AI-assisted research summary: This chapter requires certificates of fitness for certain work, sets application and renewal fees, and gives the department authority to issue, cancel, and regulate certificates.
Chapter 62. Certificates of Fitness. Sec. 18.62.010. Certificate of fitness required. In connection with work performed subject to the standards established in AS 18.60.580 and AS 18.60.705 , a person may not be employed without a certificate of fitness to perform the work, except that a certificate of fitness may not be required of employees of an electric utility that does not have within its service area any portion of a city or unified municipality having more than 2,500 population. Sec. 18.62.020. Application for and issuance of certificate. (a) The department shall issue certificates of fitness and renewal certificates of fitness. A journeyman level certificate and renewal certificate is valid for two years. A trainee level certificate and renewal certificate is valid for six years. A certificate may be issued only to an individual. An applicant for a certificate shall apply in writing, under oath, on a form prescribed by the department containing (1) the name and address of the applicant; (2) the applicant's age; (3) the applicant's citizenship; and (4) other information relevant to licensing that the department requires. (b) The department may adopt regulations allowing for the issuance of a provisional certificate of fitness to an individual who applies for a certificate of fitness under (a) of this section and holds a comparable certificate in another jurisdiction. Sec. 18.62.030. Fees. (a) An applicant shall pay a nonrefundable application fee of $50 when applying for a certificate of fitness. The department shall charge a fee of $200 for the issuance of a trainee level certificate or renewal certificate and $200 for the issuance of a journeyman level certificate or renewal certificate, to be prorated if issued for less than two years, and a fee of $25 for the issuance of a duplicate certificate. (b) Fees collected under (a) of this section shall be deposited into the building safety account created under AS 44.31.025 . Sec. 18.62.040. Cancellation and duration of certificate. The department may cancel a certificate for cause. A certificate, if not cancelled for cause, is valid for the term it was issued for. A certificate holder whose certificate is about to expire may apply for a new certificate. Sec. 18.62.050. Issuance and contents of certificate. (a) If, upon investigation and examination by the department, the applicant is found competent by reason of training and experience, the department shall issue a certificate of fitness. The certificate shall set out the competency of the applicant and provide for positive identification of the applicant, and shall be carried on the person engaged in work subject to the requirement of a certificate of fitness under this chapter. (b) [Repealed, § 23 ch 81 SLA 1984.] (c) Verification by an Alaska-based labor union of a member's qualification to meet the requirements for a certificate of fitness may be accepted in lieu of examination or other requirement for issuing a certification under this chapter. (d) Except for a plumber utility trainee level certificate of fitness, the department may not issue a trainee level certificate of fitness under (a) of this section unless the applicant is indentured in an apprenticeship program registered with the United States Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship, or a state apprenticeship agency recognized by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship. Sec. 18.62.060. Power of the department. The department shall issue orders and adopt regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Sec. 18.62.070. Persons required to obtain certificate. A person engaged in one of the following trades shall first obtain from the department the appropriate certificate of fitness in that trade: (1) electrical wiring subject to the standards established in AS 18.60.580 ; and (2) plumbing subject to the uniform plumbing code; in this paragraph, uniform plumbing code means the minimum plumbing code adopted for the state under AS 18.60.705 . Sec. 18.62.080. Penalty. A person, either an employer or employee, who violates a provision of this chapter or of a regulation adopted under this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $500. Sec. 18.62.100. Definition. In this chapter, department means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.