Section 20B. No person shall conduct blasting operations unless he holds a certificate of competency issued by the department. Any person desiring to obtain a certificate of competency to conduct blasting operations shall make application to the department. A fee, the amount of which shall be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter seven for the filing thereof, shall accompany each application, half of which shall be for the examination and half of which shall be for the certificate if issued. The application shall be in such form and contain such information as the state fire marshal may require. Within three months after the date of receipt of his application, the applicant shall be examined as to his experience and ability to conduct blasting operations, and if found by the examiner to be qualified, he shall forthwith be issued a certificate of competency. Said certificate shall be valid throughout the commonwealth until the date of birth of the licensee occurring more than twelve months but not more than twenty-four months after the effective date of such license and may be renewed after its expiration without examination upon the payment of a fee, as determined pursuant to the aforementioned chapter seven. If any such license or the renewal thereof expires in an even year, any subsequent renewal shall expire on the next anniversary of the licensee's date of birth occurring in an even year. If any such license or renewal thereof expires in an odd year, any subsequent renewal shall expire on the next anniversary of the licensee's date of birth occurring in an odd year. A license issued to a person born on February twenty-ninth shall, for the purposes of this section, expire on March first. Licenses not renewed at the expiration date shall become void, and shall after one year be reinstated only by reexamination of the licensee. A notice of the date of expiration of a license shall, at least thirty days prior to such date, be sent to the licensee. If the applicant fails to qualify, five dollars of the fee paid with his application shall be refunded to him. A holder of a certificate of competency to conduct blasting operations whose certificate is lost, misplaced or stolen may obtain a duplicate certificate from the state fire marshal upon the payment of a fee as determined under the aforementioned provision.

The marshal shall not issue or renew a certificate of competency and shall suspend a certificate of competency of any person who is the subject of a restraining order issued pursuant to chapter 209A while that order is in effect.