Directory of Electrical Contractor License Requirements by State

The licensing requirements for electricians are different in every U.S. state, similar to the process of becoming a plumber or a general contractor. While some states have strict guidelines for becoming an electrician, others are looser. Big states or states with large cities may have regulations specific to municipalities.  Differences in the level of electrician licensing also exist — with some states’ highest rank being a master electrician and others’ a journeyman.

Many states also offer an electrical contracting license, in which individuals are free to perform work or start their own contracting company. Electricians in all states typically need to be bonded and insured prior to beginning any type of contracting work; those wishing to start a business to hire other staff will also need to acquire workers’ compensation insurance along with general liability insurance.

Below is a list of links to each state’s electrical licensing processes:

• Alabama Electrical License: Alabama requires you to complete four to five years of hands-on experience as an apprentice, as well as 576 hours of classroom instruction, before becoming eligible to apply for a journeyman license. What’s more, Alabama offers reciprocity agreements with several states in the south.

• Alaska Electrical License: Alaska requires journeyman applicants to complete a certificate of fitness, in addition to an apprenticeship, exam, and other requirements. The certificate of fitness application determines whether you have met all of the requirements; it costs $250 and must be renewed every year.

• Arizona Electrical License: Arizona issues two electrical contractor licenses: one for residential work and the other for commercial. Electricians must either possess or work for someone who holds one of these two licenses.

• Arkansas Electrical License: Arkansas offers several electrical licenses, each serving its own unique purpose. In Arkansas, electrical licensing is regulated by the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.

• California Electrical License: California has three levels of experience for electricians in the state: Apprentice Electrician, Residential Electrician, and General Electrician. You can also become a fire/life safety technician, voice data video technician, or non-residential lighting technician.

• Colorado Electrical License: Colorado has four electrician licenses available: Residential Wireman, Journeyman Electrician, Master Electrician, or Electrical Contractor. Electricians in the state are certified by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The state also features several reciprocity agreements with other states.

• Connecticut Electrical License: Connecticut features many subcategories of electrical licensing, including: C-5 Limited Electrical Contractor, E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor, L-1 Electrical Lines Contractor, L-5 Limited Electrical Contractor, and T-1 Limited Electrical Contractor. Each license contains its own parameters of work.

• Delaware Electrical License: Delaware has seven types of electrical licenses, those being: Master, Master Special, Limited, Limited Special, Journeyperson, Residential, and Apprentice. Some licenses feature further areas of specialty, each of which requires its own separate application process.

• Florida Electrical License: There are many potential ways to begin a career as an electrician in Florida. The options include: completing a program at a technical college, a union apprenticeship, or independent training.

• Georgia Electrical License: Georgia has many requirements that must be met in order to become an electrician in the state, such as job shadowing, classroom education, and on-the-job training.

• Hawaii Electrical License: In Hawaii, journeymen are called “journey workers.” Aspiring electricians can either become a journey worker or a supervising electrician.

• Idaho Electrical License: Becoming an electrician in Idaho is similar to other states. Aspiring electricians begin as an apprentice and work their way up to become a journeyman. From there, you may further your career to become a master electrician or electrical contractor.

• Illinois Electrical License: Illinois electrical licensing requirements are quite different from other states. Electricians in Illinois technically do not need a license to work, they need only to work under a supervising electrician.  

• Indiana Electrical License: Indiana does not regulate electrical licensing on the state level. Rather, each county and municipality is able to enforce its own rules and regulations.

• Iowa Electrical License: Iowa holds reciprocity agreements with a dozen states for electricians looking to move to the state.

• Kansas Electrical License: Unlike most states, Kansas regulates electrical licenses at the county and city level.

• Kentucky Electrical License: Kentucky has three types of electrical licenses: the electrical contractor, the master electrician, and the electrician license.

• Louisiana Electrical License: In Louisiana, electricians must obtain an official contractor’s license in order to complete projects worth $50,000 or more.

• Maine Electrical License: Maine offers a senior electrician license for electricians who are 70 years or older, in addition to their other licenses.

• Maryland Electrical License: In Maryland, electrical licenses are administered by counties. Although regulations may differ in each county, the steps to becoming a licensed electrician are largely the same throughout the state.

• Massachusetts Electrical License: In Massachusetts, aspiring electricians can become a journeyman electrician, master electrician, systems technician, or a systems contractor.

• Michigan Electrical License: Michigan’s two main electrical licenses are journeyman and master electrician. The state also offers five specialty licenses, those being for: electrical contractor, fire alarm specialty technician, sign specialist, and sign specialty contractor.

