(1) Sixteen hours of continuing education must be obtained during the renewal cycle. A minimum of eight hours must cover NEC updates. 

(a) New graduates of approved apprenticeship programs are exempt from the continuing education requirement for the first renewal cycle.

(b) Licensees advancing from journeyman or residential to a higher level of licensure are not exempt from completing the required hours of continuing education.

(2) Licensees are responsible for maintaining records of completion and submitting certificates to the department upon request. 

(a) Course completion certificates shall contain the licensee's name, the course title, the date, and a breakdown of the course content (NEC or industry) by credit hour.

(b) The department may perform a random audit of licensees' continuing education hours at any time. The department shall determine the percentage to audit based on a statistically relevant sampling of the total number of licensees and the compliance rate of past audits.

(c)  Basic electric courses or apprentice-level courses are not accepted for continuing education credit.

(3) The department, on behalf of the board, maintains a list of approved continuing education courses.  The department shall review and approve continuing education courses and issue an approval number to the course.  To gain approval, the department shall verify the following:

(a) the course addresses NEC updates or other subjects related to the industry by credit hour;

(b) the course certificate meets the requirements of (2)(a);

(c) the course instructor is a Montana-licensed journeyman or master electrician or the instructor has substantially equivalent credentials; and

(d) the licensees' course participation is verifiable online within 30 days of course completion.

(4) The board shall honor continuing education courses approved by a state which has a reciprocal licensing agreement with the board, or if the department determines that the state's courses are substantially equivalent to the courses approved in this state. The course approval number, date of course, and credit breakdown must appear on the completion certificate.