It shall be unlawful for any firm to engage in the business of installing electrical equipment in the city for which a permit is required by this division, unless such firm has, among its personnel, a full-time master electrician duly registered and licensed under this division. Such master electrician shall serve and represent only one electrical contracting firm, being the said electrical contracting firm of which he is a part of the personnel, either as owner, co-owner, partner, stockholder, officer, and/or employee, provided such master electrician shall fulfill all of the requirements of this division for such electrical contracting firm he represents. Every electrical contracting firm doing business in the city must maintain an established place of business and shall have a person in attendance during regular business hours to receive messages (concerning its electrical contract work in the city) from the electrical inspection section of the city, as provided for in this division. It shall be unlawful for any person to falsely represent himself publicly as being in any licensed electrical classification other than for which said person is licensed and registered under this division.
(Code 1973, § 8-113; Code 1997, § 151.15; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
There shall be three classes of electrical registration which shall be known as follows:
(1) 
Master electrician.
(2) 
Journeyman electrician.
(3) 
Apprentice electrician.
(Code 1973, § 8-114; Code 1997, § 151.16; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
(a) 
Applications for registration shall be made in writing to the board on forms available in the office of the chief building official.
(b) 
An applicant, if of contractual basis, shall file a statement giving the names of owners, officers, or directors and their addresses. In addition the name and address of the person who shall be in charge of all work done under this division, and the name and address of the registered electrician qualified to do work under this division shall be given.
(c) 
All applicants shall furnish three written references with their applications.
(d) 
If the applicant is to conduct the business and supervise work himself, he shall be examined for the class of work in which he intends to engage.
(1) 
Master electrician.
Applicants for a certificate of registration as master electrician shall file with the application a statement, setting forth that such applicant is not less than 21 years of age and has had not less than five years' experience in the installation, alteration, and repair of electrical equipment and conductors, or of equally qualifying experience. A certificate of graduation from or an affidavit of attendance at a recognized technical school or college shall be credited year for year with a maximum credit of three years of the required five years' experience.
(2) 
Journeyman electricians.
Applicants for registration as journeyman electricians shall file with the application a statement setting forth that he is not less than 21 years of age and that he has had not less than four years' experience as an electrician's helper or apprentice electrician.
(e) 
An applicant shall make in his application affidavit a statement that he will engage only in the employment or under the supervision of a master electrician and shall perform all installations, alterations, and repair of electrical wiring fixtures and equipment in accordance with this division, and that he will not independently engage in the business of contracting such electrical work. Application for journeyman's registration must be made by the master electrician by which the applicant is employed. Each license shall be renewed annually at the request of the master electrician by which the journeyman is employed.
(Code 1973, § 8-115; Code 1997, § 151.17; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
In the actual work of installing, maintaining, altering, or repairing any electric conductors or equipment for which a permit is required by law there shall be present and in direct supervision a licensed master electrician and/or a licensed journeyman electrician. Should it come to the notice of the chief building official or his assistants that such supervision and control is not being maintained, the chief building official may order the work to be discontinued and the person to whom the permit has been issued shall discontinue further work until proper supervision has been employed or supplied; provided, further, that nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting the employment of apprentices assisting a person duly registered and qualified under the provisions of this division.
(Code 1973, § 8-116; Code 1997, § 151.18; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
Each person applying for a license as master electrician, as required by this division, before being granted a license, shall make and execute and deliver the registration provided in section 103-3.
(Code 1973, § 8-117; Code 1997, § 151.19; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982; Ordinance 91-8, adopted 2/20/1991)
Annual renewal of a certificate of registration be authorized by a certified receipt signed by the chief building official. The holder of said certificate shall affix and display each yearly receipt upon the face of his certificate in the designated space. He shall remove and destroy any previously issued receipt.
(Code 1973, § 8-118; Code 1997, § 151.20; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982; Ordinance 2017-33, § I, adopted 9/5/2017)
Every electrical contracting firm doing business in the city, whether an individual ownership, partnership, corporation, association, or other entity, to qualify for receipt of permit for electrical construction as provided for by this division, shall have first registered in accordance with section 103-3.
(Code 1973, § 8-119; Code 1997, § 151.21; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982; Ordinance 91-8, adopted 2/20/1991)
A certificate of registration form shall be prepared and used by the board in registering the first two classifications listed in section 103-138.
(1) 
A certificate of registration shall not be transferable.
(2) 
A certificate of registration shall not be valid unless signed by the holder, chief building official, and secretary with the seal of the secretary affixed.
(3) 
The annual receipt shall be attached to the certificate of registration in the space so designated.
(4) 
A certificate of registration shall expire on December 31 each year and must be renewed within 30 days thereafter or an examination shall be required for reinstatement.
(5) 
Should the holder of a certificate take up another occupation full time, even though he may apply for registration each year, he shall be required to pass an examination each two years.
(Code 1973, § 8-120; Code 1997, § 151.22; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
(a) 
Registration receipts shall be issued to all persons complying with the provisions of this division for registration.
(b) 
A new registration receipt shall be issued free of charge each year upon receipt of annual renewal fees for the classification granted.
(c) 
Lost or destroyed cards may be reissued by the chief building official at a cost as established in the city fee schedule in chapter 18 to the holder.
(Code 1973, § 8-121; Code 1997, § 151.23; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
Upon presentation of evidence that an applicant has passed an examination and all other requirements for registration and has paid all dues set forth in this division, the chief building official shall register the names of the applicant in the records kept for that purpose and shall issue to the applicant a certificate of registration.
(Code 1973, § 8-122; Code 1997, § 151.24; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
It shall be unlawful for any person to lend, rent, or transfer his certificate of registration or any rights to any other person to make use of any such rights which are not actually his own.
(Code 1973, § 8-123; Code 1997, § 151.25; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
It shall be unlawful for any person other than the chief building official, at the direction of the board, to alter or amend in any manner any instrument of registration as set forth herein.
(Code 1973, § 8-124; Code 1997, § 151.26; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)
(a) 
Display.
(1) 
Every holder of a certificate as a master electrician shall display his certificate in a conspicuous place in his principal place of business.
(2) 
Every holder of a registration card shall carry his registration card on his person at all times while doing electrical work and shall produce and exhibit it when requested by the chief building official or proper official of the city.
(b) 
Recognition of licenses from other cities.
An electrician holding a current valid license in another city may apply for and receive a similar license in this city without taking an examination, provided the following conditions are complied with:
(1) 
The applicant shall show that the current valid license referred to above was issued by a city having a licensing ordinance adopted in accordance with the National Electrical Code, and which is being enforced.
(2) 
The electrician shall submit evidence that he has passed an electrical licensing examination based on the National Electrical Code from such a city as in subsection (b)(1) of this section.
(3) 
The electrician receiving a license under this provision must pay a license fee and comply with all other requirements under this division.
(4) 
Where the licensing ordinance of another city has been examined and the licensing procedure approved by the board under subsection (a)(1) of this section, the building official or his assistant may issue to the applicant an electrical license, provided such city permits electricians from Harlingen to obtain electrician's licenses under procedures similar to the above, and further provided that the electrician examinations of those cities are reviewed by the board or the building official to determine if said examinations are compatible to the City of Harlingen examinations.
(Code 1973, § 8-125; Code 1997, § 151.27; Ordinance 76-46, adopted 11/3/1976; Ordinance 82-15, adopted 2/3/1982)