SUPERVISION OF ELECTRICIANS

M.G.L. pt. Part I, tit. Title XX, ch. c. 141

in effect

M.G.L. c. 141, § 1 Definitions

c. 141, § 1. Definitions Section 1. The following words as used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings: ''Fee'', a fee to be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter seven. ''Fire warning system'', an inherently power limited system of wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances installed and interconnected electrically or electronically for the detection of heat, smoke, or products of combustion, or for the transmission of signals or audible alarms. ''Inherently power limited system'', a system requiring no overcurrent protection due to design and construction. ''Journeyman electrician'', a person qualified to do the work of installing, repairing, or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances used for heat, light, power, fire warning or security system purposes. ''Master electrician'', a person, firm or corporation having a regular place of business who, by the employment of journeyman or apprentices, performs the work of installing, repairing or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances used for light, heat, power, fire warning or security system purposes; provided, however, that no journeyman electrician so employed shall have more than one apprentice under his supervision; and provided, further, that not more than one such apprentice shall be employed for each journeyman electrician. ''Security system'', an inherently power limited system of wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances installed and interconnected electrically or electronically to permit access control, proprietary signalling, surveillance and the detection of burglary, intrusion, holdup, or other conditions requiring response or the transmission of signals or audible alarms. ''System'', a fire warning, security or other inherently power limited system, wire, conduit or device which conducts or consumes electricity and is electrically or electronically activated. ''Systems contractor'', a person, firm or corporation having a regular place of business who, by the employment of systems technicians or apprentices, performs the work of installing, repairing or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances used for systems; provided, however, that no systems technician so employed shall have more than one apprentice under his supervision; and provided, further, that not more than one such apprentice shall be employed for each systems technician. ''Systems technician'', a person qualified to do the work of installing, repairing or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances used for systems.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 1A Electrician licensure requirement; exceptions

c. 141, § 1A. Electrician licensure requirement; exceptions Section 1A. No person, firm or corporation shall enter into, engage in, or work at the business or occupation of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances for carrying or using electricity for light, heat, power, fire warning or security system purposes, unless such person, firm or corporation shall be licensed by the state examiners of electricians in accordance with this chapter and, with respect to security systems, unless such person, firm or corporation shall also be licensed by the commissioner of the division of occupational licensure in accordance with the provisions of sections fifty-seven to sixty-one, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and forty-seven. This chapter shall not apply to: a person not engaged in the business described in this section who employs or contracts for the services of a person, firm or corporation engaged in such business; or to an apprentice employed by a person, firm or corporation licensed in accordance with this chapter; or to an agent, employee or assistant of a person, firm or corporation licensed in accordance with this chapter who does not engage in or perform the actual work described in this section.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 2 State examiners; rules; examinations; reports

c. 141, § 2. State examiners; rules; examinations; reports Section 2. The state examiners of electricians, in this chapter called the examiners, may make necessary rules for the proper performance of their duties. They shall hold frequent examinations in Boston, and, twice in each year, shall hold examinations in at least five other convenient places within the commonwealth, and they may hold annual or occasional examinations in other places. Public notice shall be given of all examinations. They shall make a biennial report of their doings in each odd-numbered year.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 2A Examinations; uniform requirements for towns; credit to veterans; frequency; types; supervision; sanction of examiners

c. 141, § 2A. Examinations; uniform requirements for towns; credit to veterans; frequency; types; supervision; sanction of examiners Section 2A. In the conduct of examinations they shall make uniform requirements for all towns, which may be revised from time to time, as circumstances require. They shall grant a credit of five per cent to the examination standing of each applicant who is a veteran, as defined in clause Forty-third of section seven of chapter four. Said examinations shall be sufficiently frequent to give ample opportunity for all applicants to be thoroughly and carefully examined, may be written or in practical work, and may be supervised by one or more of the examiners, but no license shall be granted without the sanction of the examiners. The examiners shall promulgate regulations to determine the allowable education and work hour credits for veterans and military personnel.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 2B Electricians licensed in other states; reciprocal licensure without examination; fees

