[Amended by Bill No. 21-018]
A.
The registration provisions contained in this Article shall apply
to electrical work within the purview of the Electrical Code and shall
not apply to a person who installs, repairs or maintains electrical
work for that person's personal single-family residence, provided
that before performing any such work the person shall apply to the
Director for a permit where required by this chapter. The Director
shall require that the applicant is qualified to perform the work
in a capable manner, so as not to endanger life and property belonging
to public utilities suppliers. If the Director finds that the applicant
is qualified to perform the work, a permit will be issued. No permit
shall be required for minor repairs. A person may also apply to perform
electrical work for the construction or renovation of a single-family
dwelling where that person provides an affidavit that the dwelling
will become their principal place or residence once completed. An
individual may only apply to perform work on a single-family dwelling
that is not their principal place or residence more than once within
a 5-year period.
B.
Nothing in the registration provisions contained in this Article
shall be construed to exempt any electrical work in the County from
complying with the requirements of the Electrical Code.
C.
All electrical installations in the County shall be accomplished by, or under the supervision of, a master electrician or limited and restricted master except as provided in Subsection A above.
D.
Any master or limited electrician's registration holder, as listed
in this chapter, shall not represent more than one business, company,
corporation, institution or entity supplying electrical services,
of all types, at the same time.
E.
No registration shall be required for installations of communication or signaling circuits operating at 50 volts or less within any portion of a dwelling unit unless that work is in conjunction with additional work that would necessitate the issuance of a building permit as required by Chapter 82 of the Harford County Code.
B.
Before the Department shall issue or renew an electrician's registration,
it shall require the applicant to provide the following based on registration
class:
(1)
The
applicant for a master registration must provide a copy of a validly
issued Maryland master electrician's license issued in accordance
with Title 6 of the Business Occupations and Professions Article of
the Annotated Code of Maryland.
(2)
The applicant for a restricted or limited master registration must
provide the Department with such current information as to character,
experience, education and training as it relates to the particular
type of registration requested. All information shall be strictly
confidential.
(3)
The applicant for a restricted or limited master registration must
pass a written or oral examination conducted by the Board predicated
upon the standards of the Electrical Code and rules and regulations
adopted pursuant thereto.
(4)
Pay to the County, at the time of filing the application, a nonrefundable fee in the amount as set forth in § 157-24 of this Code.
(5)
The applicant for a restricted or limited master registration must
carry general liability insurance in the amount of $300,000 and property
damage insurance in the amount of $100,000. Notice of cancellation
of general liability insurance or property damage insurance shall
be forwarded to the Board by both the applicant and the insurer within
10 days after the cancellation date. An inactive registration holder
is exempt from this requirement.
C.
It is the duty of the Director, upon receipt of an application for
a limited or restricted electrician's registration, to investigate
the character, experience, training and education of the applicant
and to provide the information to the Board.
D.
It is the duty of the Board to certify to the Director within 60
days after the date of the applicant's examination whether the applicant
is qualified for the registration applied for on the basis of an examination
and the other required information provided.
E.
In the case of application for renewal of an existing County electrician's
registration, it is the duty of the Director to withhold issuance
of a registration upon a finding by the Board that the registrant
has committed acts which are in violation of the provisions of this
chapter.
F.
All approvals or denials of such applications shall be personally
served or mailed by certified mail to the address on the application.
G.
Any person who has been denied a registration as a limited or restricted
master or limited journeyperson may appeal such decision in writing,
which shall be served personally or by certified mail to the Director
of the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits within 20 days
of receipt. Such appeals shall be heard by the Director of Administration.
Any person who desires to install, repair, maintain or erect
electrical equipment as a master electrician shall make application
to the Director to be registered with the Department.
A.
Any person who desires to install, repair, maintain and erect electrical
equipment as a limited electrician shall make application to the Director
to be examined.
B.
An applicant may be registered under this section for a particular
type of electrical installation or may be registered for all types
or as many types of limited electrical installations as defined in
this chapter for which the applicant shall be found qualified by the
Board. The applicant shall have been regularly and principally employed
for 3 years preceding application in the applicant's area of limitation.
The type of limited electrician's registration shall be set forth
in regulations promulgated by the County. Particular registration
classifications shall include, but not be limited to, registrations
for electrical connections and circuits to HVAC equipment, elevators,
gasoline pumps, illuminated signs and similar specialties.
A.
Any person who desires to maintain, repair, renew or replace electrical
wiring or equipment as a restricted electrician shall make application
to the Director to be examined.
B.
