(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b) of this section, each welder or welding operator must be qualified in accordance with section 6, section 12, Appendix A or Appendix B of API Standard 1104 (as described in Section 10.3 of this Title), or section IX of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME BPVC) (as described in Section 10.3 of this Title). However, a welder or welding operator qualified under an earlier edition than listed in section 10.3 of this Title may weld but may not requalify under that earlier edition.
(b) A welder may qualify to perform welding on pipe to be operated at a pressure of less than 125 psig (862 kPa) by performing an acceptable test weld, for the welding process to be used, under the test set forth in section I of Appendix 14-F of this Title. Each welder who is to make a welded service line connection to a main must first perform an acceptable test weld under section II of Appendix 14-F of this Title as a requirement of the qualifying test.
(c) For steel transmission pipe installed after July 1, 2021, records demonstrating each individual welder qualification at the time of construction in accordance with this Section must be retained for a minimum of 5 years following construction.