South Carolina - Alarm Code of Laws

Key Concepts

Definitions (§ 40-79-20) - "Alarm business" = an entity licensed by the South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board to engage in the burglar or fire alarm system business, or both [§ 40-79-20(2)]; "board" means that same board [§ 40-79-20(5)]; "department" means the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation [§ 40-79-20(9)]. - "Contractor" = an entity licensed to engage in the burglar or fire alarm system business [§ 40-79-20(7)]; "individual" = a natural person [§ 40-79-20(13)]. - "Registered employee" = an individual who has not met qualifying party requirements, is employed more than thirty days in any given calendar year, and is registered with the department [§ 40-79-20(20)]. - "Registered" includes a part-time employee that has access to customers' records or files [§ 40-79-20(19)]. - Role distinctions: administrative personnel perform daily office functions for management [§ 40-79-20(1)]; monitoring personnel observe operation and activation of alarm systems from a monitoring station [§ 40-79-20(16)]; customer service personnel handle customer problems, complaints, questions, concerns [§ 40-79-20(8)]; alarm technician does set-up, installation, repair, alteration, or connection work [§ 40-79-20(3)]. - Burglar alarm system business includes electric fences and heat and smoke sensors installed within a burglar alarm system, but does not include home health care signaling devices [§ 40-79-20(6)]. - Electric fence: height not to exceed ten feet or two feet higher than the perimeter fence, whichever is higher [§ 40-79-20(10)].

Application & qualifying parties - Application goes to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; the owner, partners, or president and the primary qualifying party must sign [§ 40-79-230(A)]. - Training: burglar alarms — Level I course with certificate from the National Training School [§ 40-79-230(B)(3)(a)]; fire alarms — Level I from the National Training School or Level II from NICET [§ 40-79-230(B)(3)(b)]. - Primary qualifying party must be proven a full-time employee in a management position [§ 40-79-230(B)(4)]; may not serve more than one licensee at a time [§ 40-79-220(B)(5)]; any number of employees may be listed as qualifying parties [§ 40-79-220(B)(2)]. - Qualifying party departure: written notice within fifteen days; substitute primary qualifying party within ninety days [§ 40-79-220(B)(3)]. Transfer to a new business: new employer notifies within fifteen days [§ 40-79-220(B)(4)]. Not listed for four consecutive years → must pass required examinations [§ 40-79-220(B)(6)]. - One license may permit burglar, fire, or both [§ 40-79-230(B)(10)].