Rhode Island

If you build, repair, or remodel one- to four-family dwellings in Rhode Island, you must register with the Contractors' Registration Board. Some specialty trades must be licensed in Rhode Island.

To find out if a residential contractor or commercial roofer is licensed by the Rhode Island Contractors' Registration Board call (401) 222-1268. To find out if an electrician, plumber or mechanical contractor is licensed, call (401) 462-8527. To find out if someone is licensed to do asbestos abatement work, click http://www.health.ri.gov/hsr/professions/license.php or call (401) 222-3601.

• Asbestos Abatement Licenses

• Electrician's Licenses

• Mechanical Work Licenses

• Plumber's Licenses

• Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Out-of-State Corporations

To get an application to do residential work, contact:

Department of Administration Contractors' Registration Board One Capitol Hill Providence, RI 02908-5859 (401)222-1268 Fax: (401) 222-2599 http://www.crb.state.ri.us

The application is available online at http://www.crb.state.ri.us/down_load.htm. 

There's no exam for this registration. However you must supply all of this information on your application:

• complete information on the ownership and organization of your company
• proof of liability insurance for at least $500,000
• any current or previous registrations you have as a contractor
• your specialty trades
• years of experience in construction
• workers' compensation insurance account number
• unemployment insurance account number
• federal employer identification number
• state withholding tax number

It will cost you $120 to register with the Board. Registration is good for two years.

Asbestos Abatement Licenses

You need a license to do asbestos abatement work in Rhode Island. To get an application, contact:

Department of Health Office of Occupational & Radiological Health 206 Cannon Building Providence, RI 02908-5097 (401) 222-3601 Fax: (401) 277-2456 http://www.health.state.ri.us/

Click here for more details (pdf file).

The Department issues asbestos contractor, asbestos abatement site supervisor, and asbestos abatement worker licenses.

To qualify for a contractor's license you must:

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

To get an asbestos site supervisor license, you must be licensed together with an asbestos contractor. You can't get an independent site supervisor license. You need to take a 40-hour site supervisor training course to apply for a license.

The same qualifications for licensing apply to an asbestos worker license. The license is with an asbestos contractor. The asbestos worker training course lasts 32 hours.

Asbestos abatement license fees: A contractor license will cost you $1,500, a supervisor license is $40, and a worker license is $20. The contractor and supervisor licenses are good for two years. The worker license is good for one year.

Electrician's Licenses

You need a license to do electrical or telecommunications work in Rhode Island. To get an application, contact:

Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Division of Professional Regulation Building 70 1511 Pontiac Ave. P.O. Box 20247 Cranston, RI 02920-0943 (401) 462-8580 Fax: (401) 462-8528 http://www.dlt.state.ri.us/profregs/

The applications are available online at http://www.dlt.state.ri.us/profregs/ApplicationForms.htm. 

The Board issues ten types of licenses. Here they are, with the work experience requirement and license fee for each one:

Electrical master contractor
Required training or experience: 6 years plus journeyman license for two years
License Fee: $120

Electrical journeyperson
Required training or experience: 4 years as a registered apprentice
License Fee: $36

Limited electrician
License Fee: $120

Oil burner master
Required training or experience: 6 years plus oil burner man license for two years
License Fee: $120

Oil burner journeyman
Required training or experience: 4 years plus oil burner man license for two years
License Fee: $36

Fire alarm contractor
Required training or experience: 6 years plus fire alarm installer license for two years
License Fee: $120

Master fire alarm installer
Required training or experience: 6 years as a registered apprentice
License Fee: $120

Journeyman fire alarm installer
Required training or experience: 4 years as a registered apprentice
License Fee: $36

Electrical sign contractor
Required training or experience: 6 years plus electrical sign installer license for two years
License Fee: $120

Electrical sign installer
Required training or experience: 8,000 hours as a registered apprentice
License Fee: $36

Apprentice
No exam required
License Fee: $20

Telecommunication System Contractor - TSC
Required training or experience: RI Telecommunication System technician for three (3) years.
License Fee: $120

Telecommunication System Technician - TST
Required training of experience: Verification of experience.
License Fee: $72

Telecommunication Systems Limited Installer - TSLT
Required training of experience: Verification of experience.
License Fee: $36

The exams are all based on the National Electrical Code. If you have a contractor or journeyman license in another state, you may take the Rhode Island journeyman exam. If you have a contractor license in another state, a Rhode Island journeyman license for two years, and 12,000 hours of work experience, you may take the Rhode Island contractor exam.

