§ 90A-52.  Practice without certificate unlawful.

(a) In order to safeguard life, health and the environment, it shall be unlawful for any person to practice as an environmental health specialist or an environmental health specialist intern in the State of North Carolina or use the title "registered environmental health specialist" or "registered environmental health specialist intern" unless the person shall have obtained a certificate of registration from the Board. No person shall offer services as a registered environmental health specialist or registered environmental health specialist intern or use, assume or advertise in any way any title or description tending to convey the impression that the person is a registered environmental health specialist or registered environmental health specialist intern unless the person is the holder of a current certificate of registration issued by the Board.

(b) (Effective until May 1, 2024) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, a person may practice as an environmental health specialist intern for a period not to exceed three years from the date of the initial registration, provided the person has obtained a temporary certificate of registration from the Board.

(b) (Effective May 1, 2024) The following limited exceptions apply to the practice prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section:

(1) A person may practice as an environmental health specialist intern for a period not to exceed two years from the date of the initial registration, provided the person has obtained a temporary certificate of registration from the Board.

(2) A registered environmental health associate, directly reporting to a registered environmental health specialist, may perform all of the following duties in accordance with the rules adopted by the Commission for Public Health:

a. Permitting and inspections of private water wells.

b. Inspections of Category I food establishments, temporary food establishments, and limited food service establishments.

c. Inspections of lodging establishments.

d. Permitting and inspections of any Type II or Type III on-site wastewater systems, including system layouts and existing wastewater systems.

e. Inspections of migrant housing.

f. Inspections of private, public, and religious schools.

g. Inspections of local confinement facilities.

h. Inspections of residential care facilities. (1959, c. 1271, s. 12; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1274, s. 2; 2009-443, s. 3; 2023-90, s. 10.1(b).)