Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 5-6 - Electricians
Section 5-6-8. - Contractor’s certificates/licenses.

§ 5-6-8. Contractor’s certificates/licenses.
(a) Electrical contractor’s license. A Certificate A shall be issued to any person, firm, or corporation, qualified under this chapter, engaging in, or about to engage in, the business of installing, maintaining, servicing, and testing electrical wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures, fire alarm and safety communication systems, and other electrical appliances, excluding low-voltage wiring for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment. The certificate shall specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the name of the person, who in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, is one of its officers, passing the examination by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate A does not entitle the holder individually to engage in or perform the actual work of installing, maintaining, servicing, and testing electric wires, conduits, or appliances as previously described in this chapter, but entitles him or her to conduct business as an electrical contractor.
(b) Burner contractor’s license. A Certificate E shall be issued to any person, firm, or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of a burner contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the name of the person who, in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation is one of its officers, passing the examination, by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate E does not entitle the holder individually to engage in or perform any work on, or in connection with, electric wires, conduits, and appliances as previously described in this chapter, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work, to the extent permitted in this chapter, through the employment of burnerpersons holding a Certificate F. A burner contractor who is the holder of a Certificate A is not required to obtain a Certificate E.
(c) Fire alarm contractor’s license. A Certificate AF shall be issued to any person, firm, or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of a fire alarm contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the person who, in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation is one of its officers, passing the examination by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate AF does not entitle the holder individually to engage in, or perform and work on, or in connection with, electric wires, fire alarm wires, conduits, and appliances as previously described in this chapter, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the extent permitted in this chapter through the employment of fire alarm installers holding a Certificate BF. A contractor who is the holder of a Certificate A is not required to obtain a Certificate BF.
(d) Electrical sign contractor’s license. A Certificate SCF shall be issued to any person, firm, or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in or about to engage in the business of electrical sign installations, as defined in § 5-6-1.
(e) Lightning-protection contractor. A Certificate LPC shall be issued to any person, firm, or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of lightning-protection contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The Certificate LPC shall specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the person, who in the case of a firm, is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, is one of its officers, passing the examination by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon or engage in business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate LPC does not entitle the holder individually to engage in, or perform and work on, or in connection with, the installation of lightning-protection equipment as defined in § 5-6-1, unless that individual also holds a Certificate LPI, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the extent permitted in this chapter through the employment of lightning-protection installers holding a Certificate LPI.
(f) Sign renovation electrical license. A certificate SRL shall be issued to any person, firm, or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of sign renovation or installation of signs when such renovation or installation requires the removal or installation of no more than three (3) wires.
(g) Renewable energy professional. A Certificate REP shall be issued to any person, firm, or corporation, qualified under this chapter, engaged in or about to engage in the business of installing eligible renewable energy technologies as defined in § 39-26-5. All renewable energy electrical work, including installing, connecting, maintaining, servicing, and testing all electrical wires, conduits, and apparatus; mounting the modules to the mounting racks; mounting the inverters; and tying the inverters into the main electrical panels, shall be done by a licensed electrician. Ancillary non-electrical, renewable energy work, such as advertising services; distribution of materials to final location of installation including photovoltaic modules to the mounting racks; and installing the ground and rooftop support brackets and ballast for rack systems, may be done by any person, firm, or corporation holding a Certificate REP. The Certificate REP shall specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the name of the person, who in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, is one of its officers, meeting the requisite education and experience as established in § 5-6-11, by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate REP entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the extent permitted in this chapter.
The installation, mechanical fastening, and conjoining of listed solar sheathing systems that are ten kilowatts (10 kw) or less on residential structures as defined by the Rhode Island one- and two-family dwelling code may be performed by a registered contractor who or that has been issued a renewable energy professional certificate (Certificate REP) as defined in § 5-6-11(e) and above referenced. However, said residential solar sheathing system shall be connected to the electrical system from the roof edge and energized by a Rhode Island licensed electrician working in compliance with this chapter. Additionally, the residential solar sheathing systems noted must be listed and labeled by UL or other recognized electrical device certification organization, identified and acceptable by the authority having jurisdiction.
History of Section.P.L. 1942, ch. 1234, § 7; G.L. 1956, § 5-6-8; P.L. 1963, ch. 198, § 3; P.L. 1985, ch. 446, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 63, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 228, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 320, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 208, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 104, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 141, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 417, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 466, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 512, art. 1, § 2; P.L. 2017, ch. 122, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 137, § 1.

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