Section 27-3013. Business establishments, master electricians and special electricians

a. Master electrician. Every master  electrician  business  shall  at  all  times have a place of business at a specified address in
  the city at which the licensee may be contacted by the  public  and  the
  department  by  mail, telephone or other modes of communication, located
  in a business zone in conformity with the zoning  regulations  and  kept
  open  during  the  usual business hours unless other means acceptable to
  the commissioner is provided. At such place of business, there shall  at
  all times be prominently displayed a permanent sign of a minimum size of
  one  hundred  fifty  square  inches,  stating  the  name of such license
  holder, the license number of such licensee,  and  the  words  "licensed
  electrician" or "licensed electrical contractor" on a plate glass window
  and  the  name  of the master electrician business if different than the
  name of the license holder; or an outside sign of permanent construction
  fastened and readily  visible  to  pedestrians;  or  if  such  place  of
  business  be  an  office,  commercial  or industrial building, the names
  shall be indicated on the entrance door of the particular portion of the
  premises or on a bulletin board on the main floor.
    1. The applicant for approval of a master electrician business under a
  license issued to  a  master  electrician  shall  have  filed  with  the
  commissioner,  in  such  form as the commissioner may direct, proof that
  such applicant carries all insurance required by law including, but  not
  limited to, workers' compensation, disability and one million dollars of
  general  liability  insurance  listing  the  department  as  certificate
  holder, and that the applicant business is financially responsible. Each
  policy of insurance shall contain a provision for  continuing  liability
  notwithstanding  any  recovery  under  such  policy. The applicant shall
  indicate the name and license number of the master electrician who shall
  serve as the responsible representative of such business,  and,  if  the
  business  is a partnership or corporation, the names of all other master
  electricians associated  with  such  business.  Upon  approval  of  such
  application  the commissioner shall issue an authorization number to the
  business. The authorization number shall be included on all applications
  for permits and any other  documents  required  to  be  filed  with  the
  department.
    2.  The office or other place where the master electrician business is
  to be conducted  may  be  shared  by  one  or  more  master  electrician
  businesses.    However,  each  business  whether  in  the form of a sole
  proprietorship,  partnership  or  corporation,  shall  distinguish   its
  identity  from  any  other  business sharing the same office space. Such
  distinctions shall  be  maintained  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  the
  department.
    3.  A  master electrician business shall be principally engaged in the
  business of performing electrical work in or on buildings,  premises  or
  lots in the city.
    4. In the case of a partnership or corporation, a master electrician's
  license  may be separately held by more than one partner or officer as a
  representative of such partnership or  corporation;  however,  only  one
  master  electrician  shall  be  the  responsible  representative of such
  corporation  or  partnership.  Under  no  circumstances  shall  any  one
  licensee represent more than one business at any one time.
    5.  A  master  electrician  representing a master electrician business
  shall, during the hours the business is engaged in  the  performance  of
  electrical  work,  devote  his or her full time to the operation of such
  business.
    6. The holder of a master electrician's  license  shall  be  issued  a
  seal,  of  a  design or form authorized by the commissioner, bearing the
  holder's full name, license number,  and  the  legend  "licensed  master

  electrician."   Applications for permits and any other document that the
  commissioner may require to be filed with the department, shall bear the
  stamp  of  the  seal  as  well  as  the  signature  of  the  responsible
  representative of the master electrician business or, if the business is
  a  partnership  or  corporation, such document may bear the stamp of the
  seal and the signature of a master electrician who files  on  behalf  of
  such  business  acting  pursuant to a written delegation, filed with the
  department, from the responsible representative of  such  business.  For
  applications  and  other documents submitted electronically, the digital
  signature and  imprint  of  the  seal  may  be  submitted  in  a  manner
  authorized  by  the  commissioner.  The  responsible representative of a
  business may not delegate such authority to a master electrician who  is
  not  an  officer  of  such corporation or a partner of such partnership.
  Such  person  shall  personally  sign  applications  for  permits.   The
  responsible  representative  of  a  business shall have the authority to
  make final determinations and shall have  full  responsibility  for  the
  manner in which the work is done, except that where work is done under a
  permit  issued pursuant to an application bearing the signature and seal
  of a master electrician acting pursuant to a written delegation from the
  responsible  representative  of  such  business,  both  the  responsible
  representative  of  such  business and the master electrician who signed
  and affixed his or her seal to the application for such permit shall  be
  jointly  and  severally  responsible for the manner in which the work is
  done.
    7. The holder of  a  master  electrician's  license  shall  report  in
  writing  to the license board any change in the place of business within
  thirty days of such change. If such change occurs prior to  issuance  of
  the  license,  an applicant shall report the change to the license board
  within fourteen days of the change.
    8. The approval of a master electrician business is valid only as long
  as the responsible representative  identified  on  the  application  for
  approval of the master electrician business actively participates in the
  actual   operation   of   the  business.  In  the  event  a  responsible
  representative  leaves  a  master   electrician   business,   both   the
  representative  and  the  business  must notify the license board within
  thirty days of the change. A corporation or partnership must notify  the
  license board of the death of a responsible representative within thirty
  days after such death. Failure to do so shall be deemed sufficient cause
  for  suspending  or  revoking  the approval to do business of the master
  electrician business or the  license  of  the  master  electrician.  The
  decedent  licensee's  legal  representative may, with the commissioner's
  consent, retain the licensee's license  and  seal  for  the  purpose  of
  completing  all  unfinished  work  of such licensee for which plans have
  been approved and permits issued, provided that such work  is  performed
  by  or under the direct supervision of a licensed electrician. Except as
  otherwise provided by rule, a master electrician business whether in the
  form of a corporation, a  partnership  or  a  sole  proprietorship,  may
  continue to engage in the business of performing electrical work only so
  long  as  the  responsible representative of such business identified on
  the application for approval of the master electrician business  remains
  an  officer  of  such  corporation, a partner of such partnership or the
  proprietor of such sole proprietorship unless the department approves  a
  change  in  the  responsible representative as provided in this section.
  The commissioner may promulgate rules providing for the continuation  of
  a  master electrician business pending the approval of a new responsible
  representative.  Except  as  otherwise  provided  in  such  rules,   the
  revocation, suspension, voluntary surrender or non-renewal of the master
  electrician's  license  of  the  responsible  representative of a master

