If you want to work as an electrician in Michigan, you must be licensed at the state level by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Much like general contractors and plumbers, you need to get plenty of hands-on experience and pass several licensure exams to pursue a career as an electrician.
The state of Michigan recognizes two main classifications of electrician: journeyman and master; along with five specialties: electrical contractor, fire alarm specialty technician, fire alarm contractor, sign specialist, and sign specialty contractor. All classifications, and even electrical apprentices, require licensure before beginning work in this trade. You’ll also need to renew your license every year and maintain continued education after to keep it valid and active.
Although it requires a lot of time, hard work, and attention, working as an electrician is a rewarding career that is in high demand and offers high pay. Whether you’re already certain this is the right profession for you or you’re simply exploring one of your many options, it’s important to know exactly how the licensing process works for electricians in the state of Michigan so you can make an informed decision about your future:
Michigan Electrical License Reciprocity
Currently, Michigan does not maintain any reciprocity agreements with any other states for electricians. However, if you do have a license from another state or country, you may qualify for a license in Michigan if you have equivalent experience and training. Depending on your previous experience and the strength of your application, you may or may not have to sit the appropriate licensure exam before working as an electrician.
LARA handles reciprocity requests on a case-by-case basis. You will need to submit the reciprocal license application, along with a copy of your current electrician’s license and notarized documentation to support your previous experience, to LARA directly. While working through the licensure process, you may request a temporary journeyman license, which costs $40. You can find the applications online, or contact LARA at (517)-373-8068 to request an application by mail.
Michigan Master Electrician License Requirements
As defined in Article 7 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, a master electrician is “an individual who has the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge to supervise the installation of electrical wiring and equipment in accordance with the standard rules and regulations governing that work.” To receive this classification, you must first submit the master electrician examination application — along with the $100 fee — to LARA or use their online licensing portal and meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 22 years old;
- Have held a journeyman’s license for at least two years;
- And have at least 12,000 hours of practical experience over the course of at least six years.
Once this application is approved, you are free to take the exam. Upon passing, you will need to pay the $50 license fee and receive your master electrician license.
Master Electrician Exam
PSI Exams offers the master electrician exam for the state of Michigan. You may schedule your exam through PSI, and even select your exam date and location several weeks in advance. There is a $100 examination fee that you must pay before sitting the test. The master electrician exam consists of 76 questions, which you have three hours to complete. You will be tested on:
- Grounding and bonding;
- Overcurrent protection;
- Wiring methods and installations;
- Boxes and cabinets;
- Services, feeders, motors, and motor controls;
- Special occupancies;
- Load calculations;
- Lighting;
- Appliances;
- Boxe and raceway fill;
- Power limited circuits;
- Electrical theory;
- General electrical trade knowledge;
- And your knowledge of different laws and code rules, including the Skilled Trades Regulation Act and the National Electrical Code.
Many of these topics are also in the journeyman exam, but this one may have additional questions or focus on supervising and planning electrical installments.
The exam is open-book, but you may only bring in the National Electrical Code, 2016 PA 407, and Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8. You must get at least 75% of the questions correct to pass. For additional information on testing sites and requirements, see the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for electricians in Michigan.
Upon passing your exam, you can submit your results to LARA, who will then review your entire license application. Once they have approved it, you will officially be licensed as a master electrician in the state of Michigan. To keep your license valid, you must renew it with LARA and pay a $50 fee each year. Additionally, you must take 15 hours of continuing education each time the state adopts a new version of the National Electrical Code.
Michigan Electrical Insurance Requirements
The state of Michigan requires that electrical contractors provide evidence of public liability insurance coverage. A licensed electrical contractor in Michigan is not required to have a sign specialty.
Use the tool below to request a FREE insurance quote from our partner’s:
Michigan Journeyman Electrician License Requirements
Article 7 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act also defines a journeyman electrician for the state of Michigan as “an individual other than an electrical contractor who, as his or her principal occupation, is engaged in the practical installation or alteration of electrical wiring.” To become an electrical journeyman, you must submit the appropriate application to LARA, or use the online licensing portal, with the $100 fee and meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 20 years old;
- And have at least 8,000 hours of practical experience over the course of at least four years.
