Minnesota Electrical License Requirements Guide |

According to CareerExplorer, the average salary for an electrician that resides in Minnesota is $66,915, and the top 20% make upwards of $125,000 (much higher than the statewide median income). Minnesota general contractor license requirements state that you must be licensed when providing residential or commercial construction services. In some cases, such as having a license in another state, you will not need to go through the traditional training, classwork, and examinations associated with licensing. In most cases, if you are working within two or more of the following areas, you will need to be licensed by Minnesota:

Carpentry;
Drywall;
Electrical work;
Exterior work;
Interior work;
Excavation;
Roofing;
Masonry.

Minnesota Electrical License Reciprocity

If you have recently moved — or you are thinking of moving — to Minnesota, there are several states that have reciprocity agreements with Minnesota. These agreements allow journeyman and master electricians to work within the state of Minnesota without re-examination. The states licenses that align with Minnesota’s include:

In order for licenses from an approved state to be honored in Minnesota, license-holders must fulfill several requirements. The requirements and application process goes as follows:

Earning a state-level license;
Holding a state-level license for a minimum of one year;
Applicant must be in good standing within the state they hold their license in;
Applicant must not be under any sanction to deny, suspend, or revoke a license held within Minnesota or any reciprocal state;
Applicant must meet all continuing education and renewal requirements;
If an applicant has not renewed their license two years prior to the expiration date, a test retake is in order;
License-holder must apply using the Minnesota state electrical license reciprocity form along with the $50 application fee. Checks can be sent to:

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
Construction Codes and Licensing Division
443 Lafayette Road North PO Box 64217
St. Paul, MN 55155

Minnesota Journeyman Electrician License Requirements

A journeyman electrician is an individual who has the necessary credentials, training, and expertise needed to install, alter, repair, and supervise the trade of electrical work. There are two routes for obtaining the qualifications deemed necessary by the Minnesota Department of L&I – Board of Electricity:

Graduate from Board of Electricity two year accredited program (associates, certification, or diploma) alongside 7,000 hours of on-the-job experience;
OR
Shadow and work under the direct supervision of a licensed journeyman for 48 months or 8,000 hours.

A journeyman will also be required to provide a $5,000 bond to show evidence of liability insurance while providing their electrical service. In order to become a journeyman, you must apply through the Minnesota Department of L&I. The fees follow as such:

$128 for initial application or license renewal;
$120 licensing fee;
$8 board fee.

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Journeyman Electrician Exam

Electrician Apprenticeship Requirements

The two routes for becoming a licensed journeyman take between 7,000 and 8,000 hours, so in order to get the hours necessary for licensing, those pursuing a career being an electrician must apprentice under a licensed professional. There are an array of registered apprentice employer and training programs available throughout Minnesota. Most apprenticeships in Minnesota require 144 hours in the classroom. Typical courses include:

Cable splicing;
Electrical safety code and calculations;
Grounding;
Instrumentation;
National Electrical Code (NEC);
OSHA safety measures;
Welding.

Apprenticeship requirements vary from employer to employer, but in Minnesota, you must be 17 years of age and possess your high school diploma (or GED) in order to apply for an apprenticeship program.

Minnesota Electrical Apprentice Jobs

Apprentice jobs are available through Minnesota Career Pathways (MCP). MCP helps individuals find apprenticeships available by region. It is always a good option to speak with someone that is actively practicing the trade, or your regional representative. Other resources to help find electrician apprentice jobs are:

Online job boards such as Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, and Linkedin;
Utilizing career centers within an electrician trade school;
Cold-calling electrician businesses.

Most apprenticeships will give you some sort of compensation for your work that you complete during your apprenticeship. Since the apprenticeship is training (and you do not hold a license) the pay typically is half of what pay would be if you were licensed.

Electrical Trade Schools in Minnesota

Dunwoody College of Technology
Tuition: approx. $20,000/year
Contact Info: (612) 374-5800
Address: 818 Dunwoody Blvd Minneapolis, MN 55403

Dakota County Technical College
Tuition: approx. $13,000/year
Contact Info: (651) 423-8300
Address: 1300 145th St E Rosemount, MN 55068

Leech Lake Tribal College
Tuition: approx. $11,000/year
Contact Info: (218) 335-4200
Address: 6945 Littlewolf Road NW Cass Lake, MN 56633

Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Tuition: approx. $6,000/year
Contact Info: (877) 450-3322
Address: 1414 College Way Ferguson Falls, MN 56537

Minnesota Professional License Search

In order for a company or individual to validate and verify licensing credentials that a potential-hire possesses, they can utilize the Minnesota state license database to look up the license.

For More License and Career Guides

To find out how to become an Electrical Contractor in another state, start here.

For information on other trades in Minnesota , click on a link below to learn more about the licensing requirements: