License requirements - rules - continuing education - photovoltaic installer registration - repeal

12-115-110. License requirements - rules - continuing education - photovoltaic installer registration - repeal. (1) Master electrician. (a) An applicant for a master electrician's license shall furnish written evidence that: (I) The applicant is a graduate electrical engineer of an accredited college or university and has one year of practical electrical experience in the construction industry; (II) The applicant is a graduate of an electrical trade school or community college and has at least four years of practical experience in electrical work; or (III) The applicant has had at least one year of practical experience in planning, laying out, supervising, and installing wiring, apparatus, or equipment for electric light, heat, and power beyond the practical experience requirements for the journeyman's license. (b) Each applicant for a license as a master electrician must file an application on forms prepared and furnished by the board, together with the application fee provided in section 12-115-117 (1). The board shall notify each applicant that the evidence submitted with the application is sufficient to qualify the applicant for licensure or that the evidence is insufficient and the application is rejected. If the application is rejected, the board shall set forth the reasons for the rejection in the notice to the applicant. (2) Journeyman electrician. (a) An applicant for a journeyman electrician's license shall furnish written evidence that the applicant has had the following: (I) Eight thousand hours over a period of at least four years' apprenticeship in the electrical trade or eight thousand hours over a period of at least four years' practical experience in wiring for, installing, and repairing electrical apparatus and equipment for electric light, heat, and power; (II) Two thousand hours over a period of at least two years of the applicant's experience required by subsection (2)(a)(I) of this section has been in commercial, industrial, or substantially similar work; and (III) During the last eight years of the applicant's training, apprenticeship, or practical experience in wiring for, installing, and repairing electrical apparatus and equipment for electric light, heat, and power, completion of at least two hundred eighty-eight hours of training in safety, the national electrical code and its applications, and any other training required by the board that is provided by an accredited college or university, an established industry training program, or any other provider whose training is conducted in compliance with rules adopted by the board, in collaboration with established industry training programs and industry representatives. The board may grant an applicant credit toward the training requirement in this subsection (2)(a)(III) for training that occurred before the last eight years of the applicant's training, apprenticeship, or practical experience if the applicant provides proof of completion of no less than four hours of additional training on the current or immediately previous edition of the national electrical code or the standards adopted by the board pursuant to section 12-115-107 (2)(a). (b) An applicant may substitute for required practical experience evidence of academic training or practical experience in the electrical field, which is credited as follows: (I) If the applicant is a graduate electrical engineer of an accredited college or university or the graduate of a community college or trade school program approved by the board, the applicant shall receive one year of work experience credit. (II) If the applicant has academic training, including military training or PV installation training, that does not qualify under subsection (2)(b)(I) of this section, the board may provide work experience credit for the training or for substantially similar training established by rule. (c) Any application for a license and notice to the applicant shall be made and given as provided for in the case of a master electrician's license. (3) Residential wireman. (a) An applicant for a residential wireman's license shall furnish written evidence that the applicant has at least two years of accredited training or four thousand hours over a period of at least two years of practical experience in wiring one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings. (b) An applicant may substitute for required practical experience evidence of academic training in the electrical field, which is credited as follows: (I) If the applicant is a graduate electrical engineer of an accredited college or university or the graduate of a community college or trade school program approved by the board, the applicant shall receive one year of work experience credit. (II) If the applicant has academic training, including military training or PV installation training, that is not sufficient to qualify under subsection (3)(b)(I) of this section, the board may provide work experience credit for the training according to a uniform ratio established by rule. (c) Any residential wireman's license issued under this section shall be clearly marked as such across its face. (4) (a) The board shall provide for licensing examinations. Any examination that is given for master electricians, journeymen electricians, and residential wiremen shall be subject to board approval. The board, or its designee, shall conduct and grade the examination and shall set the passing score to reflect a minimum level of competency. If it is determined that the applicant has passed the examination, the division, upon written notice from the board or the program director, acting as an agent thereof, and upon payment by the applicant of the fee provided in section 12-115-117, shall issue to the applicant a license that authorizes him or her to engage in the business, trade, or calling of a master electrician, journeyman electrician, or residential wireman. (b) All license and registration expiration and renewal schedules shall be in accord with the provisions of section 12-20-202. Fees in regard to such renewals shall be those set forth in section 12-115-117. (c) Licenses issued pursuant to this article 115 are subject to the renewal, expiration, reinstatement, and delinquency fee provisions specified in section 12-20-202 (1) and (2). Any person whose license has expired shall be subject to the penalties provided in this article 115 or section 12-20-202 (1). (d) (I) (A) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4)(d)(I)(B) of this