§34-37-6. Certification, registration, and examination.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to purchase a business license or to do or perform, or to contract, direct, or superintend any plumbing, gas fitting, or medical gas piping within any incorporated city or town or county of this state unless the person has first received a certificate of competency, hereinafter referred to as "certificate," that is in force and effect at the time the plumbing, gas fitting, or medical gas piping is done, directed, or superintended, except as hereinafter provided.

(b) The board shall register every person who may apply for an apprentice plumber or gas fitter registration certificate upon forms provided by the board, upon first paying all prescribed fees.

(c) The board shall examine and pass upon the qualification of every person who applies for a journeyman's plumber or gas fitter certificate upon forms provided by the board. An applicant for examination for a journeyman's plumber or gas fitter certificate shall submit proof that the applicant has two years of work experience as an apprentice plumber or gas fitter or has completed an apprentice training program approved by the board. Applicants for journeyman plumber or gas fitter shall be examined, orally or in writing, upon the fundamentals of plumbing or gas fitting, the theory and practice of plumbing installation and construction or gas fitting work, and the experience and ability of the applicant in practical plumbing installation and construction or gas fitting work. If the applicant is found to possess an accurate knowledge of the theory and correct practice of plumbing installation and construction or gas fitting work, and sufficient experience and ability in plumbing installation and construction or gas fitting work to safely and competently apply that knowledge and practice, the board shall issue a certificate, upon the applicant first paying all prescribed fees. The examination shall be administered by an independent examining agency.

(d) The board shall examine and pass upon the qualifications of every person who applies for a master's plumber or gas fitter certificate upon forms provided by the board.

(1) Applicants for examination for a master plumber certificate shall submit proof to the board that the applicant has at least one year of work experience as a journeyman plumber.

(2) Applicants for examination for a master gas fitter's certificate shall submit proof to the board that the applicant has at least one year of work experience as a journeyman gas fitter.

(3) An applicant for a master's certificate shall be examined upon knowledge, training, and ability, in the planning, laying out, and supervision of plumbing installation and construction work or gas fitting work, and if found to possess those qualifications, the applicant shall be issued a master's plumber or gas fitter certificate by the board.

(e) No person shall be issued a certificate without passing the prescribed examination. A person who has passed the examination shall not be required to take the examination thereafter in order to secure a certificate in subsequent years. At least four examinations per year shall be conducted, at a time and place prescribed by the board after reasonable notice.

(f) Any master plumber, master gas fitter, journeyman plumber, or journeyman gas fitter performing medical gas piping shall provide proof to the board that he or she has successfully completed a current medical gas piping certification program approved by the board. The approval by the board shall be indicated by endorsement as a medical gas piping fitter on his or her certificate. Any journeyman performing medical gas piping shall work under the direction of a master plumber or master gas fitter whose certificate entitles him or her to install medical gas piping.

(g) An applicant for any type of certification shall be a United States citizen or, if not a citizen of the United States, a person who is legally present in the United States with appropriate documentation from the federal government.

(Acts 1987, No. 87-812, p. 1616, §6; Acts 1988, No. 88-132, p. 190, §3; Acts 1989, No. 89-406, p. 858, §3; Acts 1992, No. 92-182, p. 340, §3; Acts 1995, No. 95-212, p. 347, §1; Acts 1996, No. 96-795, p. 1496, §1; Acts 1997, No. 97-718, p. 1488, §1; Act 2008-148, p. 240, §3.)