489.553  Administration of part; registration qualifications; examination.--

(1)  Each person desiring to be registered pursuant to this part shall apply to the department in writing upon forms prepared and furnished by the department.

(2)  The department shall administer, coordinate, and enforce the provisions of this part, provide qualifications for applicants, administer the examination for applicants, and be responsible for the granting of certificates of registration to qualified persons.

(3)  The department shall adopt reasonable rules, including, but not limited to, rules which establish ethical standards of practice, and may amend or repeal the same in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(4)  To be eligible for registration by the department as a septic tank contractor, the applicant must:

(a)  Be of good moral character. In considering good moral character, the department may consider any matter that has a substantial connection between the good moral character of the applicant and the professional responsibilities of a registered contractor, including, but not limited to: the applicant being convicted or found guilty of, or entering a plea of nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a crime in any jurisdiction which directly relates to the practice of contracting or the ability to practice contracting; and previous disciplinary action involving septic tank contracting, where all judicial reviews have been completed.

(b)  Pass an examination approved by the department which demonstrates that the applicant has a fundamental knowledge of the state laws relating to the installation and maintenance of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems.

(c)  Be at least 18 years of age.

(d)  Have a total of at least 3 years of active experience serving an apprenticeship as a skilled workman under the supervision and control of a registered septic tank contractor or a plumbing contractor as defined in s. 489.105 who has provided septic tank contracting services. Related work experience or educational experience may be substituted for no more than 2 years of active contracting experience. Each 30 hours of coursework approved by the department will substitute for 6 months of work experience.

(e)  Have not had a registration revoked, the effective date of which was less than 5 years before the application.

(5)  To be eligible for registration by the department as a master septic tank contractor, the applicant must:

(a)  Have been a registered septic tank contractor in Florida for at least 3 years or a plumbing contractor certified under part I of this chapter who has provided septic tank contracting services for at least 3 years.

(b)  Take and complete, to the satisfaction of the department, a minimum of 30 hours of approved coursework.

(c)  Pass an examination approved by the department which demonstrates that the applicant has advanced knowledge relating to the installation and maintenance of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, including, but not limited to, the fundamental knowledge required to close residential repair jobs, design systems, and perform soil evaluations, when determined to meet site-evaluation expertise established by rule.

(d)  Be reviewed by the department for any major infractions of this chapter or other law relating to onsite sewage treatment and disposal.

(6)  The department shall provide each applicant for registration pursuant to this part with a copy of this part and any rules adopted under this part. The department may also prepare and disseminate such other material and questionnaires as it deems necessary to effectuate the registration provisions of this part.