N.J. Admin. Code § 5:23-5.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 5:23-5.4 - Licenses and certifications required

(a) No person shall be appointed to, or shall hold, the position of construction official or subcode official unless that person has received a license required for that position pursuant to this subchapter. No person shall be appointed to, or hold the position of, technical assistant to the construction official unless that person has received a certification required for that position pursuant to this subchapter.

(b) No person shall be appointed to, or shall hold, a technical inspector position in an enforcing agency for which a license requirement has been established by this chapter unless that person has received the license required by these rules for that position.

(c) No person shall act to enforce any special technical provision or article of the rules for which the Commissioner shall have established in 5:23-5.3 a requirement for an additional special technical license, unless such person shall have received the required special technical license within one year following the effective date of the requirement for such license.

(d) Enforcing agencies may establish code enforcement trainee positions subject to the following rules:

1. Persons applying for a trainee position with an enforcing agency must be officially registered with the Department of Community Affairs on the form provided by the Licensing Unit of the Division of Codes and Standards prior to being hired as a trainee.

i. Trainees shall renew their registration yearly and shall notify the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards, Licensing Unit, of any change in employment status or address within one month of the change.

ii. A nonrefundable processing fee of $ 20.00 is required for the initial Trainee Registration Request and for each subsequent renewal request.

2. Persons meeting the following experience requirements shall be eligible to register as trainees:

i. Fire protection inspector trainee--a minimum of one year of experience in the fire service (other than as an apprentice or person in training) with fire prevention, fire protection or firefighting responsibilities, or with one year experience in building construction as a journeyman, contractor, or design draftsperson relative to the fire protection subcode.

ii. Building inspector trainee--a minimum of one year of experience in building construction as a journeyman, inspector, contractor or design draftsperson relative to the building subcode.

iii. Plumbing inspector trainee--a minimum of one year of experience as a journeyman plumber, contractor or design draftsperson relative to the plumbing subcode.

iv. Electrical inspector trainee--a minimum of one year of experience as a journeyman electrician, contractor or design draftsperson relative to the electrical subcode.

v. Persons who have graduated from an accredited institution of higher education with a bachelor's degree in architecture or engineering, or in architectural or engineering technology, or in any other major area of study significantly related to building construction, or who possess an associate's degree in code enforcement, or have a current New Jersey registration/license as an architect or engineer shall be exempt from the experience requirement for trainee employment.

3. Trainees shall be evaluated by their supervisors on a quarterly basis. This evaluation shall include a brief description of the trainee's code enforcement activities and an assessment of the trainee's performance in these activities. Trainees who receive satisfactory evaluation ratings by their supervisors and who occupy enforcing agency trainee positions while registered with the Department may use the trainee experience toward satisfying the experience requirement for licensure in accordance with this subchapter. The effective date of the trainee experience begins at the time the person is hired as a registered trainee by an authorized agency.

4. The following conditions apply to work performed by a trainee:

i. Trainees may perform inspections required by 5:23-2.18 only under the direct supervision of an official or inspector licensed in the subcode area in which the trainee position has been approved. The licensed supervisor must be on site with the trainee during the performance of all required inspections.

ii. Trainees may perform an inspection of a singular specific point on a project, or a repetitive singular specific point on one or more projects, if directed to do so by a licensed supervisor where no code interpretation is required. In any such case, the inspection report shall be completed and signed by the trainee and reviewed and countersigned by the licensed supervisor.

iii. Trainees shall not act as subcode or construction officials or sign any permits, stickers, approved plans or inspection reports except as otherwise permitted by (d)5i and ii above.

5. The supervisor of the trainee shall possess a valid code enforcement license in the same subcode as the registered trainee working under his or her direct supervision.

i. A qualified licensed inspector shall not supervise more than one trainee.

ii. Failure of a supervisor to properly oversee a registered trainee in accordance with the provisions of the rules may result in disciplinary action against the supervisor.

6. To remain employed by an enforcing agency, a trainee must enroll in, and successfully complete, the appropriate approved course within two years of the effective date of his or her employment. Trainees who fail to successfully complete the appropriate course within two years of the effective date of their employment shall not be permitted to renew their registration until successful completion is achieved.

7. To remain employed by an enforcing agency, a trainee must pass the appropriate modules of the National Certification Test in his specific code area within two years of the effective date of employment.

(e) Enforcing agencies may establish code enforcement intern positions subject to the following:

1. Persons applying for an intern position with an enforcing agency must be officially registered in accordance with this subchapter with the Department of Community Affairs on the form provided by the Licensing Unit of the Division of Codes and Standards prior to being hired as an intern.

i. Interns shall renew their registration yearly and shall notify the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards Licensing Unit within one month of any change in employment status prior to accepting any new position and of any change of address.

ii. A nonrefundable processing fee of $ 20.00 is required for the initial Intern Registration Request and for each subsequent renewal request.

