Renewals

Renewals. (1) Application. (a) Submittal and fees. To renew a license or registration, the licensee or registrant shall submit a true and complete renewal application online or by mail to the department on or before January 1 of each year. The department may require that proof of compliance with continuing education credit requirements under sub. (3) be submitted with the renewal application. A renewal application fee of $50 is required for each water well driller or heat exchange driller license or registration; $25 is required for each pump installer license or registration; or $25 is required for each water well drilling or heat exchange drilling rig operator registration. Only one $50 fee is required if a licensee holds both a water well driller and heat exchange driller license. Only one $50 fee is required if a registrant holds both a water well drilling and heat exchange drilling registration. Only one $25 fee is required if a rig operator holds both a water well drilling rig operator registration and a heat exchange drilling rig operator registration. (b) Online renewal requirement. Except as allowed under par. (c) , applications shall be submitted and processed online using the portal provided by the department. This requirement first applies to a license or registration renewal application submitted following March 2, 2027. (c) Online renewal exemption and requirements for renewal by mail. 1. Starting with the 2027 calendar year, and each year thereafter, a licensee, rig operator, or business registrant may submit a written request to the department for exemption from required online renewal application submittal and processing. An applicant requesting an exemption shall submit the request by mail or electronically from January 1 to July 31 of the applicable calendar year. The request shall include a detailed explanation of circumstances beyond the applicant’s control that prevent online renewal application submittal and processing. The department shall review exemption requests and make a discretionary approval determination within 15 business days of receipt. 2. An applicant with an approved exemption request shall complete all required annual continuing education attendance and have all required annual attendance allocated to the department database no later than October 1 of the applicable calendar year. If all required annual continuing education attendance is not allocated to the department database by October 1, the exemption from required online renewal is revoked. 3. By October 15 of each calendar year, the department shall mail paper renewal application forms to online-exempt applicants who had continuing education attendance allocated before October 1. Paper renewal applications submitted to the department shall be postmarked no later than December 1. The department shall review paper renewal applications within 15 business days of receipt. Incomplete applications shall be returned to the applicant. An application is considered incomplete if received with incorrect fee payment or missing signatures. Any paper application submitted or resubmitted to the department with a postmark later than December 1 shall be returned with fee payment to the applicant. 4. Exemptions from the online renewal requirement expire on December 1 each year. Applicants may reapply for an exemption each calendar year. (d) Late renewal penalty. Beginning in 2028 and each year thereafter, a late penalty of $15 is required for each license or registration renewal that is submitted and processed online after January 1. (e) Effective date. A renewal is effective on the date the licensee, rig operator, or business registrant receives the renewed license or registration from the department and expires on December 31 of each year. (g) Supervisor signature required for rig operator registration renewal. The renewal application for a registered drilling rig operator shall be signed by the supervisory water well driller or supervisory heat exchange driller. The required supervisor signature may be provided through the online renewal portal when a supervisor’s license is renewed online. The supervisor acknowledges their supervisory designation and provides the signature required for rig operator registration renewal by checking the box provided at the online renewal portal for that purpose. (h) Supervisor signature required for business registration renewal. The renewal application for a business registrant shall be signed by the supervisory driller or the supervisory pump installer. The required supervisor signature may be provided through the online renewal portal when a supervisor’s license is renewed online. The supervisor acknowledges their supervisory designation and provides the signature required for business registrant renewal by checking the box provided at the online renewal portal for that purpose. (j) Certificate of supervision. The department may require a registrant and the registrant’s supervisory pump installer, supervisory water well driller, or supervisory heat exchange driller to complete and submit an updated certificate of supervision with a renewal application. (2) Eligibility. (a) Continuing education attendance. Only individuals who have met continuing education attendance requirements of this section are eligible to apply to renew a license or registration for the calendar year that follows the date of license or registration expiration. (b) Expiration without eligibility for renewal. An expired license or expired rig operator registration may not be renewed if any of the following occurs: 1. Failure to fulfill continuing education attendance requirements under sub. (3) . 