Board of Examiners of Electricians (260-RICR-30-15-7)

This regulation is promulgated pursuant to the authority granted in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-6.

To provide the procedures used by the Board of Examiners of Electricians for licensing and examinations.

A.For the purpose of this regulation:

1."Electric light and power company" means any public utility doing business as an electric utility in the State of Rhode Island and whose business is directly regulated by the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws Title 39.

2.“Premise”, when used in reference to a Limited Premise License, Certificate C and Limited Maintenance License, Certificate D, means an existing building and premises. It shall not mean new construction and/or an addition to an existing building.

Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-26, the Division of Professional Regulation does hereby adopt and specify the provisions of the National Electrical Code adopted by the Rhode Island State Building Code Standards Committee as its official rules and requirements for performance of electrical work.

A.All examinations shall be conducted and completed in writing and may include written and/or practical demonstrations, and the provisions shall be based the edition of the National Electrical Code adopted by the Rhode Island State Building Code Standards Committee at the time of the examination (“RISBC-SBC- Rhode Island Electrical Code” 510-RICR-00-00-5). Notice of the time and place of examinations will be mailed to each applicant. Only applicants approved to take the examination will be admitted.

B.All examinations shall be in writing except as hereinafter provided for by the Division of Professional Regulation (Part 1 of this Subchapter).

C.All answers to written examination questions will be in ink, unless otherwise specified. Any person found referring to notes or books during an examination, except by permission by the board will be disqualified from that examination. Applicants for examination will be required to obtain an average of at least 70% in order to obtain a license. Applicants for examination will be required to obtain an average of at least 60% in order to review the examination with the members of the board.

D.Applications are made by filing for the type of license/certificate sought. The application forms are available at the Office of the Division of Professional Regulation. Applications for examinations must be received 15 working days prior to the examination date.

A.Below is a list of license types and corresponding certificates as listed in R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-6-7 and 5-6-11.

B.Electrical Contractor's/Master's License.

1.The officer whom is the holder of the contractors' license, Certificate A, E, AF, LPC or SCF, must present certified documentation, from the Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State, to the Department of Labor and Training/Division of Professional Regulation which certifies that the licensed electrical contractor is a duly elected officer of said corporation.

2.If a contractor holding Certificate A, AF, E, LPC or SCF wishes to conduct business under a firm or corporation name, the Division of Professional Regulation will issue a certificate stating such, upon payment of the fee of One Hundred ($100.00) Dollars.

a.A license holder may obtain only one (1) firm or corporate certificate and his/her license shall be restricted to the identifying corporation.

b.The firm or corporate certificate will comprise both the original electrical contractor's number and the electrical corporation's license number.

c.The original electrical contractor's license shall not be utilized by said electrical contractor independent of the firm or corporate certificate.

d.Upon the termination of the firm or corporate certificate in the name of the electrical contractor, the electrical contractor may obtain his/her individual license.

e.The renewal fee for the electrical contractor's license and the electrical firm or corporate certificate shall become due and payable on the birthday of the holder of the electrical contractor's license.

C.General contractors that are not licensed electrical contractors, with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, shall not bid, solicit, or advertise for electrical work. They may solicit bids from Rhode Island Licensed Electrical Contractors.

A.Applicants filing for Certificate A, E, AF, LPC or SCF Certificates must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age. Applicants for other licenses must be at least eighteen (18) years of age. The years of experience for a journeyperson or contractor will only pertain to new applicants received in the division as of the effective date of acceptance of these rules and regulations.

B.No licensee shall engage in business under any name other than that stated on his license, except the holder of Certificate A, AF, SCF, LPC or E pursuant to § 7.6(B) of this Part.

C.Applicants for a Certificate B must submit a notarized letter from employers, and in the case of military, verification from proper officials of an applicant's former military unit, stating the type and extent of experience which the applicant has had in the type of work for which a license is being sought. Those applying for Journeypersons Certificate B License must have at least 8,000 hours (4 years) experience as a registered apprentice.

D.Applicants for Contractor's Certificate A must have had at least 12,000 hours (6 years) experience and have held a Rhode Island Certificate B for two years. Out-of-state applicants who hold a contractor's license or journeyperson's license will be allowed to take the Rhode Island journeyperson's exam. Out-of-state applicants who hold a contractor's license and a Rhode Island journeyperson's license for two years and have 12,000 hours (6 years) experience will be allowed to take the Rhode Island contractor's exam.

E.Applicants for a Limited Maintenance journeyperson Certificate M license must have fulfilled the application requirements and conditions set forth in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-24(c).

F.Applicants for a Limited Journeyperson license Certificate BF, F or CF shall be required to work a minimum of four thousand (4,000) hours over a period of not less than two (2) years as a registered limited apprentice and submit a notarized letter from their employer indicating hours worked.

G.Any person applying to take the examination for the Lightning Protection Installer’s License (Certificate LPI) as per R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-6-11(d) and 5-6-24(d) must provide the Department of Labor and Training with an affidavit or a notarized letter from a current and/or prior employer(s) evidencing that said applicant has worked for a recognized lightning protection company for a minimum of four thousand (4000) hours over a period of not less than two (2) years.