If you’ve had an apprenticeship, graduated from a recognized educational program, or have proof of other training, it may count toward your experience requirement. Once LARA approves your application, you can sit the journeyman electrician exam. If you pass the exam, you will be charged a $40 fee and receive your electrical journeyman license.
Electrical Journeyman Exam
PSI Exams also offers the electrical journeyman exam for the state of Michigan. Just as with the master exam, you must pay a $100 fee and schedule your test at your preferred time and location through PSI. The exam consists of 80 questions, which you will have two and a half hours to complete. In the journeyman exam, you will be tested on the following areas:
- Your knowledge of different laws, codes, and regulations, including the National Electrical Code and Michigan’s state laws;
- Grounding and bonding;
- Overcurrent protection;
- Wiring methods and installations;
- Boxes and cabinets;
- Services, feeders, motors, and motor controls;
- Special occupancies;
- Load calculations;
- Lighting;
- Appliances;
- Box and raceway fill;
- Power limited circuits;
- And your general electrical trade and theory knowledge.
This exam is also open-book, but you may only bring in the National Electrical Code, 2016 PA 407, and Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8. You must get at least 75% of the questions on the exam correct to pass. For additional information on the test, see the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for electricians in Michigan linked above.
Once you have passed your exam, you can submit your results and completed license application to LARA. After they review and approve your application, you will officially receive your electrical journeyman license for the state of Michigan. You must renew your license and pay a $40 fee annually to keep your license valid. In addition, you must take 15 hours of continuing education each time Michigan adopts a new version of the National Electrical Code.
Electrician Apprenticeship Requirements
Article 7 of the Skilled Trade Regulation Act defines an electrician apprentice as “an individual other than an electrical contractor, master electrician, or electrical journeyman, who is engaged in learning about and assisting in the installation or alteration of electrical wiring and equipment under the direct personal supervision of an electrical journeyman or master electrician.”
In Michigan, you are not required to work as an apprentice in order to obtain the experience required for a journeyman license; you can get experience from other forms of relevant electrical work, taking electrical classes at a community college, or enrolling in a vocational program. However, an apprenticeship is one of the most efficient and effective ways to gain that experience while also making valuable professional connections and earning a living.
You must register with LARA as an apprentice before you can begin work. You can do so by completing and submitting the electrical apprentice application, or using the online licensing portal linked above. There is also a $15 apprentice application fee, which is waived for military veterans.
Michigan Electrical Apprentice Jobs
There are multiple ways you can secure an apprenticeship in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity works to connect interested individuals with available apprenticeships in their trade of choice. The organization MichiganWorks! is another useful resource when looking for apprenticeships. Not only do they have an online search tool you can use, but they also have apprentice coordinators in different localities throughout the state who you can contact for additional assistance.
Further, there are federal government resources that can be helpful for finding an apprenticeship in Michigan. The U.S. Department of Labor’s website maintains a list of apprenticeship opportunities for all trades; you can click “electrician” or a related specialty, and then filter by location, to explore potential openings in your area. The Apprenticeship Finder tool at the Apprenticeship.gov website is another way you can search for open positions by location and/or occupation.
Looking for an apprenticeship is highly similar to looking for any other type of job, so you can always use general job-hunting websites — such as Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster, and ZipRecruiter — to find a position. You should also consider looking into local electrician trade unions, like IBEW Michigan, to see if they have any available opportunities or even members who are looking for an apprentice.
Electrical Trade Schools in Michigan
There are a number of different trade schools and vocational programs at different colleges throughout Michigan. No matter where you live in the state, there’s likely a certificate, degree, apprenticeship, or another program that can help educate and prepare you for your career as an electrician. All of the tuition rates listed below reflect the cost of tuition for in-district, in-state students.