An applicant may be registered under this section only as to a particular
place which will be noted on the registration certificate. The applicant
shall have been regularly and principally employed or engaged in electrical
construction or maintenance for 3 years preceding application for
this registration. Additional provisions concerning restricted electrician's
registrations shall be set forth in regulations promulgated by the
County.
A.
Any person who desires to install, repair, maintain and erect electrical
equipment as a limited journeyperson electrician shall make application
to the Director to be examined.
B.
An applicant may be registered under this section for a particular
type of electrical installation or may be registered for all types
or as many types of limited electrical installations as defined in
this chapter for which the applicant shall be found qualified by the
Board. The applicant shall have been regularly and principally employed
for 1 year preceding application in the applicant's area of limitation
under the supervision of a limited electrician. The type of limited
journeyperson electrician's registration shall be set forth in regulations
promulgated by the County. Particular registration classifications
shall include, but not be limited to, registrations for electrical
connections and circuits to air conditioning, elevators, gasoline
pumps, automatic heating furnaces whose principal operation is derived
from fuel oil, gas, steam or coal, illuminated signs and similar specialties.
A.
The written and/or oral examination conducted by the Board for the
limited, restricted or limited journeyperson electrician's registration
shall be based upon standards of the Electrical Code.
B.
In order to qualify as having passed such examination, the applicant
shall receive a grade constituting at least 70% of the total possible
point credits in the examination.
C.
The use of any unauthorized material or cheating by an applicant
during an examination shall cause the immediate rejection of an application
and bar an applicant from reexamination for 6 months.
D.
Regular examination periods shall be held at least 3 times each year
at intervals of not greater than 4 months. Written notice of the date,
hour and place of examination shall be mailed to each eligible applicant
at least 20 days prior to the date of the examination.
E.
Any applicant who fails to pass any examination shall be afforded
an opportunity to take a reexamination. Any applicant who has failed
an examination for the third time shall submit evidence of successfully
completing an examination preparation course related to the classification
of registration that the applicant is applying for.
F.
All written examinations and applicant records pertaining thereto
shall be stored under secured conditions within the Department and
shall be available for inspection, upon request made to the Board
by the applicant, for a period of 6 months after the date of the examination.
G.
The fee for examination for any class of registration issued under this Article and the fees for issuance and renewal of all classes of registrations authorized in this Article shall be set forth in § 157-24 of the Harford County Code.
H.
Questions used in the examinations administered by the Department
or the Harford County Electrical Board shall be taken from the prepared
text formulated by the Maryland Uniform Electrical Licensing Examination
Committee, Inc.
A.
All master electrician registrations issued pursuant to this Article shall expire on April 30 of each odd-numbered year or upon expiration of their state license. All limited, restricted and limited journeyperson electrician licenses issued pursuant to this Article shall expire on October 31 of each odd-numbered year. Applicants for registrations and renewals shall pay to the County a fee for a master, limited, restricted, or limited journeyperson electrician's registration as provided for by Chapter 157 of the Harford County Code. Applicants for renewals of a limited, restricted or limited journeyperson electrician's registration shall provide to the County certification of completion of a minimum of 5 contact/clock hours of electrical continuing education within the preceding licensing period. However, the continuing education requirement shall not be applicable for the renewal of a registration originally obtained during the same calendar year of the renewal.
(1)
After May 1 of the year in which the master electrician's registration
expires, a person, firm or corporation shall not engage or hold themselves
out as a master electrician providing electrical services in Harford
County unless the registration has been renewed.
(2)
After November 1 of the year in which the limited, restricted or
limited journeyperson electrician's registration expires, a person,
firm or corporation shall not engage or hold themselves out as a limited,
restricted, limited journeyperson providing electrical services unless
the registration has been renewed. If application for the renewal
is made within 90 days after October 31, a registration which expires
because of failure to renew prior to November 1 shall be renewed only
on the payment of the renewal fee and the restoration fee. If the
application for renewal is not made within the 90-day period after
expiration, a renewal for a limited, restricted or limited journeyperson
electrician's registration may not be issued and the Board may require
compliance by examination before re-issuance as if the applicant had
never been registered.
(3)
This
section shall apply to anyone who has been issued a license by the
Department which was valid as of July 1, 2021.
(a)
For master licenses, those licenses shall remain valid until the
next scheduled renewal period and those individuals shall be considered
registered with the Department with no further action necessary upon
adoption of this bill.
(b)
For journeyperson licenses, those licenses shall remain valid and
those individuals shall be considered registered with the Department.
Upon expiration on April 30, 2023, a journeyperson will not be required
to renew with the Department.
