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How to Verify a Professional's License in Winston-Salem?

Professionals in Winston-Salem are licensed under one of the 32 licensing boards established by North Carolina's Chapter 55B- Professional Corporations Act. Employing a licensed professional is integral if you desire a positive outcome for your project.

If you want to make sure you have employed a licensed professional, you may contact the North Carolina Consumer Complaint Division at (919) 716-6000 to find out the requirements for licensing and to also verify the license of the professional in question. Another way to verify the license of a professional in Winston-Salem is to contact the specific licensing board the professional belongs to or access their online verification platform. For example, you can verify the license of an engineer or surveyor by visiting the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors' license verification portal. For certain projects, particularly building-related projects, you may also require a permit. You can obtain commercial and multifamily building permits, single-family building permits, and other related permits from the Inspections Division of the city's Planning & Development Services Department. You may call the division for inquiries on (336) 727-2624.

Do Winston- Salem Neighborhood Councils
Issue Permits?

Winston-Salem is made up of eight wards that house the populace of the city. The city council is the legislative and policy-making body of the city and it is made up of nine council members. Eight of these council members are elected from each of the different wards in the city while the Mayor is elected at large. The city council is responsible for deciding the city's policies, passing ordinances, rules and regulations, and the general welfare of the city. To find out information on the council representative from your ward or what areas are covered by a particular ward, you may access the city's interactive map.

The Winston-Salem city council does not issue building-related permits, however, they work with the various wards and neighborhood associations to help achieve the strategic goals of the city. In February 2021, a groundbreaking event for a new Forsyth County courthouse was held as two major developers collaborated to build a 250,679 square-foot facility that will expand the justice center by 50 percent. Following the pandemic, developers in downtown Winston-Salem have ramped up efforts to complete projects stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic. These include 300 apartments being built at The Easley, with plans to add another 242 apartment units on North Trade Street and a brand new apartment building project on Fourth Street.

How to File an Unfair Business
Complaint in Winston-Salem?

Residents of Winston-Salem can contact the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice to make unfair business complaints. You may file complaints online by filling the appropriate complaint form and submitting this along with no more than four supporting documents. If your supporting documents are more than four, these additional documents may be sent by mail alongside a printed copy of the complaint form to:

• 14 West Edenton Street
• Raleigh, NC 27603

You may also call (877) 5-NO-SCAM to file complaints or to make inquiries concerning the complaint process.

The North Carolina Consumer Protection Division only serves as a mediator between you and the business complained of and it cannot compel you or the business to take any particular action. After your complaint is submitted, a copy is sent to the business for a response. In some circumstances, if the business complained of falls under the jurisdiction of a different federal, state, or local agency, a copy of the complaint may also be forwarded to such agency. Likewise, the Consumer Protection Division may institute legal proceedings if it determines that the business named in the complaint has shown a pattern of illegal practices. However, it must be noted that the institution of a case by this division does not guarantee that any refunds will be made to you or any other personal remedies will be granted to you. If a business does not reply to your complaint or if the mediation process does not produce an outcome favored by you, you may proceed to a Forsyth County Courthouse for further private legal action.