4 ms·

How does licensing actually help prevent crime? It seems people will ill intent would just ignore the licensing requirement and people with good intent could be

How does licensing actually help prevent crime? It seems people will ill intent would just ignore the licensing requirement and people with good intent could be made criminals (as per this story).

vkou 9y ago
Locks keep honest people honest, and the threat of losing your license prevents holders of licenses will discourage some shady behaviour. It's certainly possible to run an illegal, unlicensed moving business, just like it's possible to run an illegal, unlicensed medical practice... But most customers will opt not to do business with one.
- mschuster91 9y ago
  > Locks keep honest people honest, and the threat of losing your license prevents holders of licenses will discourage some shady behaviour. But requiring a license to work in moving is a US oddity. Germany, for example, seems to work pretty well without (and we Germans have a reputation for licensing everything to death).
  - ferongr 9y ago
    In Germany (and in the EU on general, after TIR was abolished and national laws harmonized), companies that provide transportation services (not specifically moving) do need special licensing, the drivers are licensed not only for operating a truck but also for transporting goods, and there's documentation detailing everything. It's not a free-for-all.
geofft 9y ago
In theory, customers will check to see if a service provider is licensed before purchasing services. (In practice, as this article demonstrates, maybe they don't.) Also, if a field is licensed, merely advertising / setting up shop in that field without a license is something the government can go after you for, even if you don't have any customers yet. So if I start putting up flyers for my shady "moving" company with the intent of stealing everything and never being heard from again, the police can find my place of business and hassle me, or set up a sting move, or something. (Again, in theory - if all you get is a $100 fine, maybe this isn't an effective deterrent.)

How does licensing actually help prevent crime? It seems people will ill intent would just ignore the licensing requirement and people with good intent could be made criminals (as per this story).

vkou 9y ago

Locks keep honest people honest, and the threat of losing your license prevents holders of licenses will discourage some shady behaviour. It's certainly possible to run an illegal, unlicensed moving business, just like it's possible to run an illegal, unlicensed medical practice... But most customers will opt not to do business with one.

mschuster91 9y ago
> Locks keep honest people honest, and the threat of losing your license prevents holders of licenses will discourage some shady behaviour. But requiring a license to work in moving is a US oddity. Germany, for example, seems to work pretty well without (and we Germans have a reputation for licensing everything to death).
- ferongr 9y ago
  In Germany (and in the EU on general, after TIR was abolished and national laws harmonized), companies that provide transportation services (not specifically moving) do need special licensing, the drivers are licensed not only for operating a truck but also for transporting goods, and there's documentation detailing everything. It's not a free-for-all.

geofft 9y ago

In theory, customers will check to see if a service provider is licensed before purchasing services. (In practice, as this article demonstrates, maybe they don't.) Also, if a field is licensed, merely advertising / setting up shop in that field without a license is something the government can go after you for, even if you don't have any customers yet. So if I start putting up flyers for my shady "moving" company with the intent of stealing everything and never being heard from again, the police can find my place of business and hassle me, or set up a sting move, or something. (Again, in theory - if all you get is a $100 fine, maybe this isn't an effective deterrent.)