Purpose

This bill changes who must have a electrical license in Minnesota. It mostly adds and expands exemptions from licensing, with a focus on landscape irrigation system installers. It aims to reduce regulatory requirements for certain workers and employers while keeping safety standards through supervision and employer accountability.

Main Provisions

• Exemption for maintenance electricians

  • Maintenance electricians working on equipment owned or leased by their employer, located on employer property, do not need a license if they are supervised by a responsible master electrician or licensed professionals, and their employer has a current certificate of responsible person filed with the state. The certificate must be current every two years, with a filing fee to renew.

• Supervised work on technology circuits or systems

  • Employees of licensed electrical or technology systems contractors who are supervised by a master electrician or power limited technician may plan, lay out, install, alter, or repair technology circuits or systems without a license, with certain circuit-specific exceptions (listed below).

• Specific circuit exemptions and limitations

  • Exempts planning/laying out/installing/altering/repairing certain technology circuits or systems from licensure, but with exemptions for:
  • Class 2 and Class 3 remote control circuits in some contexts
  • Class 2/3 circuits in electrical cabinets/enclosures or devices with unprotected circuits
  • Class 4 circuits or technology circuits in hazardous (classified) locations per the National Electrical Code
  • Other related circuit categories and configurations described in the bill
  • Companies and their employees working on Class 2 and Class 3 remote control wiring for certain plug-and-play appliances (excluding security or fire alarm systems in residential dwellings) are also exempt from licensure.

• HVAC work exemptions

  • Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration contractors and their employees are not required to hold or obtain a license for the HVAC work described in this bill.

• Utility-related exemptions

  • Employees of electrical, communications, railway, cable, or telephone utilities (and certain contractors acting for them) may perform work on installations, materials, or equipment owned/operated by the utility without a license, under conditions:
  • Work is for the utility’s function (e.g., generation, distribution, metering, or signaling)
  • Work is not on the load side of the service point for customers
  • Work is generally limited to the utility’s own equipment and sites

• Residential dwellings with separate service

  • An individual performing electrical work on a residential dwelling owned and occupied by that person, or to be occupied after construction, is not required to have a license if the dwelling has a separate electrical service not shared with another dwelling.

• Elevator work exemption

  • Companies and their employees licensed under a specific section for elevator work are not required to obtain a license for elevator-related tasks.

• Landscape irrigation systems exemption

  • Individuals who install, repair, or maintain landscape irrigation systems do not need to hold a license under the relevant licensure subdivision. The bill defines a landscape irrigation system as pumps, lines, or sprinkler heads used solely for irrigating landscape plants or grass.

Notable Changes and Implications

• Expanded exemptions from licensing for a broad set of workers, including maintenance electricians, technology system workers, HVAC, utility company personnel, certain residential projects, and landscape irrigation installers.
• Introduction of formal administrative requirements for employers:
  • Filing a certificate of responsible person with the commissioner, with supervision by a licensed professional, and renewal every two years with a filing fee.
• Narrowed/licensing-exemption boundaries based on job function, location, and type of circuit or system (class 2/3/4, hazardous locations, etc.).
• Safety and accountability remain via supervision requirements and the responsible person mechanism, even as formal licensure is broadened for many tasks.

Potential Impacts

• For workers: More opportunities to perform certain electrical work without a state license, provided they work under appropriate supervision and their employer maintains the required documentation.
• For employers: New responsibilities to maintain a certificate of responsible person, manage supervision, and ensure compliance with the Minnesota Electrical Act and related rules.
• For consumers: Similar safety oversight, though some activities traditionally licensed may be performed by workers without licensure if conditions are met.

Administrative and Legal References

• Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 326B.33 subdivision 21 (as amended by this bill)
• Minnesota Electrical Act and associated licensing provisions
• Terms involved: license exemption, maintenance electrician, master electrician, responsible person, certificate of responsible person, power limited technician, class 2/3/4 circuits, remote control circuits, hazardous locations, electrical act, filing fee, two-year certificate renewal

Relevant Terms - license exemption - maintenance electrician - master electrician - responsible person - certificate of responsible person - power limited technician - technology circuits or systems - class 2 circuits - class 3 circuits - class 4 circuits - remote control circuits - hazardous classified locations - National Electrical Code - HVAC - elevator work - landscape irrigation system - residential dwelling with separate service - utility company (electrical, communications, railway, cable, telephone) - filing fee - commissioner - two-year renewal - Minnesota Electrical Act