While doing some research on government-mandated occupational licensing, I recently learned that
Texas requires computer repair technicians to get a private investigator's license:
Texas requires computer repair technicians to get a private investigator's license, which could require a degree in criminal justice or three-year apprenticeship. Uncredentialed IT guys could face a $4,000 fine, one year in jail or a $10,000 civil penalty.
Consumers who knowingly take their computers to unlicensed companies are subject to the same punishment. Since 2007, anyone in Texas who accesses nonpublic computer files to gather information is deemed by the state to have conducted an "investigation" -- thus the requirement.
Here's a related background piece from the Institute For Justice, "
Texas Government-mandated Computer Repair License Does Not Compute".
