1154                                      LAWS OF MARYLAND                                Ch. 528

affidavit of the inspector.

(g) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in or offer to engage in,
general contracting or subcontracting in the State, unless he is duly licensed and
holds a certificate of registration issued under the provisions of this subtitle.

(h)

(1)    Any person desiring to be registered as a general contractor or
subcontractor in this State shall make and file with the inspector a written
application on such form as may then be by the Comptroller prescribed for
examination by the inspector, which application shall be accompanied by $ 100.00.
The inspector may require the applicant to furnish evidence of his ability, character
and financial responsibility, and if the application is satisfactory to the inspector,
then the applicant shall be entitled to an examination to determine his
qualifications. If the result of the examination of any applicant shall be satisfactory
to the inspector, he shall issue to the applicant a certificate to engage as a general
contractor or subcontractor in this State as provided in the certificate. The
inspector may grant an unclassified certificate or limit the certificate granted to
any applicant to any of four classifications, namely, (1) building contractor, (2)
highway contractor (3) public utilities contractors or (4) specialty contractor, as the
common use of the term is known, as it shall be the responsibility of the inspector
to ascertain from reliable sources whether or not the past performance of an
applicant is good, whether or not he has a reputation of paying his labor and
materials bills, as well as carrying other contracts he may have entered into.
Before the issuance of a certificate, it shall be the further duty of the inspector to
ascertain from reliable sources whether or not the applicant has complied with the
laws of Maryland pertaining to the domestication of foreign corporations and all
other laws in any manner affecting persons, firms, associations or corporations
engaged in the practice of general contracting or subcontracting set forth in this
subtitle.

(2)  The inspector may issue a temporary certificate to engage as a general
contractor or subcontractor in this State as provided in the certificate to any
person who is a nonresident or is a foreign corporation from outside the State of
Maryland who has not theretofore made application for examination, provided
such person file with the inspector an application and evidence of ability, financial
responsibility as hereinabove referred to, and further provided that such person
shall give bond in sufficient amount with an approved corporate surety in favor of
the person or persons for whom such contractor proposes to bid upon or perform
work, such bond to be conditioned on the faithful performance of the work to be
undertaken.

(3)  Such temporary certificates shall be valid and deemed to comply with the
requirements of this subtitle when at the time the holder thereof shall submit
himself to the examination required by this section, he shall have complied with all
other requirements for the issuance of a certificate imposed by this subtitle. If the
application as a result of the examination of such person is not satisfactory to the
inspector and the inspector does not issue a certificate for the person, the
temporary certificate shall permit the person to complete any work upon which he
has been awarded a contract or is performing so long as the required bond is in
force.

(i) An applicant failing to pass such examination may be reexamined by the
inspector without additional fee.

(j) A certificate of registration shall expire on the last day in June following its
issuance or renewal and shall become invalid on that date unless renewed, subject