- Alpena Community College – Apprenticeship & Degree
- Public
- Location: Oscoda
- Tuition & Costs: $137 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (989)-356-9021
- 5800 Skeel Avenue, Oscoda, MI 48750
- Delta College – Advanced Certificate, Degree, & Pre-Apprenticeship
- Public
- Location: Bay County
- Tuition & Costs: $115 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (989)-686-9000
- 1961 Delta Road, University Center, MI 48710
- Dorsey Schools
- For-profit
- Location: Dearborn Campus in Detroit
- Tuition & Costs: $100 per course
- Contact Information:
- (888)-422-1188
- 18660 Ford Road, Detroit, Michigan 48228
- Grand Rapids Community College – Certificate & Degree
- Public
- Location: Grand Rapids
- Tuition & Costs: $115 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (616)-234-4000
- 143 Bostwick Avenue NE, Grand Rapids MI 49503-3295
- Jackson College – Certificate & Degree
- Public
- Location: Jackson
- Tuition & Costs: $160.25 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (517)-787-0800 or (888)-522-7344
- 2111 Emmons Road, Jackson, MI 49201
- Kalamazoo Valley Community College – Certificate & Degree
- Public
- Location: Kalamazoo
- Tuition & Costs: $100 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (269)-488-4400
- 6767 West O Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009
- Kellogg Community College – Certificate & Degree
- Public
- Location: Battle Creek
- Tuition & Costs: $138.25 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (269)-965-3931
- 450 North Avenue, Battle Creek, MI 49017
- Kirtland Community College
- Public
- Locations: Gaylord
- Tuition & Costs: $121 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (989)-275-5000
- 60 Livingston Boulevard, Gaylord, MI 49735
- Lansing Community College
- Public
- Location: Lansing
- Tuition & Costs: $108 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (517)-267-5452
- 5708 Cornerstone Dr, Lansing, MI 48917
- Macomb Community College
- Public
- Locations: Clinton Township and Warren
- Tuition & Costs: $167 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- Phone number for all locations: (586)-445-7999
- Clinton Township
- Center Campus: 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038-1139
- East Campus: 21901 Dunham Road, Clinton Township, MI 48036
- Warren
- South Campus: 14500 E. 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48088-3896
- M-TEC: 7900 Tank Avenue, Warren, MI 48092
- Michigan State University – On-Campus or Online Apprenticeship
- Public
- Location: East Lansing
- Tuition & Costs: $14,524 per semester
- Contact Information:
- (517)-355-1855
- 426 Auditorium Road, East Lansing, MI 48824
- Monroe County Community College
- Public
- Locations: Monroe and Temperance
- Tuition & Costs: $112.25 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- Monroe
- (734)-242-7300
- 1555 S. Raisinville Rd., Monroe, MI 48161
- Temperance
- (734)-847-0559
- 7777 Lewis Avenue, Temperance, MI 48182
- Monroe
- Mott Community College – Certificate & Degree
- Public
- Location: Flint
- Tuition & Costs: $143.58 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (810)-762-0200
- 1401 E. Court St., Flint, MI 48503
- Muskegon Community College – Certificate & Degree
- Public
- Location: Muskegon
- Tuition & Costs: $117 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (231)-773-9131
- 221 S. Quarterline Road, Muskegon, MI 49442
- Northwestern Michigan Community College
- Public
- Location: Traverse City
- Tuition & Costs: $109 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (231)-995-1000
- 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City, MI 49686
- Oakland Community College
- Public
- Locations: Auburn Hills, Farmington Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield, and Waterford
- Tuition & Costs: $94.50 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- Phone number for all locations: (248)-341-2000
- Auburn Hills
- 2900 Featherstone Rd., Auburn Hills, MI 48326-2845
- Farmington Hills
- 27055 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48334-4556
- Royal Oak
- 739 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067-3898
- Southfield
- 22322 Rutland Dr., Southfield, MI 48075-4793
- Waterford
- 7350 Cooley Lake Rd., Waterford, MI 48327-4187
- West Shore Community College – Apprenticeship & Degree
- Public
- Location: Scottville
- Tuition & Costs: $106 per credit hour
- Contact Information:
- (231)-845-6211
- 3000 N Stiles Rd, Scottville, MI 49454
Michigan Professional License Search
To look up an electrician’s license, you can use the Verify a License search tool on the LARA website. This free tool allows you to search for the credentials of any individual or business that holds a state-issued license in Michigan. Alternatively, you can also complete an Occupational Code License Verification Request form and submit it, along with the $15 fee, to the Bureau of Professional Licensing.
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 Michigan, click on a link below to learn more about the licensing requirements:
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