Code Enforcement
A Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) is defined under 30-A MRSA § 4451 as a person employed by a municipality to enforce all enabling state laws and local ordinances in the following areas: shoreland zoning, land use regulation, internal plumbing, subsurface wastewater disposal, and building standards. CEOs must be certified in each area for which they have responsibility within 12 months of their initial appointment date or of the date they assume responsibility for a given area. The statute also requires code officers to maintain their certification and be recertified every six years.
CEOs must be certified by the State of Maine within one year of initial appointment in a municipality. CEOs must be certified in all areas of job responsibility in order to efficiently enforce municipal regulations or ordinances. Areas of job responsibility are determined by the CEO job description. For example, if a municipality enforces the State building code, shoreland zoning, or a town-wide zoning ordinance, the CEO must obtain and maintain certification in each of those disciplines. Conversely, LPIs must be certified prior to appointment in a municipality.
The Office of the State Fire Marshall administers the state’s code enforcement program. A link to the training and certification program https://www.maine.gov/dps/fmo/building-codes/code-enforcement/training-certification.
To become a CEO, you must pass the Legal Issues examination and at least one specialty certification area. Specialty certification areas include: Shoreland Zoning, Land Use and Zoning, Residential Building Code, Commercial Building Code, Residential Energy Code, Commercial Energy Code, Residential Ventilation Code, Commercial Ventilation Code, and Residential Radon Code.
The Department of Public Safety-Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Office administers the Code Enforcement Officer training and certification program statewide. A CEO is defined as a person employed by a municipality to enforce all enabling state laws and local ordinances in the following areas: shoreland zoning, land use regulation, internal plumbing, subsurface wastewater disposal, and building standards.
CEOs must be certified in each area for which they have responsibility within 12 months of their initial appointment date or of the date they assume responsibility for a given area.
In order to become a Local Plumbing Inspector, you must pass three examinations: Legal Issues, Internal Plumbing, and Subsurface Wastewater. There is no grace period.
The State Fire Marshal contact is:
Greg Gilbert
CEO / CFPE / CFI-1 / LPI
State Building Official
Inspection & Prevention Division
Office of State Fire Marshal
45 Commerce Drive, Suite 1
Augusta, Maine 04330
Phone: (207) 441-0996
A good source of information and the training manuals are located at the following link:
https://www.maine.gov/dps/fmo/building-codes/code-enforcement/online-training-library