2. Failure to renew a license or rig operator registration within one year of expiration. 3. A department of revenue hold placed on renewal of a license or rig operator registration that is not resolved within one year of expiration. 4. A department of children and families hold placed on renewal of a license or rig operator registration that is not resolved within one year of expiration. 5. Suspension lasting longer than one calendar year. (c) Reinstatement following expiration without renewal eligibility. If a license or registration is not renewed because of the reasons under par. (b) , the individual whose license or registration is not renewed must take and pass the appropriate exam and comply with s. NR 146.04 (9) (a) 7. to become licensed again. (d) Loss of driller license examination eligibility. If a water well driller or heat exchange driller license is not renewed for 5 or more years, the applicant shall lose license examination eligibility. To reinstate the water well driller or heat exchange driller license, the applicant shall meet prerequisite license examination eligibility requirements in effect at the time of reinstatement. (e) Supervisor eligibility required for registrant renewal. In order for a registrant to be eligible for renewal, the registrant’s supervisory pump installer, supervisory water well driller, or supervisory heat exchange driller shall have met the continuing education attendance requirements of this section. (3) Continuing education. (a) Attendance. Each calendar year, licensed and registered individuals are required to earn 6 continuing education credits by attending continuing education sessions sponsored or sanctioned by the department. One credit of continuing education is earned for each hour in attendance at training sponsored or sanctioned by the department. Continuing education credits shall be earned and allocated to the department database before December 31 of each year, except that persons who have been granted an exemption from online renewal under sub. (1) (c) shall complete all required annual continuing education attendance requirements and have all required annual continuing education credits allocated to the department database by October 1 of the applicable calendar year. (b) Grace period. Starting with the 2027 calendar year, and each year thereafter, a licensee or registrant may complete continuing education attendance requirements within a 6-month grace period following license or registration expiration. During the grace period, the license or registration is expired and may be renewed under sub. (1) when continuing education attendance requirements are completed for the previous calendar year. Six additional hours of continuing education attendance shall be required to fulfill renewal eligibility requirements for the next calendar year. (c) Exemption for a first-time licensee or rig operator. 1. Except as provided under subd. 2. , continuing education attendance is not required for renewal eligibility during the first calendar year in which an individual becomes licensed or obtains registration as a rig operator for the first time. 2. A rig operator who intends to apply for a driller license shall meet continuing education requirements in the first calendar year of registration in order for the first year’s drilling experience to apply towards prerequisite license application requirements of this chapter. (d) Training topics. Starting with the 2027 calendar year, and each year thereafter, applicants shall earn a total of at least 6 credits from the following training topics for the applicable license or registration: 1. ‘Licensed pump installer.’ For a licensed pump installer: a. Training related to code compliance - 1 credit. b. Training specific to pump installing - 3 credits. c. Training specific to water well drilling, business practice, safety and first aid, or additional training on the topics specified under subd. 1. a. or b. - 2 or more credits. 2. ‘Licensed water well driller or registered water well drilling rig operator.’ For a licensed water well driller or registered water well drilling rig operator: a. Training related to code compliance - 1 credit. b. Training specific to water well drilling - 3 credits. c. Training specific to heat exchange drilling, pump installing, business practice, safety and first aid, or additional training on the topics specified under subd. 2. a. or b. - 2 or more credits. 3. ‘Licensed heat exchange driller or registered heat exchange drilling rig operator.’ For a licensed heat exchange driller or registered heat exchange drilling rig operator: a. Training related to code compliance - 1 credit. b. Training specific to heat exchange drilling - 3 credits. c. Training specific to water well drilling, business practice, safety and first aid, or additional training on the topics specified under subd. 3. a. or b. - 2 or more credits. (4) Engaging in business. A person applying for a renewal under this section may not engage in the business of water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing, well filling and sealing, or property transfer well inspections after a license or registration has expired until the person receives a renewed license or registration from the department.