§ 28-27-6. Corporations and firms engaged in business.
(a) No corporation, firm, association, or partnership shall engage in business, advertise,
make application for and take out permits, bid for work, or represent itself as a
mechanical contractor, pipefitter, refrigeration/air conditioning, fire protection
sprinkler systems master or contractor or sheet metal contractor unless:
(1) A licensed mechanical contractor, pipefitter, refrigeration/air conditioning, fire
protection sprinkler systems master, or sheet metal contractor as applicable, as provided
in this chapter, is continuously engaged in the supervision of that entity's installation,
maintenance, and repair work and the licensed master is an officer of the corporation,
a partner in the partnership, or a similarly authorized principal of any such firm,
association, or other entity; or
(2) That entity possesses a valid mechanical contractor, pipefitter, refrigeration-air
conditioning, fire protection sprinkler systems contractor's or sheet metal contractor
license, as applicable, duly issued by the department of labor and training as further
described in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Upon application of any of the above entities in form and substance prescribed by
the department of labor and training, and receipt of the fee for the application and
license, which shall be equal to the fee for a mechanical contractor, pipefitter,
refrigeration-air conditioning, sheet metal, fire protection sprinkler systems master,
or sheet metal contractor license as described in § 28-27-17, as the same may be amended from time to time, the department of labor and training
shall issue the applicant entity a license as a mechanical contractor, as applicable.
The contractor's license shall specify the name of the entity holding the license
and shall state that the license holder: (1) Has a masters license in the mechanical
trades, as defined in § 28-27-1.0, and who is continuously engaged in the supervision of the entity's installation,
maintenance, and repair work, and who is an officer of the corporation, a partner
in the partnership, or a similarly authorized principal of any such firm, association,
or other entity; or (2) Continuously employs at all times while holding this license
a person with a masters license in the applicable mechanical trade, as provided in
this chapter, who shall be continuously engaged in the supervision of the entity's
installation, maintenance, and repair work. The contractor's license shall entitle
the entity holding the license to engage in business, advertise, bid for work, or
represent itself as a mechanical contractor, and also entitles the entity to make
application for and take out permits through its duly authorized officer or similarly
authorized principal as well as through the duly licensed contractor master as described
in this section or the duly licensed master continuously employed by the entity as
stated in this section, as the case may be. The contractor's license shall not, however,
in and of itself, permit a principal, officer, employee, or agent of the entity holding
the license to individually engage in installation, maintenance, or repair work as
described in this section unless the principal, officer, employee, or agent is individually
licensed to do so.
(c) Any work engaged in, advertised for, applied for by permit, bid for, or represented
to be permissible, shall be solely of the type for which the licensed master or contract
master who serves as an officer or similarly authorized principal of the entity or
who, in the case of a licensed master, is continuously employed by the entity holding
a contractor's license, is duly licensed to perform.
(d) Any licensed master or contractor master who serves as an officer or similarly authorized
principal of such an entity or who, in the case of a licensed master, is continuously
employed by an entity holding a contractor's license, shall represent the interests
of one such entity and only one such entity at any given time as described in this
section.
(e) If the licensed master or contractor master described in this section ceases to be
an officer or similarly authorized principal of one of the entities described in this
section or, in the case of a licensed master, ceases to be continuously employed by
an entity holding a contractor's license for any reason whatsoever, the entity shall
provide written notice of the cessation of continuous employment to the department
of labor and training no more than fourteen (14) days after the effective date of
occurrence of the cessation. Any entity so affected shall provide written notice to
the department of labor and training specifying the licensed master or contractor
master who shall replace the departed licensed master or contractor master, as applicable,
referenced in this section no more than forty-five (45) days after the effective date
of occurrence of the cessation.
(f) No corporation, firm, association, partnership, or other entity that engages in, offers
to engage in, or represents that it engages in the mechanical trades for the purpose
of maintenance, or repair work in the state of Rhode Island shall be permitted to
incorporate, form, qualify to do business, or otherwise register with the Rhode Island
secretary of state's office until and unless that office has first received a written
confirmation from the department of labor and training that all requisite licenses
to be issued by the department of labor and training have been issued and remain in
good standing.
(g) Any willful violation of this section shall be grounds for revocation of license as
further described in § 28-27-21.