Maine

General building contractors do not need a license in Maine. You'll need to be licensed to do asbestos abatement work, or electrical or plumbing contracting.

To find out if an electrical contractor is licensed, call (207) 624-8610. To find out if a plumbing contractor is licensed, call (207) 624-8627. Office hours are from 7 A.M. to 4 P.M. Monday through Friday. You can also search for licensed plumbers or electricians online at http://www.state.me.us/pfr/olr/olr_disclaimer.htm. To find out if an asbestos abatement contractor is licensed, click http://www.state.me.us/dep/rwm/asbestos/asbestoscontractors.htm. 

• Asbestos Abatement Contractor's Licenses

• Electrician's Licenses

• Plumber's Licenses

• Underground Tank Installer's Certificate

• Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Out-of-State Corporations

Asbestos Abatement Contractor's Licenses

If you work with asbestos in Maine you must be certified and/or licensed by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The Department issues these asbestos abatement contractor's licenses:

Full
In-house (limited to owner properties)
Conditional (limited to roofing or siding)

The Department also issues certificates to these asbestos trades:

To get an application for a certificate or license contact:

State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection 17 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0017 (207) 287-2651 http://www.maine.gov/dep/index.shtml

Forms are available online at http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/asbestos/newupdatedformsasb.htm. 

To qualify for a contractor's license you must:

1. Have access to at least one state-approved asbestos disposal site
2. Have a worker protection and medical monitoring plan approved by EPA, OSHA, and/or Code of Federal Regulations
3. Be familiar and comply with all applicable state and federal standard for asbestos abatement projects
4. Provide company standard operating training for all employees before starting a job
5. Be capable of complying with all state, EPA, OSHA, and Code of Federal Regulation rules
6. Provide a list of all personnel (to include at least one certified Supervisor) and asbestos equipment
7. Provide a list of states you are licensed in for asbestos work
8. Provide a list of any citations received in last two years for asbestos work
9. Provide proof that all employees have been certified by the Department

You must also make sure all employees who come in contact with asbestos or who will be responsible for an asbestos abatement project have fulfilled items 3, 4, and 5 above.

Contractor's license fees: The contractor's license will cost you $250 nonrefundable and it's good for a year.

Maine does not allow reciprocity of contractor licenses. All contractors must submit full licensure applications to the Department.

To qualify for a trade certificate you need to submit a signed statement saying that you know and will comply with your employer's standard operating procedures. You also need to pass a Department-approved training course which includes an exam. A certificate is good for one year.

Here's a table showing the length of the Department-approved course and the nonrefundable fee you must pay to apply for an asbestos trade certificate:

If you can prove you have a valid certificate in a state with qualifications at least equal to Maine's, you can apply for a Department certificate. You still need to pay the fee though.

Electrician's Licenses

Electrical work in Maine requires a license. Maine issues these electrician licenses: journeyman, master and limited. The limited electrical trades are:

Water pumps	House wiring
Outdoor signs	Refrigeration
Gasoline dispensing	Low energy
Traffic signals	Crane Technician

To apply for a license contact:

Electricians' Examining Board 35 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0035 (207) 624-8610 Fax: (207) 624-8637 http://www.state.me.us/pfr/olr

For the master's license you'll need 12,000 hours of work experience or 4,000 hours working as a journeyman. For the journeyman license you'll need 8,000 hours of work experience, a combination of work experience and graduation from an accredited technical school, or work experience and an apprenticeship program. For either a master's or journeyman's license you need to complete 576 hours of study approved by the Board and a course that's at least 45 hours long on the current National Electrical Code.

Here are the requirements for the limited licenses:

The Board will review your application and if you're eligible they'll send you information on the exam they require. Experior gives the exam. For information on the exam or scheduling, you can contact Experior at:

Experior 2 Mount Royal Avenue, Suite 250 Marlborough, MA 01752 (508) 624-0826 http://www.experioronline.com

Here are the subjects on the journeyman and master exams:

Electrician's license fees: It will cost you $25 to file an application for a license and $50 for an exam. The master license costs $150, $80 for the journeyman, and $100 for the limited trade license. Licenses are good for two years.

If you have a valid license in a state with qualifications at least equal to Maine's, six years of work experience, and the current 45-hour National Electrical Code course, you may be able to get a Maine electrician's license without taking an exam. You still need to pay the fees.

