diff --git a/api/BusinessLogic/Tickets/TicketCreator.php b/api/BusinessLogic/Tickets/TicketCreator.php
index 7d6c5687..ed0797d2 100644
--- a/api/BusinessLogic/Tickets/TicketCreator.php
+++ b/api/BusinessLogic/Tickets/TicketCreator.php
@@ -47,9 +47,10 @@ class TicketCreator {
      * @param $ticketRequest CreateTicketByCustomerModel
      * @param $heskSettings array HESK settings
      * @param $modsForHeskSettings array Mods for HESK settings
+     * @param $userContext
      * @return Ticket The newly created ticket
      * @throws ValidationException When a required field in $ticket_request is missing
-     *
+     * @throws \Exception When the default status for new tickets is not found
      */
     function createTicketByCustomer($ticketRequest, $heskSettings, $modsForHeskSettings, $userContext) {
         $validationModel = $this->newTicketValidator->validateNewTicketForCustomer($ticketRequest, $heskSettings, $userContext);
diff --git a/api/BusinessLogic/Tickets/VerifiedEmailChecker.php b/api/BusinessLogic/Tickets/VerifiedEmailChecker.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fccb32fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/BusinessLogic/Tickets/VerifiedEmailChecker.php
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Created by PhpStorm.
+ * User: cokoch
+ * Date: 2/20/2017
+ * Time: 12:40 PM
+ */
+
+namespace BusinessLogic\Tickets;
+
+
+use DataAccess\Tickets\VerifiedEmailGateway;
+
+class VerifiedEmailChecker {
+    /**
+     * @var $verifiedEmailGateway VerifiedEmailGateway
+     */
+    private $verifiedEmailGateway;
+
+    function __construct($verifiedEmailGateway) {
+        $this->verifiedEmailGateway = $verifiedEmailGateway;
+    }
+
+    function isEmailVerified($emailAddress, $heskSettings) {
+        return $this->verifiedEmailGateway->isEmailVerified($emailAddress, $heskSettings);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/DataAccess/Tickets/VerifiedEmailGateway.php b/api/DataAccess/Tickets/VerifiedEmailGateway.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4fa0667b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/DataAccess/Tickets/VerifiedEmailGateway.php
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace DataAccess\Tickets;
+
+
+use DataAccess\CommonDao;
+
+class VerifiedEmailGateway extends CommonDao {
+    function isEmailVerified($emailAddress, $heskSettings) {
+        $this->init();
+
+        $rs = hesk_dbQuery("SELECT 1 FROM `" . hesk_dbEscape($heskSettings['db_pfix']) . "verified_emails` WHERE `Email` = '" . hesk_dbEscape($emailAddress) . "'");
+
+        return hesk_dbNumRows($rs) > 0;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/Tests/BusinessLogic/Tickets/VerifiedEmailCheckerTest.php b/api/Tests/BusinessLogic/Tickets/VerifiedEmailCheckerTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2cf838c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/Tests/BusinessLogic/Tickets/VerifiedEmailCheckerTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace BusinessLogic\Tickets;
+
+
+use DataAccess\Tickets\VerifiedEmailGateway;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+class VerifiedEmailCheckerTest extends TestCase {
+    /**
+     * @var $verifiedEmailGateway \PHPUnit_Framework_MockObject_MockObject
+     */
+    private $verifiedEmailGateway;
+
+    /**
+     * @var $verifiedEmailChecker VerifiedEmailChecker
+     */
+    private $verifiedEmailChecker;
+
+    /**
+     * @var $heskSettings array
+     */
+    private $heskSettings;
+
+    protected function setUp() {
+        $this->verifiedEmailGateway = $this->createMock(VerifiedEmailGateway::class);
+        $this->heskSettings = array();
+        $this->verifiedEmailChecker = new VerifiedEmailChecker($this->verifiedEmailGateway);
+    }
+
+    function testItGetsTheValidationStateFromTheGatewayWhenItItTrue() {
+        //-- Arrange
+        $this->verifiedEmailGateway->method('isEmailVerified')
+            ->with('some email', $this->heskSettings)
+            ->willReturn(true);
+
+        //-- Act
+        $actual = $this->verifiedEmailChecker->isEmailVerified('some email', $this->heskSettings);
+
+        //-- Assert
+        self::assertThat($actual, self::isTrue());
+    }
+
+    function testItGetsTheValidationStateFromTheGatewayWhenItItFalse() {
+        //-- Arrange
+        $this->verifiedEmailGateway->method('isEmailVerified')
+            ->with('some email', $this->heskSettings)
+            ->willReturn(false);
+
+        //-- Act
+        $actual = $this->verifiedEmailChecker->isEmailVerified('some email', $this->heskSettings);
+
+        //-- Assert
+        self::assertThat($actual, self::isFalse());
+    }
+}