SECTION 158:60-1-2. Definitions

  The following words or terms, when used in this Chapter, shall have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Act" means the Oklahoma Inspectors Act as found at 59 O.S. § 1031, et seq.

"Administrator" means the Administrator of the Board as described in the Construction Industries Board Act found at 59 O.S. § 1000.1, et seq.

"Authorized Provider" means one who is not a governmental employee but an independent contractor who is recognized by a Political Subdivision that issues building permits and who meets the requirements under the Oklahoma Inspectors Act and rules promulgated on the requirements of such licensure.

"Board" means the Construction Industries Board.

"Building and Construction inspection" means the inspection of plumbing, electrical, mechanical or structural aspects of building and construction, for the purpose of enforcing compliance with the applicable building codes or standards.

"Building and Construction Inspector" means any person actively engaged in the inspection of any phase of building and construction for the purpose of enforcing and having the authority to enforce compliance with the applicable building codes or standards and includes, but is not limited to, plumbing inspectors, electrical inspectors, mechanical inspectors and structural building inspectors.

"Building Official" means the licensed employee code official having the duty to administer and the authority to enforce building codes in the Political Subdivision.

"Certification" means successful passage of an examination by a Committee-approved national certification program in a license category pursuant to the Oklahoma Inspectors Act.

"Category" means one of the following areas of inspector licensure: electrical, mechanical, plumbing, building, or energy.

"Circuit Rider Inspector" means a person who acts as a Building and Construction Inspector for two or more municipalities or other political subdivisions and is certified and licensed pursuant to the Oklahoma Inspectors Act.

"Classification" means Unlimited or Residential, Circuit Rider, Provisional, or Authorized Provider in a license Category. Only Unlimited and Residential classification may be renewed inactive.

"C.E.U." or "CEU" means a continuing education unit that is either one (1) credit hour of Committee approved instruction or its equivalent as determined by the Committee.

"Committee" means the Oklahoma Inspector Examiners Committee.

"Credit Hour" means fifty (50) minutes, or more, of instruction with a ten (10) minute break.

"Designated Code Official" means an employee of a Political Subdivision with a population over 10,000 who is licensed, who approves the Report Writer or reviews and accepts the Report Writer's report in the same category as the official is licensed.

"Direction and Control" means when the licensed Authorized Provider is responsible to the recognizing Political Subdivision when performing building and construction inspections as an independent contractor separate and free from any influence or control on an inspection by any entity or business that performs industrial, commercial, or residential construction within the Political Subdivision where the Authorized Provider is providing inspection services.

"Inactive Building and Construction Inspector" means a previously licensed Building and Construction Inspector, having successfully passed an examination by a Committee-approved national certification program, does not meet all requirements of the Oklahoma Inspectors Act to perform building and construction inspections pursuant to the Oklahoma Inspectors Act until all requirements are met.

"OUBCC" means the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission.

"Political Subdivision" means a municipality, city, town, village, county, or public trust where a city or town is a beneficiary.

"Provisional License" means a license issued to a Building and Construction Inspector who is an employee of a Political Subdivision on a provisional basis and limited to a maximum of one (1) year in each license category for the purpose of enabling an applicant to meet the certification requirements.

"Recognized" means when a Political Subdivision, having managerial and superintending control over building codes, determines for the Political Subdivision that a licensee is qualified to perform inspections within the Political Subdivision, is aware the licensee is free of direction and control of any person, entity or performing or designing contractor requesting the inspection, and can notify the Construction Industries Board of the same upon request.

"Regular Work Place" means the immediate individual office including desk, chair, computer and office telephone wherein the inspector is expected to be reached and to conduct day-to-day office business.

"Report Writer" means any person recognized by a Political Subdivision having managerial and superintending control over building codes as a report writer for purposes of furnishing report-writing services on behalf of the Building Official. This person must be approved by the Building Official or designated code official, provided he or she has no conflict of interest and satisfies the requirements of the Political Subdivision as to qualifications, ethical standards and reliability in the process and services. The individual's furnished written reports shall be provided and acceptable to the Building Official, designated code official or Political Subdivision for final code evaluation. A report writer must be an employee of or recoginized by the Political Subdivision.

"Residential" means the classification of inspector license which authorizes an individual to conduct electrical, mechanical, plumbing or building inspections of only those structures designated as use group R3 or R4 in the most current Residential code adopted by the "OUBCC".

"Unlimited" means the classification of inspector license which authorizes an individual to conduct electrical, mechanical, plumbing or building inspections of all structures or installations.

[Source: Added at 19 Ok Reg 738, eff 1-22-02 (emergency); Added at 19 Ok Reg 1283, eff 5-28-02; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 1219, eff 5-25-06; Amended at 30 Ok Reg 776, eff 10-30-12 (emergency); Amended at 30 Ok Reg 1552, eff 7-11-13; Amended at 31 Ok Reg 930, eff 9-12-14; Amended at 35 Ok Reg 933, eff 10-1-18; Amended at 37 Ok Reg 1065, eff 10-1-20]