Apprenticeship paperwork produces more penalties on California public works construction than almost anything else, and most of those penalties trace back to two forms: the DAS-140 and the DAS-142. Here is how they work and when your construction company needs to file them.
The DAS-140: contract award information
The DAS-140 tells the apprenticeship committees in your craft and geographic area that your company has been awarded a public works contract. Every contractor and subcontractor performing work in an apprenticeable craft must send it, generally within ten days of contract award or signing and always before starting work on the jobsite. Sending it to one committee is not always enough. Depending on your training contributions and approvals, you may need to notify every applicable committee for the craft and county.
The DAS-142: request for dispatch
The DAS-142 is the actual request asking an apprenticeship program to dispatch apprentices to your jobsite. It must be sent at least 72 hours before the apprentice is needed, excluding weekends and holidays. If you request dispatch and no program supplies an apprentice, your documented DAS-142 is the proof that keeps your company protected. Without it, a missing apprentice becomes a violation with per day penalties.
The ratio behind the forms
California generally requires one hour of apprentice work for every five hours of journeyman work, calculated per craft over the life of the project. The DAS forms are how you demonstrate you tried to meet that ratio. Contractors who skip the paperwork, even while employing apprentices, routinely receive penalty assessments they could have avoided with proof of service.
Practical tips from our compliance team
Send the forms by a method that produces proof of delivery and keep the proof in the project file. Calendar the 72 hour dispatch window against your construction schedule. Recheck your obligations any time a new craft mobilizes on site. And remember that training fund contributions to the California Apprenticeship Council or an approved program are a separate, additional requirement.
Need help with apprenticeship compliance?
We handle DAS filings, ratio tracking, and training fund documentation for contractors across California. If a penalty notice already arrived, our audit team can help you respond. Contact us or take the free 60 second risk check.