I am trying to get a contractor's license 6 years since retiring in 2000. Prior to retirement I had 15+ years experience. The state requires 4 years within the previous 10 years of journey-level experience to apply. They will only consider 10 years going back to 1996. My problem is, I can only document experience up to 1999. One of the contractors I worked for in 2000 has passed away. The other is a local contractor in our small town who upon my initial request agreed to verify my experience, expressing satisfaction with the job I did as his foreman.(He even at one time in the past, had tried to get me to come back to work for him.) He has apparently changed his mine, because he won't return my calls. I submitted my application and it was returned with a letter stating I was 1 year short of qualifying experience. Is there anyway I can appeal or plead my case to someone? Shouldn't my other experience prior to the last 10 years count for somethig?