Access control installers in Washington, D.C.

A clear line is set by the District for the thin wiring powering door strikes, readers and keypads. Low voltage work, per the Board of Industrial Trades electrician instructions, means any job at 49 volts or less.

Two low voltage license types appear in the search tool of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). The first is Electrician Master Limited Low Voltage. The second is Electrician Contractor Specialist, Low Voltage. Ask your installer which one they have and use the search to confirm it.

A lot of door setups connect to a fire or burglar alarm. An alarm dealer, under District law, is any business that sells, installs or services alarm systems. The company must hold an alarm dealer's license under D.C. Code § 7-2804, in addition to every other license the law demands.

Electrical licensing ties in here too. For dealers who install or service alarms, Section 7-2806 sets an extra requirement. They need to employ at least 1 person who holds a master electrician limited license that's valid in the District.

• Every technician must get an alarm agent's license, which comes as a photo ID card.
• Agents have to keep the card on them while on the job and present it if someone asks.
• The dealer fee DLCP gives is $99 for a 2‑year term and $198 for 4 years.

A journeyman exam requires 4 years or 8,000 hours on the job. A master exam calls for 8 years or 16,000 hours. For both, you need an NEC code class completed within 2 years; the exam itself is open book.

No matter when a license was issued, it always runs out on November 30 of an odd-numbered year. For that reason, check the expiry date through the search rather than relying on an old card.

Exit doors fitted with maglocks or electric strikes have to allow people to get out during an emergency. According to the Department of Buildings, the 2017 DC Construction Codes rely on the 2015 ICC model codes along with the 2014 National Electrical Code. May 29, 2020 is the effective date, and DCMR Title 12 holds the local changes.

Before any work begins, ask the Department of Buildings if your door changes call for a permit.

Head to DLCP's license search. You can look up by license number or name, and filter for a particular status, such as active, expired or suspended.