  electrician business automatically revokes its approval to  do  business
  and  cancels  any  delegation  of  authority  given  by such responsible
  representative  to  another  master  electrician  associated  with  such
  business  pending  the  approval  by the department of a new responsible
  representative.
    9. Except as otherwise provided by rule, a master electrician business
  shall  not  change  its  name,  form  or  designate  a  new  responsible
  representative without the prior approval of the license board. Approval
  of an application for a change is conditional upon the following: Filing
  the  necessary  forms, payment of the prescribed fee and full payment of
  all fees incurred with respect to such business prior to the date of the
  change. Except as otherwise provided by rule, a master  electrician  may
  not   be   approved  as  the  responsible  representative  of  a  master
  electrician business if there are any outstanding fees due and owing  to
  the  department  or outstanding violation notices attributable to him or
  her  as  responsible  representative  of  another   master   electrician
  business.
    10. A master electrician's license and a special electrician's license
  and seal shall not be held by any person at the same time.
    11.  The  holder  of  a  master  electrician's  license, upon entering
  employment as a special electrician, shall surrender his or  her  master
  electrician's   license   and   seal   and  change  over  to  a  special
  electrician's license and seal to  cover  the  building,  buildings,  or
  parts thereof, for which he or she will be employed.
    12.  All  business vehicles, advertising, websites and stationery used
  in connection with electrical work required  to  be  performed  under  a
  license  issued  to  a master electrician shall display prominently in a
  manner provided by rule the words  "N.Y.C.  Licensed  Electrician",  the
  license number of the responsible representative of such business and of
  all  other  master  electricians  associated  with  such  business,  the
  authorization number of the master electrician business and the business
  address. If the business is conducted  under  a  trade  name,  or  is  a
  partnership  or  corporation,  the trade name, partnership, or corporate
  name shall be displayed prominently in a manner provided by rule.
    13. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent two or  more
  master  electrician  businesses  from  entering  into a joint venture of
  limited duration for a particular project in accordance with  the  rules
  of the department. An application for a permit involving a joint venture
  shall  so  indicate  on  the  application  and shall identify all of the
  master electrician businesses that are parties to such joint venture  by
  name  and  authorization number and the names and license numbers of the
  responsible representatives of such businesses. The application shall be
  signed by the responsible representative of one of the  parties  to  the
  joint  venture  on  behalf  of  all such parties and all of such parties
  shall be jointly and severally liable for any fees due with  respect  to
  electrical  work  performed  by such joint venture and for violations of
  this chapter and the rules of the department arising out of such work.
    b. Special electrician's license.
    1. A special electrician shall at all times have a place  of  business
  at  a  specified  address  in  the  city  at  which  the licensee may be
  contacted by the  department  by  mail,  telephone  or  other  modes  of
  communication.  His or her license shall plainly indicate the address or
  addresses  of  the  building,  buildings or parts thereof for which such
  license is issued.
    2. The commissioner may issue more than  one  special  license  for  a
  building  or  buildings  if,  in  the commissioner's judgment, he or she
  deems it necessary for the  proper  operation  and  maintenance  of  the
  electric wiring and equipment of the building or buildings involved.

    3.  The  holder  of  a  special  electrician's license shall report in
  writing any change in employment to the license board within thirty days
  of the change. If such change occurs prior to issuance of  the  license,
  an  applicant  shall  report  the  change  to  the  license board within
  fourteen days of the change.
    4.  The  holder  of  a special electrician's license shall be issued a
  seal, of a design and form authorized by the commissioner,  bearing  the
  holder's  full  name,  license  number, and the legend "licensed special
  electrician." Applications for permits and any other document  that  the
  commissioner may require to be filed with the department, shall bear the
  stamp  of  the  seal  as  well as the signature of a person holding such
  license. Such person shall personally sign applications for permits  and
  shall   have  the  authority  to  make  final  determinations  and  full
  responsibility  for  the  manner  in  which  the  work  is   done.   For
  applications  and  other documents submitted electronically, the digital
  signature and  imprint  of  the  seal  may  be  submitted  in  a  manner
  authorized by the commissioner.