Any person, firm or corporation licensed in this State as a Class II electrical contractor on the effective date of this Article shall be entitled to be licensed, without examination, in the limited? classification upon payment of the required fee and may be licensed in the intermediate or in the unlimited classification without written examination upon satisfactory proof to the Board that such applicant is in fact qualified for such classification. Any person, firm or corporation licensed in this State as a Class I electrical contractor on the effective date of this Article shall be entitled to be licensed without examination in the limited, intermediate or unlimited classification upon payment of the required fee. Provided, that any person who has been once duly licensed by the Board, whose license has expired solely because of failure to apply for renewal, may apply and have a license issued under the provisions of this section if within a period of 12 months preceding such issuance the applicant shall have been primarily actively engaged as an electrical contractor or in an occupation which in the judgment of the Board is similar or equivalent to that of an electrical contractor. (1969, c. 669, s. 1.)