No person shall perform electrical work until a permit has been obtained and a copy has been posted at the job site or presented to the owner or occupant. The work must be done under the personal and technical supervision of a licensed Master Electrician or Master Electrician, Limited, or a licensed Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and/or Heating Contractor. No permit shall be required for in-kind/in-place replacement of existing receptacles, switches or lighting fixtures not exceeding a combination of five (5) devices per structure.

All applications for permits shall be in writing, on such form as may be prescribed by the Department, and shall describe the work to be done and the location thereof. All applications for permits shall be accompanied by plans and specifications as specified in Section 9-115 and the fee set forth by the Director and/or representative. Electrical permits shall only be issued to a duly licensed Master Electrician, or Master Electrician, Limited, or a duly licensed Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and/or Heating Contractor, except as provided in Section 9-117.

Approved plans are plans which have been reviewed by the Director and/or representative and have been found to be consistent with Code requirements and accepted practices. Approved plans shall be stamped "Approved" and at least one (1) set of such approved plans shall be retained by the Department and the other set shall be kept at the building site, open to inspection of the Director and/or representative at all reasonable times.

An application for a permit shall be accompanied by specifications and of plans which use symbols and notations commonly accepted by the electrical industry to show the nature and character of the work to be performed. The Director and/or representative may waive the requirement for filing plans when it is determined that the work is of a minor nature. No plans shall be required when a building permit application has been filed in accordance with Subtitle 4 of this County Code.

When temporary emergency repairs necessitate replacement or alterations to an electrical installation in residential or small industrial uses, such work may be commenced by a properly licensed Master Electrician or Master Electrician, (Limited), without a permit; provided, that the person doing the same shall first inform the Department, if the Department's office is open, giving name and address and the address where the work is to be done, the nature thereof, and the appropriate time of commencement of the work. In each case, such person shall file an application for a permit covering the work no later than the following business day.

Except as restricted to the type of work as delineated below, the property owner is permitted to perform electrical work on his or her own premises; and the work is limited to a in kind, in place replacement of lighting fixtures, receptacles and switches combination of five (5) devices or less. Provided, that such premises are used only for a single-family residential dwelling. The owner shall meet the following requirements: The owner shall apply for, pay the required fee, and secure an electrical permit required by this Subtitle. The owner shall do such work in accordance with the provisions of this Subtitle and work description narrative submitted with the permit application. The owner shall apply for all inspections required by this Subtitle. The owner shall be living on the premises, or declare an intention to occupy the premises for a minimum of one (1) year. The owner shall receive a final certification of inspection. Personal installation by an owner, other than by a licensed electrician, shall be by the owner on his own premises and without compensation from or to any other person for such labor or installation. The owner exercising this privilege shall conform to all requirements of this Subtitle. The following electrical work is not permitted to be performed under a homeowners permit: Installation of New Service; Service Heavy-Up; Service Panel Change; Relocation of Service Panel and/or Meter; Relocation of Service Drop or Lateral; or Installation of subpanels. Personal installation by an owner, other than by a licensed electrician, shall be by the owner on his own premises and without compensation from or to any other person for such labor or installation. The owner exercising this privilege shall conform to all requirements of this Subtitle. Requirements affecting the 2020 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code section 408, "Switchboards, Switchgear, and Panelboards." For an existing installation of a split-bus panelboard it shall be required to replace the split-bus panelboard with a main overcurrent protective device when replacement of service entrance conductor occurs.

Each electrical permit issued pursuant to this Subtitle shall describe the installation to be done thereunder. Except as provided by Section 9-116, no person shall install or repair any electrical equipment other than in accordance with the permit. Except as provided by Section 9-117, all work done under such permit shall be performed under the technical supervision of a licensed Master Electrician or Master Electrician, Limited, as identified on the permit. All permits shall expire and be void unless the work authorized thereunder is either commenced within six (6) months from the date of issuance or there are no inspections made in a six (6) month period. Any permit issued with administrative errors which are the result of information provided by the applicant, such as incomplete listing of work accomplished, wrong address, or wrong owner, shall be revised prior to a final inspection. A fee of Fifty-Four dollars, plus a 10% Technology fee, as amended in Subtitle 2-253.63 Fee Table, is imposed for a permit revision in addition to the increased scope of work.

The Electrical Contractor or employees shall provide, at the job site, the number(s) of any permit(s) issued, upon request of the Department.

The Director shall revoke, without refund of the permit fee, an electrical permit which is issued on an application or plans containing any false statement or misrepresentation of fact immediately upon discovery of such false statement or misrepresentation of fact therein.

The fees for electrical permits and inspections of electrical installations pursuant to this Subtitle shall be adopted by resolution. The County Executive shall propose and recommend to the County Council a schedule of fees that reflects the actual costs associated with administering and inspecting work performed pursuant to permit. The Council shall conduct a public hearing prior to adopting the schedule of fees and may amend the schedule of fees prior to adoption.

Whenever a change of electrical contractor occurs, the property owner, developer, or general contractor must inform the County by letter of such change. The letter should be addressed to the Director and/or representative and should include the following: electrical permit number(s), addressee(s), the last type of inspection if any, the reason for changing contractor, and the new contractor if selected. A copy of this letter should also be sent to the utility providing electric power when service work is included on the permit(s). Subsequent to receipt of this letter a "change in contractor" type of inspection will be made. When the inspection is completed and before resuming work, the new contractor must obtain a new permit at a cost to be determined by the Director and/or representative. Whenever any electrical work for which a permit is required has been started prior to obtaining a permit, a special investigation shall be made before an application may be filed to request the required permit. In addition to the filing fee and regular permit fee, an investigation fee of One Hundred Eighty Dollars, plus 10% technology fee as amended in Subtitle 2-253.63 Fee Table for residential work and Three Hundred Dollars, plus 10% technology fee as amended in Subtitle 2-253.63 Fee Table for commercial work shall be paid at the time of filing the application for the required permit. Whenever work under a permit has been placed, partially completed, or concealed without first obtaining the required inspection approval, the Director and/or representative shall cause a special investigation to be made. The fee for the special investigation shall be One Hundred Eighty Dollars, plus 10% technology fee as amended in Subtitle 2-253.63 Fee Table for residential and Three Hundred Dollars, plus 10% technology fee as amended in Subtitle 2-253.63 Fee Table for commercial and shall be payable before further inspections will be provided. Whenever an inspection is requested which cannot be rendered because the work has not been completed, a reinspection fee of Sixty-Six Dollars plus 10% technology fee as amended in Subtitle 2-253.63 Fee Table will be assessed against the contractor.

A rough-wiring inspection is required before concealment. Upon completion of an electrical installation, a request for final inspection shall be made to the Department within seventy-two (72) hours of completion. The Department shall complete any commercial electrical inspection within three (3) working days of such request.

No electric light or power company shall energize any customer's electric lines, outlets or devices within the County until a temporary or permanent meter cut-in certificate has been issued by the Department. This Section does not apply to facilities of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission that are used to dispense their services to the public.