Sec. 6002.155. ACTIVITIES NOT REGULATED BY CHAPTER. The licensing provisions of this chapter do not apply to:

(1) an individual or organization in the business of building construction that installs electrical wiring and devices that may include, in part, the installation of a fire alarm or detection system if:

(A) the individual or organization is a party to a contract that provides that:

(i) the installation will be performed under the direct supervision of and certified by a licensed employee or agent of a firm registered to install and certify such an alarm or detection device; and

(ii) the registered firm assumes full responsibility for the installation of the alarm or detection device; and

(B) the individual or organization does not plan, certify, lease, sell, service, or maintain fire alarms or detection devices or systems;

(2) an individual or organization that:

(A) owns and installs a fire detection or fire alarm device on the individual's or organization's own property; or

(B) if the individual or organization does not charge for the device or its installation, installs the device for the protection of the individual's or organization's personal property located on another's property and does not install the device as a normal business practice on the property of another;

(3) an individual who holds a license or other authority issued by a municipality to practice as an electrician and who installs fire or smoke detection and alarm devices only in a single family or multifamily residence if:

(A) the devices installed are:

(i) single station detectors; or

(ii) multiple station detectors capable of being connected in a manner that actuation of one detector causes all integral or separate alarms to operate if the detectors are not connected to a control panel or to an outside alarm, do not transmit a signal off the premises, and do not use more than 120 volts; and

(B) all installations comply with the adopted edition of National Fire Protection Association Standard No. 72;

(4) an individual or organization that:

(A) sells fire detection or fire alarm devices exclusively over-the-counter or by mail order; and

(B) does not plan, certify, install, service, or maintain the devices;

(5) a law enforcement agency or fire department or a law enforcement officer or firefighter acting in an official capacity that responds to a fire alarm or detection device;

(6) an engineer licensed under Chapter 1001, Occupations Code, acting solely in the engineer's professional capacity;

(7) an individual or organization that provides and installs at no charge to the property owners or residents a battery-powered smoke detector in a single-family or two-family residence if:

(A) the smoke detector bears a label of listing or approval by a testing laboratory approved by the department;

(B) the installation complies with the adopted edition of National Fire Protection Association Standard No. 72;

(C) the installers are knowledgeable in fire protection and the proper use of smoke detectors; and

(D) the detector is a single station installation and not a part of or connected to any other detection device or system;

(8) an employee of a registered firm who is under the direct on-site supervision of a license holder;

(9) a building owner, the owner's managing agent, or an employee of the owner or agent who installs battery-operated single station smoke detectors or monitor fire alarm or fire detection devices or systems in the owner's building, and in which the monitoring:

(A) is performed at the owner's property at no charge to the occupants of the building;

(B) complies with applicable standards of the National Fire Protection Association as may be adopted by rule under this chapter; and

(C) uses equipment approved by a testing laboratory approved by the department for fire alarm monitoring;

(10) an individual employed by a registered firm that sells and installs a smoke or heat detector in a single-family or two-family residence if:

(A) the detector bears a label of listing or approval by a testing laboratory approved by the department;

(B) the installation complies with the adopted edition of National Fire Protection Association Standard No. 72;

(C) the installers are knowledgeable in fire protection and the proper use and placement of detectors; and

(D) the detector is a single station installation and not a part of or connected to any other detection device or system; or

(11) an individual or organization licensed to install or service burglar alarms under Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, that provides and installs in a single-family or two-family residence a combination keypad that includes a panic button to initiate a fire alarm signal if the fire alarm signal:

(A) is monitored by a fire alarm firm registered under this chapter; and

(B) is not initiated by a fire or smoke detection device.

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 730 (H.B. 2636), Sec. 1J.001, eff. April 1, 2009.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 14.018(f), eff. September 1, 2009.