Plumber's Licenses

Plumbing work in Maine requires a license. Maine issues journeyman, master, journeyman-in-training and trainee licenses. To apply for a license, contact:

Plumbers' Examining Board 35 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0035 (207) 624-8603 Fax: (207) 624-8637 http://www.state.me.us/pfr/olr

For a master's license you need at least one year with 2,000 hours of work experience as a journeyman or four years with 8,000 hours of work as a trainee plumber. For the journeyman license you need at least two years with 4,000 hours of work experience as a trainee plumber.

The Board will review your application and if you're eligible they'll send you information on the exam they require (no exam for a trainee license). The exam is closed book with 100 multiple choice questions. It's three hours long. For information on the exam or scheduling, you can contact Experior at:

Experior 2 Mount Royal Avenue, Suite 250 Marlborough, MA 01752 (508) 624-0826 http://www.experioronline.com

Here's the content of the exam:

Plumber's license fees: It will cost you $25 to file an application for a license and $60 for an exam. The master license costs $150, $75 for a journeyman, $75 for a journeyman-in-training and $20 for a trainee. All master licenses are good for two years, expiring on October 31. Other plumbing licenses are also good for two years, expiring on April 30.

If you have a valid license in a state with qualifications at least equal to Maine's, you may be able to get a Maine license by filing out an application, supplying a certified copy of your license to Maine, and paying the necessary fees.

Underground Tank Installer's Certificate

To safeguard public health, safety and the environment, Maine certifies tank installers and removers. However you don't have to be certified to remove tanks that store fuels the National Fire Protection Association says aren't explosive.

Only an individual can be certified in Maine, not a business or corporation. To apply for certification, contact:

Department of Environmental Protection State Board of Underground Storage Tank Installers State House Station #17 Augusta, ME 04333-0017 (207) 287-2651 Fax: (207) 287-7826 http://www.maine.gov/dep/index.shtml

Applications are available online at http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/ustast/index.htm. 

Class 2 Oil Storage Tank Installer
Installs, inspects and removes all types of underground oil storage tanks and facilities. May also install underground hazardous substance tanks under the supervision of registered engineers. Field constructed tanks and impressed-current cathodically protected tanks and facilities are excluded. You will have to take an initial general test and apprentice 6 installations, all of which are on tanks or facilities used for motor fuel or the marketing and distributing of oil.

Class 3 Oil Storage Tank Installer
Installs and inspects tanks and facilities for the storage of No. 2 fuel oil for consumption on the premises of the facility. You will have to take an initial general test and apprentice 6 installations, all of which are on tanks or facilities used for the storage of No. 2 fuel oil for consumption on the premises where stored.

Once you have completed your apprenticeship for Class 2 or Class 3, you will have to pass a class-specific final examination. 

The Board may issue a variance to the apprenticeship requirement if the applicant can demonstrate field experience that equals or exceeds having served an apprenticeship.

Underground Storage Tank Inspector
Conducts the annual inspections of underground oil storage facilities required by State law and Department of Environmental Protection rules. 

Underground Gasoline Tank Remover
Removes underground gasoline tanks under certain special conditions. Applicants are required to successfully perform a petroleum tank removal under the supervision of a designated employee of the Department of Environmental Protection after passing a written examination. After you pass the written examination you will have 6 months to successfully pass the on-site examination.  

Underground tank installer's certificate fees: The initial fee for Installers is $200. Variance to apprenticeship is $200 and the final exam is $250. The initial fee for Gasoline Tank Removers is $25. The on-site exam fee is $350. All certificates are good for two years at a time, after which time the certified individual must demonstrate having attended eight hours of Board approved continuing education credits.

Department of Transportation (DOT)

You must be prequalified to bid on Department of Transportation projects in Maine. 

Maine Department of Transportation Contracts Section 16 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 287-3173 http://www.state.me.us/mdot

The application is available online at http://www.state.me.us/mdot/contractor-consultant-information/prequal_form.php. 

Project types:

Bridge construction
Highway construction
Paving
Marine construction
Buildings
Traffic signals/lighting

Out-of-State Corporations

Out-of-state contractors working in Maine must be licensed by the Division of Corporations. For information contact:

Bureau of Corporations Secretary of State 101 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0101 (207) 624-7752 Fax: (207) 287-5874 http://www.state.me.us/sos/sos.htm

Forms are available online at http://www.state.me.us/sos/cec/corp/foreign.html. 

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