In Alaska, licensing for general contractors is done at the state level through the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development’s Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing. The same goes for electrical contractors. Electrical contractors are specialty contractors who are licensed to install and work on commercial, industrial, and residential electrical systems.
The path to becoming a licensed electrical contractor in Alaska starts with an apprenticeship, continues with journeyman status, and ends with a license recognized by the state. First, you’ll need a certain number of hours as an apprentice on the job and in the classroom. Then, you’ll apply for a certificate of fitness and take an exam to become a journeyman.
The step from journeyman to electrical administrator takes experience, recommendations, and — in most cases — an electrical engineering degree from an accredited college or university. To become an electrical administrator who can work as a contractor, you must have journeyman status and meet all the qualifications detailed in the electrical administrator license application.
Alaska does recognize journeyman status from multiple states in the lower 48, for which it provides reciprocity.
Alaska Electrical License Reciprocity
If you are already licensed as a journeyman in the following states, your license will be recognized in Alaska:
- Arkansas;
- Colorado;
- Minnesota;
- Montana;
- Oklahoma;
- Nebraska;
- New Hampshire;
- New Mexico;
- North Dakota;
- South Dakota;
- Utah;
- Wyoming;
Your first step toward reciprocity is to fill out the application for a certificate of fitness. You’ll need to provide a copy of your electrical journeyman license from your state (the state in which it was issued), a copy of your driver’s license or other valid ID, and a 2×2 inch photo, such as a passport photo. Fees will come to a total of $250.00, which covers the application fee and the two-year license.
If you have further questions, contact the Mechanical Inspection office:
1251 Muldoon Road, Suite 113
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: 907-269-4925
Fax: 907-269-4932
Email: Anchorage.LSS-MI@alaska.gov
Alaska Electrical Journeyman License Requirements
In Alaska, you’re qualified as an electrical journeyman once you complete the apprenticeship requirements, pass the exam, and apply for the certificate of fitness. A journeyman is qualified to work for electrical administrators and other employers on commercial and residential job-sites; a residential journeyman can only work as a journeyman at residential job-sites, and is considered a trainee on commercial sites. Here are the steps to becoming a journeyman in Alaska:
- Complete 8,000 hours of training as an apprentice through a registered apprenticeship program such as Alaska Joint Electrical Apprenticeship & Training Trust or ABC of Alaska;
- No more than 2,000 of your training hours can be residential experience;
- A maximum of 1,000 of these training hours can be academic, another 1,000 can be power lineman experience;
- A minimum of 6,000 hours must be on-the-job experience at commercial/industrial sites;
- To become a residential journeyman, complete 4,000 hours of training, with no more than 500 hours of classroom training included;
- Maintenance hours don’t apply as training for journeyman or residential journeyman apprenticeships;
- Training must meet National Electrical Code (NEC) standards;
- Fill out the application for a certificate of fitness;
- Pay a $50 application fee.
After your application is accepted and you pass the exam, you’ll need another $200 to get your journeyman license.
Electrical Journeyman Exam
Turn in your application for certificate of fitness at least two weeks before you want to take the exam. Then, call the Mechanical Inspection office to schedule an exam in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau. You must have a government issued picture ID to sit for the exam, which lasts no longer than four hours. You must score at least 70 percent in order to pass.
Alaska Electrical Insurance Requirements
The state of Alaska requires all licensed electricians to obtain workers’ compensation insurance. This is still required if self-employed. Alaska also requires commercial auto insurance for business owned vehicles.
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Electrician Apprenticeship Requirements
To become an apprentice, you must complete a registered apprenticeship program. In Alaska, the primary electrical apprenticeship program is a joint effort from the The Alaska Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association and The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547. Together, they operate the Alaska Joint Electrical Apprenticeship and Training Trust (AJEATT).
To qualify for and enroll in an apprenticeship program, you’ll need the following:
- A valid state-issued ID proving you’re an adult and a copy of your driving record (a maximum of six points is allowed on your record);
- A high-school diploma or GED;
- Proof of employment eligibility;
- An official copy of your high school transcripts (you have to prove you passed Algebra 1 with at least a “C”; if you didn’t, you can qualify by passing an online math course or by taking a WorkKeys placement test).
Additionally, you’ll need to fill out the certificate of fitness application to register as a trainee with the state, which costs $250, and you’ll need to renew it each year. Talk to your apprenticeship program about any fees. AJEATT covers the cost of training, but you have to cover the cost of classroom materials. ABC charges $50 to apply but doesn’t say whether there’s a cost of training. After you apply with AJEATT you’ll do an interview, receive a score, and your wait-time to go to work and school will depend on your score.
Alaska Electrical Apprentice Jobs
The program coordinator for the AJEATT finds employment for apprentices. ABC of Alaska also assigns apprentices to work for member companies.
Electrical Trade Schools in Alaska
Here is a list of trade schools in Alaska where you can find additional training:
Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC)
- Program: Industrial Electricity;
- Cost: $17,129;
- Location: Seward, AK
- Type of school: public vocation training center that is part of the State of Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
- For more info, fill out information request form.
- Program: Associated Construction Trades;
- Cost: $7,350 annually for students not living on campus; $20,080 – $22,480 for students living on campus;
- Location: Barrow, AK
- Type of school: Public vocational/technical/academic college accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU);
- For more info, email or call via the contact page.
Alaska Professional License Search
Visit the Alaska Professional License Search page through the Department of Commerce website to search the state database and check license records.
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 Alaska, click on a link below to learn more about the licensing requirements:
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