A. No person, firm, corporation, partnership, organization, city, town, school district, county or other subdivision of government shall commence the construction or major alteration of any building or structure to be used as a school, hospital, church, asylum, theater, meeting hall, hotel, motel, apartment house, rooming house, rest home, nursing home, day nursery, convalescent home, orphanage, auditorium, or install original equipment for the operation or maintenance thereof without obtaining a permit. Said permit, for which a charge may be made in conformity with the local ordinance, except as limited herein as to governmental agencies, shall be obtained from the city, town or county in whose jurisdiction the construction or alteration is planned.

B. All such construction or alteration so planned shall conform to the applicable provisions of the BOCA National Building Code, as last revised, the Southern Standard Building Code Congress International (SBCCI), or the Uniform Building Code (ICBO), except that in the event any city, town or county having jurisdiction to issue such permit has adopted by ordinance one of the other building codes designated in Section 324.8 of this title, then such construction or alteration shall conform to such other code so adopted.

C. Application for such building permit shall be made to, and such building permit shall be issued by, any city, town or county in whose jurisdiction the construction or alteration is planned. The city, town or county may require the submission of plans and specifications covering the proposed construction or alteration and may refuse to issue such permit unless the work so planned is in accordance with the applicable provisions of the city, town or county's building code. In all geographical areas wherein no such permit is required by local authorities such permit must be obtained from the State Fire Marshal, who may require the submission of plans and specifications covering the proposed construction or alteration, and he shall refuse to issue such permit unless the work so planned is in accordance with the applicable provisions of said BOCA National Building Code, as last revised, the Southern Standard Building Code Congress International (SBCCI), or the Uniform Building Code (ICBO).

D. Nothing in this act shall be construed as repealing any ordinance of any city, town or county requiring the submission to the local authorities of plans and specifications and the obtaining of permits, but the power or authority of any such city, town or county to levy or assess any charge for such permit or to make and enforce requirements prerequisite to the issuance of such permit, other than requiring compliance with such building code, shall, as to governmental agencies, be limited as hereinafter set forth.

E. No city, town or county requested to issue any such permit to any city, town, school district, county or other subdivision of government shall charge, assess or collect any fee or other charge for such permit except the regular and customary inspection fees fixed by ordinance for inspection of the work to be done under such permit, and no other charge, fee or other conditions of any kind under the authority of this title shall be made a condition of or prerequisite to the obtaining of such permit by any such governmental agency.

F. No bids may be let for the construction or major alteration of any correctional facility as defined by Section 317 of this title until plans and specifications for such construction or alteration have been submitted to the State Fire Marshal for his approval. The State Fire Marshal shall approve said plans and specifications if the work so planned conforms with the applicable provisions of the BOCA National Building Code, as last revised, the Southern Standard Building Code Congress International (SBCCI), or the Uniform Building Code (ICBO).