(c)
For apprentice electrician's or electrician's assistant's licenses,
those licenses shall remain valid until April 30, 2023, and those
individuals shall be considered registered with the Department. Upon
expiration an apprentice electrician or electrician's assistant will
not be required to renew with the Department.
(d)
For limited, restricted and limited journeyperson licenses, those
licenses shall remain valid and converted to registrations upon adoption
of this bill.
A.
No person shall be denied the privilege of continuing a contract
business or maintenance or repair work, in the event of death, illness
or other physical disability of the master, limited or restricted
electrician who qualified the person for such license or registration,
for a period not exceeding 120 days following the date of such death,
illness or physical disability, provided that such business, maintenance
or repair work is conducted under such qualified supervision as the
Board deems adequate and that all requirements concerning insurance
are first complied with and the Department is notified promptly by
the licensee or registrant upon such death, illness or physical disability.
B.
A person shall be allowed to continue a business or to perform maintenance
and maintenance repair work for a period not exceeding 90 days should
the master, limited or restricted electrician who qualified the person
for such license or registration terminates their services therefrom,
provided that the business, maintenance or repair work is conducted
under such qualified supervision as the Board deems adequate and that
both of the following requirements are met:
(1)
All insurance requirements are complied with.
(2)
The master, limited or restricted electrician who qualified shall
notify the Board in writing within 5 days after termination of services,
or the person wishing to continue such business or work shall notify
the Board in writing within 5 days after such master, limited or restricted
electrician has terminated services.
A.
A registrant may, by notifying the Board in writing, declare a registration
inactive. During the period such registration remains inactive, the
yearly renewal fee as required by the County shall be paid. Insurance
required by this chapter shall be waived for the period such registration
remains inactive. No registration shall be deemed inactive unless
all work for which permits have been issued has been completed and
has received final inspection and approval by the Department.
B.
The Director shall keep a register of all registrations placed on
or removed from inactive status and of any master, limited or restricted
electrician who changes an affiliation as a qualifying representative
of any person. A registration placed on the inactive list may be returned
to active status upon certification by the Board and upon proper notification
and application in writing by the registrant. All requirements of
this Article shall be complied with before such registration shall
be restored to active status.
Anyone who is performing work under a permit issued by this Department pursuant to this chapter or work required to be permitted by this chapter of the Harford County Code shall produce, upon request from an individual employed by the Department, a valid state license and/or County registration as applicable. Department staff are empowered to require all individuals not able to produce proper credentials to leave the job site until those credentials are able to be properly presented for verification. This section shall not apply to a homeowner qualified under § 105-12 of this chapter.
If a registration is lost, defaced or destroyed, a registrant
in good standing may obtain a duplicate upon filing an application
to the Director and paying the cost of replacement.
A.
The Board may suspend the registration of a master, limited, restricted,
or limited journeyperson electrician or recommend to the Director
that the registration be revoked, after a public hearing conducted
in accordance with the Board's rules and regulations, if the Board
finds that the electrician:
(1)
Obtained a license or registration by false or fraudulent representation.
(2)
Transferred the authority granted by the license or registration
to another person.
(3)
Engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices as defined in Commercial
Law Article, § 13-301, of the Annotated Code of Maryland,
as amended.
(4)
Willfully or deliberately disregarded or violated Codes enforced
by the Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits.
(5)
Aided or abetted any person to evade any provision of this chapter.
(6)
Knowingly combined or conspired with any person, by allowing a license
or registration to be used by any unlicensed or unregistered person,
firm or corporation, with intent to evade the provisions of this chapter.
(Allowing a license or registration to be used by more than one person,
firm or corporation constitutes prima facie evidence of an intent
to evade the provisions of this chapter.)
(7)
Willfully or deliberately disregarded disciplinary action taken by
the County.
(8)
Failed in any material respect to comply with this chapter.
(9)
Failed to adequately train and control persons working under the
master electrician's supervision.
(10)
Violated the provisions of this chapter regarding permits.
B.
The Board may suspend the registration of the registrant from all
operations as an electrician for not more than 1 year. The Board may
permit the registrant to complete any contract uncompleted at the
time of suspension.
C.
The Board, on request for reinstatement, shall conduct a hearing
on the request and make a determination as provided under this chapter
and its rules and regulations.
D.
The lapse or suspension of a license or registration by operation
of law or by order of the Board or a court or its voluntary surrender
by a license or registration holder does not deprive the Board of
jurisdiction to investigate or act in disciplinary proceedings against
the registration holder.
E.
The local Board shall inform the State Board or building officials
of the names of those whose registrations have been suspended, revoked
or reinstated within 30 days of such action.