Electrician's license fees: The application and exam fee is $75.

Your first license will expire on your birthday. When your renew your license, it'll be good for two years. Apprentice license fees are $20.

Mechanical Licenses

You need a license to do mechanical work in Rhode Island. To get an application, contact:

Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Division of Professional Regulation Building 70 1511 Pontiac Ave. P.O. Box 20247 Cranston, RI 02920-0943 (401) 462-8580 Fax: (401) 462-8528 http://www.dlt.state.ri.us/profregs/

Contact the Division for work experience requirements.

The Division issues many types of mechanical licenses. Here's a list of them, with the license fee for each one:

Master mechanical contractor
Fee: $240

Contractor Master
Fee: $120

Master refrigeration contractor I
Fee: $120

Master refrigeration contractor II
Fee: $48

Master pipefitter I
Fee: $120

Master pipefitter II
Fee: $48

Master sheet metal contractor I:
Fee: $120

Master sheet metal contractor II:
Fee: $48

PJF/Natural Gas service master II:
Fee: $120

Journeyperson refrigeration contractor I
Fee: $36

Journeyperson refrigeration contractor II
Fee: $30

Journeyperson pipefitter I
Fee: $36

Journeyperson pipefitter II
Fee: $30

Journeyperson sheet metal I
Fee: $36

Journeyperson sheet metal II
Fee: $30

Fire suppression (limited)
Fee: $30

Welding (limited)
Fee: $30

Gas serviceman (natural gas, limited)
Fee: $72

Gas serviceman (propane gas, limited)
Fee: $72

O/B serviceman (limited)
Fee: $72

Gas station (limited)
Fee: $30

Apprentice pipefitter
Fee: $24

Apprentice refrigeration
Fee: $24

Apprentice combination
Fee: $24

PJF Apprentice
Fee: $30

Apprentice sheet metal
Fee: $24

Fire protection master
Fee: $120

Fire protection journeyman
Fee: $36

Fire protection apprentice
Fee: $24

Mechanical work license fees: Except for the master mechanical contractor license, you must pass an exam to get any license. The exam/application fee is $75.

Your first license will expire on your birthday. When your renew your license it will be good for two years.

Plumber's Licenses

You need a license to do plumbing work in Rhode Island. To get an application, contact:

Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Division of Professional Regulation Building 70 1511 Pontiac Ave. P.O. Box 20247 Cranston, RI 02920-0943 (401) 462-8580 Fax: (401) 462-8528 http://www.dlt.state.ri.us/profregs/

The Department issues master and journeyman plumber licenses. You have to pass an exam for either license. For a master license you also need to have five years experience and hold a journeyman license for at least one year. If you have a master license in another state that you got by passing an exam, you can use it to qualify to take the Rhode Island exam.

To get a journeyman license you also need four years of apprentice plumber experience. If you have a plumbing license in another state, you can apply with the Department to use it to qualify to take the Rhode Island journeyman exam. The exam is based on the International BOCA Code, Building Officials & Code Administrators International, 4051 Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, IL 60478-5795.

Exam subjects include:

Terminology and calculations
Materials and material standards
Joints and connections
Traps and cleanouts
Plumbing fixtures
Hangers and supports
Indirect waste piping
Water distribution systems
Sanitary drainage systems
Vents and venting systems
Cross connections
Storm drains
Related subjects and inspecting and testing

Here are the license categories:

Contractor master
Fee: $120

Master plumber
Fee: $120

Journeyperson plumber
Fee: $36

Apprentice plumber
Fee: $20

Master irrigator
Fee: $120

Journeyperson irrigator
Fee: $36

Apprentice irrigator
Fee: $20

Plumber's license fees: It'll cost you $75 to apply for the exam. Licenses are good for one year but all expire on June 30th each year.

Department of Transportation (DOT)

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation doesn't require bidders on projects to be prequalified by the Department, but they do require postqualification. To get information on Department of Transportation contracts, contact:

Department of Transportation Contracts Administration Section 2 Capitol Hill, Room 108 Providence, RI 02903 (401) 222-2495 http://www.dot.state.ri.us/

Out-of-State Corporations

Corporations doing business in Rhode Island must register with the Rhode Island Secretary of State to do business in the state. For information, contact:

Corporations 100 North Main Street Providence, RI 02903 (401)222-3040 Fax: (401)222-1309 http://www.state.ri.us/

Forms are available online at http://www.sec.state.ri.us/corps/corpforms1205/foreignbusiness.html. 

Find an error? Please e-mail the Web Master

© 2004 Craftsman Book Company