section, on or after January 1, 2018, the department shall not renew or reinstate a license unless the applicant has completed twenty-four hours of continuing education since the date of issuance of the applicant's initial license or, if the applicant's license was renewed or reinstated, the most recent renewal or reinstatement. (B) Subsection (4)(d)(I)(A) of this section does not apply to the first renewal or reinstatement of a license for which, as a condition of issuance, the applicant successfully completed a licensing examination pursuant to subsection (4)(a) of this section. (II) On or before April 1, 2017, the board, in collaboration with established industry training programs and industry representatives, shall adopt rules establishing continuing education requirements and standards, which requirements and standards must include course work related to the national electrical code, including core competencies as determined by the board. A renewal or reinstatement license applicant shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the board, in a form and manner required by the board, documentation to demonstrate compliance with this subsection (4)(d)(II) and rules promulgated pursuant to this subsection (4)(d)(II). To ensure consumer protection, the board's rules may include audit standards for licensee compliance with continuing education requirements and requirements pertaining to the testing of licensees by the continuing education vendor. (5) (a) No person, firm, copartnership, association, or combination thereof shall engage in the business of an electrical contractor without having first registered with the board. The board shall register the contractor upon payment of the fee as provided in section 12-115-117, presentation of evidence that the applicant has complied with the applicable workers' compensation and unemployment compensation laws of this state, and satisfaction of the requirements of subsection (5)(b) or (5)(c) of this section. (b) If either the owner or the part owner of any firm, copartnership, corporation, association, or combination thereof has been issued a master electrician's license by the division and is in charge of the supervision of all electrical work performed by the contractor, upon written notice from the board or the program director, acting as the agent thereof, the division shall promptly, upon payment of the fee as provided in section 12-115-117, register the licensee as an electrical contractor. (c) If any person, firm, copartnership, corporation, association, or combination thereof engages in the business of an electrical contractor and does not comply with subsection (5)(b) of this section, it shall employ at least one licensed master electrician, who shall be in charge of the supervision of all electrical work performed by the contractor. (d) No holder of a master's license shall be named as the master electrician, under subsection (5)(b) or (5)(c) of this section, for more than one contractor, and a master name shall be actively engaged in a full-time capacity with that contracting company. The qualifying master license holder shall be required to notify the board within fifteen days after his or her termination as a qualifying master license holder. The master license holder is responsible for all electrical work performed by the electrical contracting company. Failure to comply with a notification may lead to discipline of the master license holder as provided in section 12-115-122. (6) (a) For the purposes of subsections (2)(a)(I) and (3)(a) of this section, in addition to other means of earning practical experience, an applicant earns practical experience by working: (I) Two thousand hours as a NABCEP PV installation professional working for or working as a photovoltaic installer; (II) Up to two thousand hours of practical experience working under the supervision of a NABCEP PV installation professional working for or working as a photovoltaic installer, so long as the supervising NABCEP PV installation professional provides proof of the applicant's employment and an affidavit attesting that the applicant earned the hours working under the supervision of a NABCEP PV installation professional; or (III) Up to four thousand hours as a NABCEP PV installation professional working for or working as a photovoltaic installer if the applicant submits additional documentation to the board, including payroll records, work orders, project descriptions, or other relevant materials that document significant solar industry work that qualifies as electrical hours. The board shall review the documentation and determine how many hours of practical experience the applicant earns beyond the two thousand hours permitted by subsection (6)(a)(I) of this section. (b) For every two hours that an applicant works as described in subsection (6)(a)(II) or (6)(a)(III) of this section, the applicant earns one hour for the purposes of subsection (2)(a)(I) or (3)(a) of this section. (7) (a) A contractor that is operating as of September 1, 2025, and that performs work as a photovoltaic installer pursuant to section 40-2-128 with at least one NABCEP-certified employee shall register as a photovoltaic installer with the board on or before December 31, 2026; except that a contractor may register with the board during a sixty-day grace period in accordance with section 12-20-202 (1)(e). (b) A contractor registering as a photovoltaic installer pursuant to this subsection (7) shall designate an agent or agents for the purpose of registration with the board. (c) If none of the agents designated pursuant to subsection (7)(b) of this section are affiliated with the contractor: (I) The contractor's registration as a photovoltaic installer with the board is invalid; and (II) The contractor's registration is ineligible for reinstatement. Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 849, � 1, effective October 1; (1)(b) amended, (SB 19-156), ch. 346, p. 3204, � 13, effective October 1. L. 2025: (2)(a), IP(2)(b), (2)(b)(II), (3)(a), IP(3)(b), and (3)(b)(II) amended and (6) and (7) added, (SB 25-165), ch. 370, p. 1997, � 2, effective August 6. Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former � 12-23-106 as it existed prior to 2019. (2) Before its relocation in 2019, this section was amended in SB 19-156. Those amendments were superseded by the repeal and reenactment of this title 12, effective October 1, 2019. For those amendments to the former section in effect from July 1, 2019, to October 1, 2019, see SB 19-156, chapter 346, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.