Frequently Asked Questions

If you are certified as a safety codes officer or a Master Electrician, you must renew your certification using our secure online system, Council Connect.

You may need to attach certain documents or report certain activities in order to renew. Ensure you are ready to renew by checking the requirements here.

To be certified as a safety codes officer, an applicant must meet specific requirements for each discipline. Find out more about the requirements, as well as our training and certification process, here.

In order to obtain Master Electrician certification, you must:

• Hold a certificate as a Journeyman Electrician under the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act.
• Have worked as a Journeyman Electrician for 3 out of the last 5 years.
• Pass the two-part Master Electrician exam administered by the Council, with an average grade of at least 75%, achieving no less than 60% on either part.

For more information about the Master Electrician exam, click here. For more information about out-of-province credentials, click here.

Safety codes officers can report their Continuing Education credits through Council Connect.

In 2019, the Council launched the Continuing Education program for Safety Codes Officers. Codes change, new technical information becomes available, and SCOs need to ensure that their expertise remains current.

For more information about Continuing Education for safety codes officers, click here.

A variety of local bylaws and provincial regulations govern when you need a permit. It is always best to check with the authority having jurisdiction before starting any new work.

To find out who the authority having jurisdiction is in your area, use our Where to get a permit tool.

For code-related questions, contact:

Community and Technical Support Branch, Municipal Affairs
1.866.421.6929  |  safety.services@gov.ab.ca

If you do not wish to comply with an order, you can formally contest it with the Safety Codes Council.

There are two ways to contest an order: a Review of an order, which is free and must be filed within 14 days after the day you were served with the order, and an Appeal of an order, which has a fee associated with it and must be filed within 35 days of the order being issued.

For more information, see Orders.

If you live in an area that is accredited to administer services related to storage tank management, you will need to speak to your local municipality.

If you live in area that is not accredited to administer services related to storage tank management, you will need to speak to the Alberta Safety Codes Authority, Storage Tank Management division.

To find out who to contact, use our Where to get a permit tool.

The Safety Codes Council has the authority to accredit municipalities, agencies, and corporations to administer the Safety Codes Act. These accredited organizations monitor compliance through permitting and inspections across the province. Accredited organizations work in the following disciplines:

• Building
• Fire
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Gas
• Elevators
• Amusement Rides
• Passenger Ropeways
• Pressure Equipment

Whenever you apply for a permit or schedule an inspection, you contact an accredited organization.

Accredited organizations provide on-the-ground monitoring of compliance with safety codes. They employ safety codes officers to evaluate plans, issue permits, and perform inspections.

Applying to be an accredited organization that administers the Safety Codes Act is a formal process. Certain information must be provided in order for the application to be considered.

The Annual Internal Review is completed and submitted through an organization’s dashboard on Council Connect.

There is a separate AIR format for agencies, corporations, municipalities, and joint municipal accreditations. All accredited organizations must submit the AIR before March 31.

Accredited agencies, corporations, and municipalities obtain the approval of the Administrator of Accreditation to modify their accreditation. This includes Updating Accreditation, Modifying Accreditation (Name or Scope change), or Cancelling/Suspending Accreditation.

Applications to modify Accreditation must be submitted through Council Connect.

The Council is an independent regulatory body made up of industry stakeholders and staff. We were formed in 1993 by the introduction of the Safety Codes Act to deliver programs on behalf of the government of Alberta.

For more information about the Council, click here.

The Safety Codes Council works closely with Alberta Municipal Affairs to develop and administer each new edition of these codes. Through our discipline-specific sub-councils, we help represent industry perspectives in the safety codes system.

Sub-council members are volunteers nominated by organizations that represent Alberta’s industries and regions. Our members represent diverse specialties, including engineering, architecture, contracting, labour, municipal government, and education.

For more information about sub-councils, click here.

A list of documents that govern Council business are linked below.

• The Safety Codes Act and its regulations
• Safety Codes Council Bylaws
• Safety Codes Council Mandate and Roles
• Safety Codes Council Policies and Procedures