c. 141, § 2B. Electricians licensed in other states; reciprocal licensure without examination; fees Section 2B. The examiners may license without examination any person who has been licensed as an electrician in another state under laws which, in the opinion of the examiners, maintain standards substantially the same as those of the commonwealth for electricians. The amount of the fee for licensing without examination under this section for a master and journeyman electrician's license shall be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter seven for the filing thereof.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 3 Forms of, and general provisions relating to, examinations, licenses and certificates; records; manual of regulations and licenses

c. 141, § 3. Forms of, and general provisions relating to, examinations, licenses and certificates; records; manual of regulations and licenses Section 3. The following forms of license shall be issued: certificate A, known as master electrician's license; certificate B, known as journeyman electrician's license; certificate C, known as systems contractor's license; and certificate D, known as systems technician's license. (1) Certificate A shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation engaged in or about to engage in the business of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances and systems; provided, however, that such person or a member of such firm or an officer of such corporation has passed an examination before the state examiners of electricians and such person or a member of such firm or officer of such corporation has held a certificate B license for at least twelve months. (2) Certificate B shall be issued to any person who has passed an examination before the state examiners of electricians. It shall specify the name of such person, who shall thereby be authorized to engage in the occupation of journeyman electrician. (3) Certificate C shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation engaged in or about to engage in the business of installing fire warning, security or other systems; provided, however, that such person or a member of such firm or an officer of such corporation has passed an examination before the state examiners of electricians and such person or a member of such firm or officer of such corporation has held a certificate D license for at least twelve months. (4) Certificate D shall be issued to any person who has passed an examination before the state examiners of electricians. It shall specify the name of such person who shall thereby be authorized to engage in the occupation of systems technician. (5) Both certificate A and certificate C shall specify the name of the person, firm or corporation licensed and the name of the person passing the examination by which such person, firm or corporation shall be authorized to enter upon or engage in business as set forth therein. The holding of certificate A or certificate C shall not entitle the holder individually to engage in or perform the actual work of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances or systems but the holding of certificate A shall entitle the holder to conduct business as a master electrician and the holding of certificate C shall entitle the holder to conduct business as a systems contractor. (6) Persons desiring an examination shall make written application therefor, accompanied by an examination fee. A person passing an examination for a master electrician's license, a systems contractor's license, a journeyman electrician's license, or a systems technician's license shall pay a fee before being issued such license. (7) Each certificate A and certificate C shall expire on July thirty-first every third year, commencing July thirty-first, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine, but may be renewed by the same person, firm or corporation acting by one or more of its members or officers, without further examination, upon payment of a fee, application therefor being made during said month. In case of failure to renew a license as aforesaid on or before July thirty-first of the third year, the person named therein, upon payment of said fee, increased by such additional fees as would have been payable had such license been continuously renewed may receive a deferred renewal thereof which shall expire July thirty-first of ensuing three year period; provided, however, that such renewed license shall not constitute its holder a licensee for any period preceding its issue. (8) Each certificate B and certificate D shall expire on July thirty-first every third year, commencing July thirty-first, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine, but may be renewed upon payment of a fee upon the same conditions set forth in clause (7). (9) Holders of certificate A and certificate C shall keep their certificates of registration displayed in a conspicuous place in their principal offices or places of business. The examiners shall furnish holders of certificate B and certificate D with evidence of having been so licensed by the examiners, in card form or otherwise, which shall be carried on the person of the licensee and exhibited on request. (10) Any certificate expiring while the holder thereof is in the military or naval service of the United States shall be renewed without further examination, upon payment of the prescribed fee, at any time within four months after such person's discharge from the service. (11) Examination papers and applications for certificate A, certificate B, certificate C and certificate D, shall be preserved for at least two years, after which time they may, at the discretion of the examiners, be destroyed. (12) Records of the meetings of the examiners shall be open for inspection at all times, and they shall have printed annually a manual of their regulations, including the names of all licensees.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 4 Transferability, suspension and revocation of certificates

c. 141, § 4. Transferability, suspension and revocation of certificates Section 4. No certificates issued under this chapter shall be assignable or transferable. They may, after hearing, be suspended or revoked by the examiners upon failure or refusal of the licensee to comply with the rules and requirements of the examiners, or for other sufficient cause.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 5 Engagement in business or work without compliance with statutes; enforcement

