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Electrician license requirements by state

Apprentice and journeyman rules for all 50 states and DC: who issues the license, how many hours you need, who gives the exam, what it costs and where to apply. Every entry links to the official state source.

Pick your state

35 jurisdictions issue a statewide journeyman-level license. In the other 16, cities, counties or contractor boards set the rules.

  • Statewide license
  • Local or contractor only
  1. Alabama, statewide license
  2. Alaska, statewide license
  3. Arizona, local or contractor licensing
  4. Arkansas, statewide license
  5. California, statewide license
  6. Colorado, statewide license
  7. Connecticut, statewide license
  8. Delaware, statewide license
  9. District of Columbia, statewide license
  10. Florida, local or contractor licensing
  11. Georgia, local or contractor licensing
  12. Hawaii, statewide license
  13. Idaho, statewide license
  14. Illinois, local or contractor licensing
  15. Indiana, local or contractor licensing
  16. Iowa, statewide license
  17. Kansas, local or contractor licensing
  18. Kentucky, statewide license
  19. Louisiana, local or contractor licensing
  20. Maine, statewide license
  21. Maryland, statewide license
  22. Massachusetts, statewide license
  23. Michigan, statewide license
  24. Minnesota, statewide license
  25. Mississippi, local or contractor licensing
  26. Missouri, local or contractor licensing
  27. Montana, statewide license
  28. Nebraska, statewide license
  29. Nevada, local or contractor licensing
  30. New Hampshire, statewide license
  31. New Jersey, statewide license
  32. New Mexico, statewide license
  33. New York, local or contractor licensing
  34. North Carolina, local or contractor licensing
  35. North Dakota, statewide license
  36. Ohio, local or contractor licensing
  37. Oklahoma, statewide license
  38. Oregon, statewide license
  39. Pennsylvania, local or contractor licensing
  40. Rhode Island, statewide license
  41. South Carolina, local or contractor licensing
  42. South Dakota, statewide license
  43. Tennessee, local or contractor licensing
  44. Texas, statewide license
  45. Utah, statewide license
  46. Vermont, statewide license
  47. Virginia, statewide license
  48. Washington, statewide license
  49. West Virginia, statewide license
  50. Wisconsin, statewide license
  51. Wyoming, statewide license

Compare every state

Journeyman-level requirements at a glance. Open a state for apprentice rules, the full fee list, reciprocity and sources.