H.All Limited Premise, Certificate C, and Limited Maintenance, Certificate D, licenses issued by the Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation, shall include a description of the existing premise and the content for the existing equipment therein.

I.Limited Premises and Limited Maintenance Licenses shall authorize a person, firm or corporation the right to repair and/or maintain existing electric wires, devices, appliances and equipment on the premises. An individual Limited Premise and/or Limited Maintenance License is required for each address.

J.Limited Premises or Limited Maintenance License, as provided in R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-6-10, 5-6-10, and 5-6-14 shall authorize municipalities, schools, hospitals, colleges, or other non-manufacturing firms or entities, who regularly employ one (1) or more licensed electricians (journeyperson/Certificate B), the right to repair and/or maintain existing electric wires, devices, appliances and equipment on said premise.

In the case of military service personnel, who are licensees prior to their entry into the military, shall have their licenses renewed without further examination, provided, however, they seek renewal within four (4) years and four (4) months of their enlistment date and upon the payment of the prescribed fee.

A.All certificates and/or licenses issued by the division of professional regulation shall be renewable on the birthday of the licensee. A certificate and/or license shall not be renewable if a penalty and/or fine is outstanding with the Department of Labor and training, Division of Professional Regulation, until such time as restitution has been made. 

B.Applications for renewal of Certificate "A", Certificate "E", Certificate "SCF", Certificate “LPC” or Certificate "AF" licenses shall be signed, in the case of firms and corporations, by the same member or officer who was originally granted a license or passed the examination by which said firm or corporation was authorized, or re-authorized, to enter upon or engage in business as provided in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-6 .

A.Persons, firms or corporations aggrieved by a decision of the Director of Labor and Training, upon recommendation of the Board, on any questions relative to examinations may petition for a hearing before the Director of Labor and Training and Board. Request for such a hearing must be made in writing to the Secretary of the Board, within thirty (30) days of notice of such decision. Said decision of the Director of Labor and Training, upon recommendation of the Board, regarding any person, firm or corporation shall be mailed to the aggrieved and records kept on file.

B.All requests for interpretations by the Board shall be submitted in writing to the Department of Labor and Training.

A.A Certificate C permit shall be issued to the Department of Administration, Division of Facilities Management as the coordinated facilities management agent for all State agencies pursuant to Executive Order 04-04. The Division of Facilities Management is comparable to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and Rhode Island Airport Corporation in that it regularly employs licensed electricians and is responsible for and capable of performing electrical maintenance and installation work on State owned premises. The Division of Facilities Management shall be subject to the application requirements as outlined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-10.

B.A Certificate C certificate issued to the Division of Facilities Management shall be valid for electrical maintenance and renovation projects not in excess of two thousand (2,000) square feet undertaken by the Division of Facilities Management, regardless of whether the renovation projects are internal or external. The foregoing limitation shall not apply to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Rhode Island Airport Corporation, and the other entities covered by R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-10, whether as owners or occupiers of said premises. These entities shall be subject to the scope limitations as set forth in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-14 only.

Licenses of Burner Contractor’s license (Certificate E) and Burnerperson’s license (Certificate F) are restricted to domestic oil and gas heating equipment for installation and servicing of domestic home heating plants, also defined as central heating plants. The performance of electrical work on commercial oil and gas burners burning No. 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 fuel oil requires an Electrical Contractor's License (Certificate A) and Journeyperson's Electrician’s license (Certificate B).

Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-20, all certificates and/or licenses issued by the division of professional regulation shall be renewable on the birthday of the licensee for a period of two (2) years. A certificate and/or license shall not be renewable if a penalty and/or fine is outstanding with the Department of Labor and training, Division of Professional Regulation, until such time as restitution has been made.

A.Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-20.1(d), mandatory continuing education requirements established by the board are limited to Certificate A and Certificate B electricians.

B.R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-20.1 requires licensees to complete at least fifteen hours of continuing education in a course of study approved by the board as a condition of licensure renewal.

C.Out-of-state licensees who are residents of another state and cannot access board approved courses may take a National Electrical Code course, and obtain a copy of the Rhode Island amendments from the Rhode Island Building Code Commission Office.

D.In addition to the continuing education requirements in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-20.1, instructors and inspectors shall adhere to the following requirements set by the board:

1.Instructors or inspectors shall attend a preparation seminar held by Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulations, every three (3) years, prior to teaching a fifteen (15) hour course.

2.Instructors or inspectors are required to teach a class during each and every code cycle.

3.Instructors or inspectors are required to teach the current electrical code with necessary amendments to be forwarded to the student, upon adoption of the same.

4.Instructors or inspectors are required to ensure that any and all of their students are actually in attendance for the required fifteen (15) hours of continuing education. Instructors or inspectors shall issue an approved uniform certificate verifying the completion of the fifteen (15) hour course, to each student, pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-20.1(f). Any instructor or inspector who has provided a false statement, shall be subject to the penalties, prosecution and enforcement of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-6.

5.Instructors or inspectors are hereby required to provide the Department of Labor and Training/Division of Professional Regulation with copies of their fifteen (15) hour mandatory continuing education course curriculum, class location and class schedules.

6.A minimum of ten (10) students per class is required, unless approved by the Department of Labor & Training.