37-43-305. Examination and qualifications. (1) Under board rules pertaining to the business of drilling and contracting for drilling of water wells and monitoring wells, the department shall inquire by examination or otherwise into the qualifications of applicants for licenses. Examinations may be oral, written, or both.

(2) The qualifications for a water well contractor's license are:

(a) familiar knowledge of ground water laws of this state and sanitary standards for water well drilling and construction of water wells;

(b) knowledge of types of water well construction;

(c) knowledge of types of drilling tools and their uses;

(d) knowledge of geology in its relation to well construction;

(e) possession of adequate equipment by the applicant to complete satisfactory water wells under the standards of the board;

(f) financial responsibility of the applicant;

(g) successful completion of an examination given by the department; and

(h) completion of an apprenticeship of 1 year or more under the direct supervision of a licensed water well contractor or equivalent education, experience, or both, as determined by the board.

(3) The qualifications for a water well driller's license are:

(a) familiar knowledge of ground water laws of this state and sanitary standards for water well drilling and water well construction;

(b) knowledge of types of water well construction;

(c) knowledge of types of drilling tools and their uses;

(d) knowledge of geology in its relation to well construction;

(e) employment by a licensed water well contractor;

(f) completion of an apprenticeship of 1 year or more under the direct supervision of a licensed water well contractor or driller or equivalent education, experience, or both, as determined by the board; and

(g) successful completion of an examination given by the department.

(4) The qualifications for a license to construct monitoring wells are:

(a) familiar knowledge of ground water laws of this state and sanitary standards for drilling and construction of monitoring wells;

(b) knowledge of types of monitoring well construction;

(c) knowledge of types of drilling tools used for monitoring wells and their uses;

(d) knowledge of geology;

(e) financial responsibility of the applicant;

(f) 1 or more years of experience in drilling monitoring wells under the direct supervision of a licensed monitoring well constructor or equivalent education, experience, or both, as determined by the board; and

(g) successful completion of an examination related specifically to drilling of monitoring wells given by the department.

(5) The department shall give examinations at times and places the board determines. Failure of an applicant to successfully complete the examination disqualifies the applicant from making further application for a period of 3 months. The board shall act within a reasonable time on applications for licenses. An application must be accompanied by the initial fee, and failure to successfully meet the requirements of the board does not entitle the applicant to a refund of the fee.