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 waste water 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.

Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) offers CEO and Local Plumbing Inspector (LPI) training at its Caribou office. 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.  The following are answers to commonly asked questions related to Code Enforcement Officer and Local Plumbing Inspector testing. The purpose of the training and certification program is to build and strengthen local capacity to administer and enforce new and existing ordinances. As a result of this emphasis, code enforcement has become more uniform across the state, to the benefit of municipalities and their residents. Coordinated management and administration of local ordinances and state statutes helps reduce municipal liability associated with enforcement. 

How do I become a certified Code Enforcement Officer (CEO)?

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.

Who administers the code enforcement program?

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:

Paul A. Demers, State Building Official
Phone: (207) 626-3876
Email: Paul.A.Demers@maine.gov
Standard Mail:
Maine Office of State Fire Marshal
52 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0052

Where do I get the training materials?

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