State Governing body Journeyman experience Classroom Exam Key fees
Alabama Statewide Alabama Electrical Contractors Board 8,000 hours Optional credit, up to 2,000 hours Board exam (provider not named) $115 exam + $35 license
Alaska Statewide Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection 8,000 hours Up to 1,000 hours credited State $50 application + $200 certificate
Arizona Local Arizona Registrar of Contractors No statewide license Set by apprenticeship program PSI (contractor exams) No journeyman fee
Arkansas Statewide Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners 8,000 hours (16,000 without apprenticeship) Set by apprenticeship program State $80 exam
California Statewide California DIR, Electrician Certification Unit 8,000 hours 720 hours CPS HR via Pearson VUE $175 exam and application
Colorado Statewide Colorado State Electrical Board 8,000 hours over 4+ years 288 hours PSI Shown in the online system
Connecticut Statewide Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Electrical Work Examining Board 8,000 hours 576 hours (apprenticeship) or 720 hours PSI $90 application + $59 exam
Delaware Statewide Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners 8,000 hours Set by approved program Prov (in person or remote) $105 journeyperson
District of Columbia Statewide DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Board of Industrial Trades 8,000 hours over 4+ years Code class within 2 years PSI $65 application + $110 license
Florida Local Florida DBPR, Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board Set by county Set locally Local (contractors: Pearson VUE) Set by county
Georgia Local State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors No individual license Not applicable Not applicable No journeyman fee
Hawaii Statewide Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers 10,000 hours over 5 years 240 hours PSI $40 application + $306 license
Idaho Statewide Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Electrical Board 8,000 hours (16,000 without school) 4-year approved program PSI $55 license
Illinois Local No state board; cities license electricians Set by city Set locally Local Set by city
Indiana Local No state board; local licensing (Indiana Business Owner's Guide) Set by city or county Set locally Local Set locally
Iowa Statewide Iowa Electrical Examining Board (DIAL) 8,000 hours 576 hours PSI $87 exam + $75 license
Kansas Local No state board; local licensing (Kansas Business One Stop) Set by city or county Set locally Local (often ICC) Set locally
Kentucky Statewide Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Electrical 8,000 hours 288-hour program can credit 4,000 hours ICC via Pearson VUE $100 exam + $100 license
Louisiana Local Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Electrical Set by city or parish Set locally Local (New Orleans: ICC) Set locally
Maine Statewide Maine Electricians' Examining Board 8,000 hours 576 hours (includes 45-hour NEC) Prov $150 license + $90 exam
Maryland Statewide Maryland State Board of Electricians 4 years as a licensed apprentice 576 hours (apprenticeship route) PSI $18.50 license + $65 exam
Massachusetts Statewide Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians 8,000 hours over 4+ years 600 hours + 15-hour code update PSI $31 application + $104 license
Michigan Statewide Michigan LARA, Bureau of Construction Codes 8,000 hours over 4 years Enrollment required PSI $100 exam + $40 license
Minnesota Statewide Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Electrical 48 months 2-year program can credit 1 year State (DLI) $50 exam + $48 license
Mississippi Local Mississippi State Board of Contractors Set by city Set locally Local (often ICC) Set by city
Missouri Local Missouri Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors Set by city or county Set locally Local Set locally
Montana Statewide Montana State Electrical Board 8,000 hours 576 hours PSI $190 application and license
Nebraska Statewide Nebraska State Electrical Division 8,000 hours over 4 years 2-year degree can credit 1 year PSI $90 application + $37.50 per license year
Nevada Local No state board; local building departments Set by county Set locally Local (Clark County: ICC) Set locally
New Hampshire Statewide New Hampshire Electricians' Board (OPLC) 8,000 hours 600 hours (24 on safety) Prov $110 application
New Jersey Statewide New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors 8,000 hours 576 hours No journeyman exam $100 application + $150 license
New Mexico Statewide New Mexico Construction Industries Division, Electrical Bureau 8,000 hours (4 years) Training can credit up to half PSI $75 application + $206.64 exams
New York Local No state board; local licensing (NYS Division of Building Standards and Codes) Set locally Set locally Local Set locally
North Carolina Local North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors No individual license Not applicable Not applicable No journeyman fee
North Dakota Statewide North Dakota State Electrical Board 8,000 hours over 3+ years 576 hours Board $25 application + $25 license
Ohio Local Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board Set by city Set locally Local (state contractors: PSI) Set by city
Oklahoma Statewide Oklahoma Construction Industries Board 8,000 hours (residential 4,000) Up to 2,000 hours credited PSI $25 application + $50 license
Oregon Statewide Oregon Building Codes Division, Electrical 8,000 hours (16,000 without school) 576 hours State (BCD paper exam) $100 license
Pennsylvania Local No state board; municipalities license electricians (PA Department of Labor and Industry) Set by municipality Set locally Local (often ICC) Set by municipality
Rhode Island Statewide Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulation 8,000 hours over 4+ years 576 hours State (DLT) $75 application + $72 license
South Carolina Local South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (LLR) 1 year (Residential Electrician) Not required PSI $135 application + $220 license
South Dakota Statewide South Dakota Electrical Commission 8,000 hours over 4 years School can credit time Commission $60 application + $80 license
Tennessee Local Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors Set by city Set locally Local (state LLE: Prov) Set by city
Texas Statewide Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Electricians 8,000 hours (test at 7,000) Not required PSI $30 application
Utah Statewide Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Electrical 8,000 hours (16,000 without school) 576 hours Prov $110 application
Vermont Statewide Vermont Division of Fire Safety, Electricians' Licensing Board Approved apprenticeship Set by approved program Prov $115 for 3 years
Virginia Statewide Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, Tradesman Program 4 years (with 240 hours of school) 240 hours PSI $171.75 application + $100 exam
Washington Statewide Washington Department of Labor and Industries, Electrical 8,000 hours 96 hours basic classroom PSI $114.60 application
West Virginia Statewide West Virginia State Fire Marshal, Regulatory and Licensing Division 1 year as a helper 1,080-hour program (alternative) State Fire Marshal or approved vendor $25 review + $50 yearly
Wisconsin Statewide Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services 8,000 hours over 48 months 2-year degree can credit 2,000 hours Pearson VUE $35 application + $100 license
Wyoming Statewide Wyoming State Fire Marshal, Electrical Safety 8,000 hours over 4 years 576 hours Testing vendor (not named) $100 license

How the path usually works

  1. Register. Sign up with the state board or an approved apprenticeship sponsor before your hours start counting.

  2. Learn. Many programs require about 144 classroom hours a year, often 576 over four years.

  3. Work. Log supervised hours. About 8,000 over four years is common, not universal.

  4. Qualify. The board checks your work and school records, then approves you to test.

  5. Test and license. Pass an NEC-based exam, pay the license fee and keep up with renewals and continuing education.

Watch for these differences

  • "Journeyman" isn't one credential. California certifies a General Electrician, Hawaii licenses a Journey Worker Electrician, Minnesota a Class A Journeyworker.
  • Hours vary. Hawaii asks for 10,000, West Virginia one year as a helper, and Idaho and Utah accept 16,000 hours without school.
  • Unregistered hours may not count. Alaska, Idaho, Oklahoma and others require registration while you earn them.
  • No state license doesn't mean no rules. In local-control states, the city or county may require its own card.
  • Licenses don't automatically transfer. Reciprocity ranges from published partner lists to none at all.

Common questions

How many hours does it take to become a journeyman electrician?

Most states with a statewide license ask for about 8,000 hours of supervised work, usually over four years, plus classroom instruction. Hawaii asks for 10,000 hours, West Virginia accepts one year as a helper, and Minnesota counts 48 months of experience instead of hours.

Which states don't license journeyman electricians?

16 jurisdictions have no general statewide journeyman license, including Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Cities, counties or contractor boards set the rules there, so check the place where you will work.

Does my journeyman license transfer to another state?

Only where the two states have a reciprocity agreement. Some states publish lists of partner states, and some, such as Connecticut, Hawaii and Michigan, offer none. Check the state page before you move.

Who gives the journeyman exam?

It depends on the state. PSI runs exams in many states. Others use Pearson VUE, Prov or the state board itself. You usually need board approval before you can schedule.

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