§30-17-8. Qualifications for licensure as a registered sanitarian.

(a) To be eligible to be licensed as a registered sanitarian, the applicant must:

(1) Be of good moral character;

(2) Have a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited college or university;

(3) Successfully complete a sanitarian's training course of a minimum of 300 hours, as approved by the board;

(4) Have at least two years of experience in the field of public health sanitation and environmental health science; and

(5) Pass an examination, as required by the board.

(b) An applicant may substitute a successfully completed master's or higher degree in public health, environmental science, sanitary science, community hygiene, or other science field, as approved by the board, for one of the required years of experience.

(c) A registration issued by the board prior to July 1, 2010, shall for all purposes be considered a license issued under this article: Provided, That a person holding a registration issued prior to July 1, 2010, must renew pursuant to the provisions of this article.

(d) The board shall approve any in-person or online training developed and provided by the Bureau or another approved entity for licenses and certificates. When applicable, training shall be provided online in lieu of in-person training and allow on-the-job training at the local health department level when Bureau personnel are unavailable.

(1) The online training shall be available for applicants to begin and complete at any time during the year.

(2) Applicants shall be able to complete their training within six months of being hired, not including on-the-job- training.

(e) Anyone holding a registered sanitarian credential and five years of work experience in the state of West Virginia shall be able to certify an applicant that has satisfactorily completed their training courses and on-the-job training.