c. 141, § 5. Engagement in business or work without compliance with statutes; enforcement Section 5. Any person, firm or corporation, or employee thereof, and any representative, member or officer of such firm or corporation individually, entering upon or engaging in the business and work hereinbefore defined, without having complied with this chapter, shall for the first offence be punished by a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $1,500, for a second offence by a fine of not less than $1,500 and not more than $2,000 and for each subsequent offence by a fine of not less than $2,000 and not more than $2,500 or by imprisonment in the house of correction for six months, or both. The examiners and the inspectors of wires in each city and town, as defined in section thirty-two of chapter one hundred and sixty-six, shall be charged with the enforcement of this chapter. They shall have all necessary powers to require compliance therewith, including the power to institute and prosecute proceedings in the superior court department of the trial court.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 6 Liability for work of employee

c. 141, § 6. Liability for work of employee Section 6. No person, firm or corporation holding a ''certificate A or certificate C'' shall be liable for work done by his or its employees, unless it appears that such work was done with his or its knowledge or consent or by his or its authorization.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 7 Nonapplicability of statutes

c. 141, § 7. Nonapplicability of statutes Section 7. This chapter shall not apply to: the installation, repairing, and wiring of elevators; the work in connection with the erection, construction, maintenance or repair of lines for transmission of electricity from the source of supply to the service switch on the premises where used by municipal electric plants, by electric companies as defined in section one of chapter one hundred and sixty-four, by gas companies authorized to make or sell electricity, by electric street railway companies, by electric railroad companies or by railroad companies; the work of such plants or companies on premises owned or controlled by them; the work of said municipal electric plants or of said electric or gas companies in installing, maintaining and repairing on the premises of customers, service connections and meters and other apparatus and appliances remaining the property of such plants or companies after installation; public employees engaged in the work of installing, maintaining or repairing public signalling systems; the work in connection with the lighting of public ways, alleys, private ways, or public parks, areas or squares; the work of companies subject to regulation by the department of public utilities or the department of telecommunications and cable, and incorporated for the transmission of intelligence by electricity in installing, maintaining or repairing wires, apparatus, fixtures, or other appliances used by such companies and necessary for, or incident to, their business, whether or not such wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures or other appliances are on its own premises; or the work in connection with the installation, construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of telephone equipment, cable television service or computer systems by a person, firm or corporation primarily engaged in the telecommunications or the information systems industry.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 8 Learners or apprentices; theatrical companies; employers without a certificate; liability insurance

c. 141, § 8. Learners or apprentices; theatrical companies; employers without a certificate; liability insurance Section 8. Electricians regularly employed by persons, firms or corporations other than holders of certificate A, may install such electrical wiring, conduits and appliances or make such repairs as may be required only on the premises and property of such persons, firms or corporations; provided that such electricians hold journeymen's licenses, and have otherwise complied with this chapter. Any such person, firm or corporation may employ learners or apprentices to work with and under the direct personal supervision of electricians referred to in this paragraph in said installation and repair work, provided that no such journeyman electrician shall have more than one learner or apprentice working with him and under his supervision as aforesaid; but not more than one such learner or apprentice shall be so employed for each journeyman electrician. Electricians employed by theatrical companies may install temporary wiring and appliances required for the purpose of the engagement of any such company, subject to the supervision of a person licensed under this chapter. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, no permit for the performance of electrical work pursuant to chapters one hundred and forty-one and one hundred and forty-three shall be issued by any city or town unless the licensee provides proof of liability insurance, including ''completed operation'' coverage, which has been issued by an insurance company licensed to do business in the commonwealth, or a bond or other type of indemnity against liability providing substantially equivalent coverage. In lieu of said insurance requirement the permit issuing authority shall accept the signature of the owner or his agent on the uniform application for a permit for work to be performed by electricians.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 9 Misstatements

c. 141, § 9. Misstatements Section 9. Any person applying for a journeyman electrician's license or a systems technician's license and making any misstatement as to his experience or other qualifications, or any person, firm or corporation subscribing to, or vouching for, any such misstatement shall be subject to the penalties set forth in section five.

M.G.L. c. 141, § 10 Disposition of fees and fines

c. 141, § 10. Disposition of fees and fines Section 10. Fees and fines collected under this chapter shall be paid to the commonwealth.

Source: Massachusetts General Court (malegislature.gov)URL: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter141Fetched: 10/20/2026