to solve common problems like:
- I don't have a login to the state's MyLicenseOne portal, as I've never used it before.
- I've logged into MyLicenseOne, but I don't see my Construction Supervisor license listed.
- The MyLicenseOne portal is asking for a registration code.
- I clicked "Print Photo ID" but nothing happened. (HINT: Make sure you don't have a pop-up blocker enabled)
If you've used the state's MyLicenseOne portal in the past, but you can't remember your password, click on the "Forgot password?" link under the password field. You'll be prompted to enter your email address to reset your password.
Other questions/issued not answered by the step-by-step instructions linked above? Contact the OPSI directly at opsi-info@mass.gov.
Summary
In summary, the state is no longer issuing hard copies of MA Construction Supervisor Licenses, and you are responsible for basically providing yourself with a copy of your license to carry on you at all times. Effective immediately, we recommend logging onto the state's MyLicenseOne portal, downloading a copy of your digital license, and keeping an electronic image of it on your smartphone AND also printing out a hard copy that you can carry around with you. This way, you can feel confident that you'll always be able to immediately produce a copy of your license when prompted by a duly authorized individual.
Is your Construction Supervisor license expiring soon? Enroll in continuing education now to get the ball rolling with your renewal.