2. Persons meeting the following requirements shall be eligible to be employed as interns:

i. Fire protection inspector intern: possession of an associate degree in code enforcement with a major in the fire protection subcode;

ii. Building inspector intern: possession of an associate degree in code enforcement with a major in the building subcode area;

iii. Plumbing inspector intern: possession of an associate degree in code enforcement with a major in the plumbing subcode area; and

iv. Electrical inspector intern: possession of an associate degree in code enforcement with a major in the electrical subcode area.

3. Interns shall be evaluated by their supervisors on a quarterly basis.

i. The evaluation must include a brief description of the intern's code enforcement activities and an assessment of the intern's performance in these activities.

ii. Interns who receive satisfactory evaluation ratings from their supervisors and who occupy enforcing agency intern positions while registered with the Department may use the intern experience toward satisfying the experience requirement for licensure.

iii. The period of intern experience begins at the time a person is hired as a registered intern by an authorized agency.

4. The following conditions apply to work performed by interns:

i. Interns may perform all inspections allowed for a trainee as described in (d)5i and ii above.

ii. In addition, with the written approval of an intern's supervisor, the intern may perform the following types of inspections without the supervisor being present during the inspection:

(1) Reinspections of previously failed documented inspections for one and two family dwellings;

(2) Footing inspections as described in 5:23-2.18(b)1i(1) for one and two family dwellings (building inspector interns with written approval of their supervisors only).

iii. An intern shall not act as a subcode or construction official nor sign any permits, stickers, approved plans or inspection reports, except as permitted in (e)4i and ii above.

5. The supervisor of the intern must possess a valid code enforcement license in the same subcode as the registered intern working under his or her supervision.

i. A qualified licensed inspector shall not supervise more than one intern.

ii. Failure of a supervisor to properly oversee a registered intern in accordance with the provisions of this subsection may result in disciplinary action against the supervisor.

iii. The supervisor must complete the quarterly reports and keep a written file on the progress of the intern. This file must include written authorization to perform inspections as listed at N.J.A.C. 5:23-5.4(e)4. At the end of one year of full time internship, the supervisor shall forward notice to the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards, Licensing Unit of successful completion of the internship. If the internship is not for a full year, or is part time, that time may also be documented.

6. To remain employed by an enforcing agency, an intern must pass the appropriate module(s) of the National Certification Test in his or her specific code area within one year of the effective date of employment.

(f) Effective November 6, 2008, special inspectors shall be certified in accordance with the administrative provisions of the Uniform Construction Code. No person shall act as a special inspector to enforce any provision of the building subcode for which this chapter has established a certification requirement unless that person has received the certification required by these rules for that specialty.

(g) Violations:

1. It shall be a violation of these regulations for any construction or subcode official or technical inspector to represent himself or herself to be qualified for a position that the person does not currently hold, or to use a title or otherwise represent himself or herself to be qualified for a position that the person does not currently hold, or to use a title or otherwise represent himself or herself as licensed or authorized to act under the code if that person does not possess the required license or certification. In addition to any other remedy available under law, such shall be deemed a violation of this section subject to a penalty of not more than $ 2,000 for each offense.

2. It shall be a violation of these rules for any person to hold or perform the duties of an office for which a license or certification is required herein, or for any person to represent himself or herself as qualified for such position, or to use any title or otherwise represent himself or herself as licensed, certified, or authorized to act under the code if the person does not possess that license or certification. In addition to any other remedy available under law, such action shall be deemed a violation of this section and subject to a penalty of not more than $ 2,000 for each offense.

3. It shall be a violation of these rules in the case of construction and subcode officials and technical inspectors for any enforcing agency, including private on-site inspection and plan review agencies, to offer employment to or to retain for employment any person who is not licensed in accordance with these rules if such person has not been previously and continuously employed by such agency. Further, it shall be a violation of these rules for an enforcing agency to continue an individual in employment in a position for which a license is required pursuant to these rules, or to hire an individual for such a position, if such person is not licensed in accordance with this subchapter. Violation of this section shall be deemed a failure to perform within the meaning of 5:23-4.3(f), and the Department may exercise the remedies provided therein.

4. It shall be a violation of the State Uniform Construction Code Act for any agency of the State of New Jersey, which is charged with enforcing agency responsibilities pursuant to the act or these rules, to fail to comply with paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this subsection.

N.J. Admin. Code § 5:23-5.4

Amended by 47 N.J.R. 459(a), effective 2/17/2015

Amended by 55 N.J.R. 826(b), effective 5/1/2023

Administrative Change, 56 N.J.R. 1708(a), effective 7/23/2024