• Minnesota Electrical License: Minnesota is another state that maintains several reciprocity agreements with other states.

• Mississippi Electrical License: In Mississippi, a commercial license is needed for all contractors and subcontractors performing work worth $50,000 or more.

• Missouri Electrical License: In Missouri, electricians can be licensed on either the state level or on the city/county level. Which licensing an electrician may choose depends on the scope of their practice.

• Montana Electrical License: Montana maintains several reciprocity agreements with other states, as well as endorsement agreements.

• Nebraska Electrical License: Electrical licenses in Nebraska are regulated at the state level through the Nebraska Electrical Division. In the state, homeowners are eligible to apply for their own temporary electrical license if they’re looking to perform their own work.

• Nevada Electrical License: Electricians in Nevada are considered specialty contractors. Some contractors must abide by county-specific requirements.

• New Hampshire Electrical License: New Hampshire offers three types of electrical licenses: journeyman, master electrician, and high/medium voltage electrician. The state offers reciprocity agreements with its neighboring states: Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine.

• New Jersey Electrical License: Electrical apprentices in New Jersey do not need a license to practice, rather they only need to be accepted into an approved program.

• New Mexico Electrical License: New Mexico offers several reciprocity agreements with other states, those being: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

• New York Electrical License: New York administers all electrical licenses on the city and county level.

• North Carolina Electrical License: North Carolina has three main classifications for electricians: unlimited, intermediate, and limited, as well as seven specialty classifications.

• North Dakota Electrical License: North Dakota offers three types of master electrician licenses: contracting master, master of record, and non-contracting master. All master electricians in the state must have completed at least 2,000 hours of experience as a journeyman.

• Ohio Electrical License: In Ohio, electrical licensing is administered at the local, city, or county level.

• Oklahoma Electrical License: Oklahoma maintains several reciprocity agreements with other states and entails a similar licensing process to most of the country.

• Oregon Electrical License: The highest electrical license available in Oregon is the supervising electrician license, which is essentially the same as a master electrician license.

• Pennsylvania Electrical License: In Pennsylvania, electrical licenses are administered on the city or county level.

• Rhode Island Electrical License: Electrical licensing in Rhode Island is regulated through the state’s Department of Labor and Training. Rhode Island entails a similar licensing process to many other states.

• South Carolina Electrical License: Electricians in South Carolina technically do not have to possess a license, but they are encouraged to obtain one.

• South Dakota Electrical License: Becoming an electrician in South Dakota entails a similar process to most other states. Aspiring electricians begin as an apprentice and work their way up to a journeyman.

• Tennessee Electrical License: In Tennessee, cities and counties have their own rules and regulations for electrical licenses, but the licenses are administered through the state’s Department of Commerce and Insurance.

• Texas Electrical License: There are several different subcategories for electricians, each possessing its own licensing requirements. Such subcategories include, but are not limited to: apprentice, journeyman, master electrician, maintenance electrician, and residential wireman.

• Utah Electrical License: In Utah, there are five levels of electrical licenses: apprentice, residential journeyman, journeyman, residential master electrician, and master electrician.

• Vermont Electrical License: Becoming an electrician in Vermont is a relatively straightforward and uniform process across the state, with most applicants beginning their apprenticeship at Vermont Technical College.

• Virginia Electrical License: The electrical licensing process in Virginia is similar to other states. Aspiring electricians start as an apprentice and work their way up to a journeyman and then to a master electrician.

• Washington D.C. Electrical License: Washington D.C. has its own unique requirements for electricians, just like any state in the U.S. In Washington D.C., electrical licensing is regulated by the Board of Industrial Trades (BIT), which operates under the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA).

• Washington State Electrical License: Becoming an electrician entails a similar process in Washington state as it does in many others. Prospecting electricians begin as an apprentice, completing training and experience hours to eventually become a journeyman and potentially a master electrician later on. Washington state does not have any reciprocity agreements.

• West Virginia Electrical License: The following electrical licenses are available in West Virginia: apprentice, journeyman, master electrician, and electrical contractor. Aspiring electricians must work their way up through the ranks.

• Wisconsin Electrical License: In Wisconsin, apprenticeship committees enforce their own rules and regulations regarding electrical licenses. Although the licenses themselves are administered through the state, prospecting electricians should be sure to read about their apprentice committee’s requirements.

• Wyoming Electrical License: Electrical licenses are administered at the state level in Wyoming, through the Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety.