Uninsured Master Electrician - Electricians

The Maryland State Board of Electricians is pleased to inform you of the passage of House Bill 149 – Maryland Electricians Act – Revisions (“HB 147”), Chapter 187. The bill replaces the inactive master status with the uninsured master electrician license. The bill also allows for two separate statuses of uninsured master, authorized to work and unauthorized to work.

Each designation must be renewed on a two-year cycle just like any other electrical license. Below is an explanation of each status and its requirements.

Authorized to Work

This designation allows a master electrician, who is not covered by insurance to continue to work so long as they complete the required 10 hours of continuing education. Their license will display “Uninsured Master Electrician – Authorized to Work.” When applying for the license they will select “Yes” when answering the continuing education questions. They will also be subject to random audits and must submit proof of completion when requested.
Anyone with a license stating Uninsured Master Electrician – Authorized to work will have the following restriction while working.

1. They may not pull electrical permits
2. They cannot supervise a journeyman or apprentice electrician
3. They can only work at the journeyman level.

Unauthorized to Work

This designation allows a master electrician who does not wish to work in the electrical field for a period of time to effectively shelve their license. Their license will display Uninsured Master Electrician – Unauthorized to Work.” When applying for the license they will select “No” when answering the continuing education questions.
A person with the designation “Not Authorized to Work” does not need to complete continuing education or carry insurance. Before returning to work they will have to complete the required 10 hours of continuing education and comply with the insurance requirements of whatever license they apply for.