TITLE 24. ELECTRICAL BOARD ARTICLE 2. ELECTRICAL WIRING STANDARDS CHAPTER 1. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND ELECTRICAL WIRING STANDARDS

1.               N.D. Admin. Code 24-02-01-02 (2007)


24-02-01-02. General statement of policy and interpretative rules.There are three categories of licensed electricians recognized by the electrical board.1. Licensed electricians and the qualifications required for each to apply for examination:a. A master electrician shall have at least one year's experience working as a licensed journeyman electrician under the supervision of a contracting master electrician.b. A journeyman electrician shall have at least four years' (8,000 hours total, maximum 2,000 hours per year) experience registered as an apprentice electrician (of which up to eighteen months may apply under the qualifications of a class B electrician) under the supervision of a contracting master licensed electrician in an area where electrical construction work is done in the jurisdiction regulating similar rules of the state of North Dakota. One year's credit will be granted for a graduate of a two-year or more electrical school accepted by the state electrical board. The person shall have the necessary qualifications, training, and technical knowledge to wire, install, and repair electrical apparatus and equipment in accordance with the standard rules and regulations of the National Electrical Code.c. A class B electrician shall have at least eighteen months' (3,000 hours total, maximum 2,000 hours per year) experience in farmstead or residential wiring under the supervision of a master or class B electrician.Commercial wiring experience will not be credited for experience toward a class B license. Six months' credit will be granted for a graduate of a two-year electrical school approved by the state electrical board.d. Upon receiving an application for an electrician's license from an applicant, the state electrical board shall forward an employment verification record to the appropriate parties listed in the application. Upon receiving verification of electrical construction experience as outlined under this section and upon final approval of the application by the state electrical board, the applicant shall be sent an invitation to take the examination. The invitation shall outline the available testing dates for the year. Upon receiving the invitation, the applicant shall contact the state electrical board and inform the board as to the date chosen to take the examination.2. Apprentice electricians. There are two categories of apprentice electricians.a. Apprentice electricians under the joint apprenticeship training committee training program approved by the department of labor.b. Electrician trainees who may not be eligible for the joint apprenticeship training committee program and other persons desiring to accumulate a sufficient time and capability in the electrical trade to qualify them to apply for permission to take the examination for the journeyman electrician's license.Any person may work as an apprentice under a licensed master or class B electrician, but the master or class B electrician shall not allow an apprentice to work on any installation without direct constant supervision by a North Dakota licensed electrician working with the apprentice at the worksite. A licensed electrician shall supervise not more than three apprentices.Electrical contractors shall maintain records of all employees who are or will be performing electrical work for that electrical contractor and shall permit the electrical board to examine and copy all such records as required by this section.Any master or class B electrician who fails or refuses to comply with this section or who fails or refuses to comply or demonstrate compliance with this section at the request of the board or its representative shall subject that person's license to nonrenewal, suspension, or revocation by the board.3. Master and class B electricians. A master or class B electrician may exercise that person's privileges as a licensed master or class B electrician for no more than one shop or business, and shall comply with provisions as required for contracting with the secretary of state's office as stated in North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-07. A master or class B electrician shall notify the state electrical board office immediately upon changing from contracting status to noncontracting status for the shop or business they represent.4. Maintenance personnel regularly employed by the owner may maintain or make minor repairs to existing electrical wiring devices and appliances, but are precluded from extending or changing the characteristics of existing circuits, feeders, or other electrical apparatus.5. Purpose and scope. The purpose of these standards is the practical safeguarding of persons and of buildings and building contents from electrical hazards arising from the use or control of electricity for light, heat, power, and control thereof and of the fire detection system. It covers the electrical conductors and equipment installed within or on public and private buildings and other premises, including yards, carnival and parking lots, railroad right of way and, also the conductors that supply streetlighting, with the associated equipment necessary to its safe operation.These standards, based on the National Electrical Code, are the result of years of experience and research to meet the demand for uniform standards to govern electrical wiring in North Dakota, and provide basic rules for intelligent and uniform installation and inspection.All requirements contained herein shall be given careful consideration to ensure greatest permanence, convenience, and safety. These standards do not constitute a design specification for any particular installation, nor an instruction manual for untrained persons. Skill and experience are necessary factors for a safe and adequate wiring installation. In cases where these requirements differ or are in conflict with the requirements of the NFPA 70 2005 edition National Electrical Code and NFPA 101 2003 edition Life Safety Code, and applicable articles in currently adopted state building code pertaining to fire detection, fire alarms, fire communications, and smoke detectors, the more restrictive requirements shall be the minimum.6. Administrative powers and duties. The executive director of the state electrical board, under the direction of the board, shall administer laws, rules, and wiring standards of this state, the electrical requirements of the NFPA 70 2005 edition National Electrical Code and NFPA 101 2003 edition Life Safety Code, and applicable articles in currently adopted state building code pertaining to fire detection, fire alarms, fire communications, and smoke detectors. In all cases when any action is taken by the executive director to enforce the provisions of any sections contained in these electrical regulations, the NFPA 70 2005 edition National Electrical Code and NFPA 101 2003 edition Life Safety Code, such acts shall be done in the name of and on behalf of the state.The electrical regulations of these standards, the NFPA 70 2005 edition National Electrical Code and NFPA 101 2003 edition Life Safety Code, may be modified or waived by special permission in particular cases when such modification or waiver is specifically permitted or in particular cases when an advancement in the technology of electricity makes such modification or waiver advisable in the best interest of the people of North Dakota. Such "special permission" shall, in all cases, be obtained from the executive director in writing prior to the commencement of the work.Whenever the board is authorized or mandated by law to inspect an electrical installation, the inspector has authority to enter upon land for the purpose of conducting the inspection. Except in emergency circumstances, the inspector shall request permission from the property owner or agent prior to entering a dwelling, other building, or other place so enclosed as manifestly to exclude intruders. If the landowner refuses to give permission, the board may request the district court of the district containing the property for an order authorizing the inspector to enter the property to conduct the inspection. Emergency circumstances include situations presenting imminent danger to health, safety, or property.