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Statewide license

Virginia electrician license requirements

Virginia licenses journeyman electricians through DPOR. The standard route is four years of practical experience plus 240 hours of vocational training.

Go to the official site Electrician jobs in Virginia

At a glance

Journeyman credential
Journeyman Electrician
Apprentice credential
None statewide
Journeyman experience
4 years (with 240 hours of school)
Classroom
240 hours
Exam
PSI
Renewal
Every 3 years, 3 hours of continuing education

Apprentice or trainee

  • Virginia has no state apprentice license.
  • Finishing an apprenticeship approved by the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement exempts you from the journeyman exam.

Journeyman

  • You must be at least 18.
  • Standard route: 240 hours of vocational training plus 4 years of practical experience.
  • Other routes: 160 hours plus 5 years, 80 plus 6, 40 plus 7, or 8 years with no formal training.
  • An associate degree or 2-year certificate plus 2 years, or an engineering bachelor's plus 1 year, also qualifies.

Exam and application

  1. Apply to DPOR. The Board must approve you before you schedule with PSI.

  2. The journeyman exam has 70 questions in 3.5 hours, open book, and you need 70% to pass.

Fees

Item Amount
Application and license (exam, reciprocity or apprenticeship) $171.75
Card exchange $131.75
PSI journeyman exam $100
Renewal, every 3 years $160

Exam vendors often charge their own testing fee on top of state fees.

Reciprocity

Out-of-state applicants need a license earned by a substantially equivalent exam. The application has a reciprocity method at the same fee. Confirm with DPOR whether the Virginia exam is waived.

Good to know

  • The application fee changed from $130 in 2025, and a $7.25 yearly technology fee applies to some fees from July 1, 2026. Check the current form.

Official sources

Checked October 29, 2026. Rules and fees change by regulation; confirm with the board before you apply or pay.