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 provided:
(1) 
That before performing any such work the person shall apply to the Director for a permit where required by this chapter.
(2) 
For existing single-family dwellings, the property must be the principal place of residency as listed by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation or identified as such through a properly recorded deed.
(3) 
For new single-family dwelling, the property must be registered in the name of the applicant as listed by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation or identified as such through a properly recorded deed. The owner shall also submit an affidavit that the dwelling will become their principal place of residence upon the issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the Department.
(4) 
The registration exemption shall not apply to properties owned by an entity other than induvial ownership.
(5) 
The registration exemption may only be granted by the Department once within a 5-year time frame originating from the date of application for an electrical permit where the exemption has been granted.
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.
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.
A. 
There shall be 4 classes of electricians' registrations, as follows:
(1) 
Master electrician.
(2) 
Limited electrician.
(3) 
Restricted electrician.
(4) 
Limited journeyperson electrician.
B. 
Before the Department shall issue or renew an electrician's registration, it shall require the applicant to provide the following based upon registration class:
(1) 
The applicant for a master registration must provide a copy of a validly issued Maryland master electricians 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 an 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 an 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. 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.
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 journeysperson 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 journey person 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.