Massachusetts Electrician License Requirements (2026)

The Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians licenses Journeyman Electricians (Certificate B) and Master Electricians (Certificate A) under M.G.L. c. 141 and 237 CMR. A Journeyman applicant needs 8,000 hours over at least four years under a Massachusetts-licensed Journeyman, 600 hours of Board-approved education, and the required code-update course. A Master applicant must hold a Massachusetts Journeyman license, document at least one year of qualifying work, and complete 150 hours of Board-approved Master education. PSI processes individual applications and administers examinations. A business entity doing electrical work needs the Board’s business license and a Massachusetts-licensed Master as Licensee of Record; an individual can work in the individual’s own name.

Regulatory Body

Licensing for this trade is governed by Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians (BSEE), the agency that issues and regulates the credential under M.G.L. c. 141; 237 CMR; 527 CMR 12.00. The Board licenses individual electricians and electrical/systems businesses, sets eligibility rules, and contracts with PSI for application processing and examinations.

Official portal: https://www.mass.gov/board-of-state-examiners-of-electricians-licensing
Address: One Federal Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02110-2012
Phone: (617) 701-8786

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. Massachusetts has a formal reciprocity agreement only with New Hampshire, subject to the Board’s stated conditions. Other out-of-state applicants must use the Board’s examination and documentation process.

Good moral character

Follow the Board’s current application, CORI, and documentation instructions. The Board reviews the application materials required by its regulations.

Background investigation

A signed and notarized DOL CORI form is on the Board’s current individual-license application checklist.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 4 years of Journeyman: 8,000 clock hours over no fewer than four years under the direct supervision of a Massachusetts-licensed Journeyman Electrician. Master: at least one year as a Massachusetts-licensed Journeyman while actively engaged in electrical work., and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Board/PSI work-experience form showing dates, total hours, employer information, and supervising Massachusetts license number
Board-approved school documentation for required education
Notarized DOL CORI form and other current checklist items

Education substitution

For Journeyman examination eligibility, complete 600 hours of Board-approved education and the required 15-hour code-update class. For Master examination eligibility, complete 150 hours of Board-approved Master education. Out-of-state education or experience is evaluated under 237 CMR; do not assume automatic credit.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI, under contract with the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Journeyman Electrician — Part 1 — 70 questions, 180 minutes, passing score 70%
Journeyman Electrician — Part 2 (applied portion) — 30 questions, 60 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: Journeyman application and both examination portions total $226; Master totals $276. These totals include PSI processing, trade, business/practical, and Massachusetts application charges, but not the original license fee.

Retake policy: Each examination has two parts, and 237 CMR 14.00 requires at least 70% on each part. An applicant has 12 months from approval to pass a failed part and ordinarily may not sit more than three times without completing the regulation’s additional-education requirements. The Board lists $135 to retake both portions; follow the current PSI candidate bulletin for scheduling.

Insurance and Bonds

No license surety bond is mandated statewide here under the cited sources, though project-specific or public-works bonding obligations can still attach to a given job.

General liability

The individual license materials do not state a general statewide liability minimum. LLCs and LLPs that operate Board-licensed electrical businesses have the separate professional-liability requirements in 237 CMR 23.00.

Workers' compensation

Workers’ compensation is a separate Massachusetts employer obligation. Sole proprietors, LLC members, and LLP partners are not required to insure themselves, but employers should check the Commonwealth’s current coverage rules for their workforce.

Additional financial requirements

A business entity must have a Massachusetts-licensed Master (or Systems Contractor for systems work) as Licensee of Record. The Board’s business-license application requires LLCs and LLPs to provide the required limited-liability insurance certificate.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$226
Initial license	$104
Renewal (every 3 years)	$78

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Massachusetts electrician.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician (Certificate B) and Master Electrician (Certificate A) runs on a 3 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $78. Renewal is due July 31. The published fee is $78 for Journeymen and $117 for Masters; this guide’s table uses the Journeyman amount.

Continuing education: Licensees generally complete 21 hours in the three years before renewal: 15 hours of Board-approved education on the Code, business, law, and related topics, plus 6 hours of eligible professional development. See 237 CMR 17.00 for exceptions and details.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Massachusetts Electrician License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

For this classification, Massachusetts does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
New Hampshire	Journeyman and Master only	The New Hampshire license must have been obtained by passing an exam in New Hampshire; licenses obtained there by reciprocity or endorsement do not qualify for Massachusetts reciprocity.

Massachusetts states that it has reciprocity only with New Hampshire. Reciprocity does not extend to electrical business licenses.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Electrician license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Electrician Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Massachusetts's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Connecticut Electrician License Requirements — Connecticut E-2 Journeyperson Electrician and E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor
New Hampshire Electrician License Requirements — New Hampshire Master Electrician License
New York Electrician License Requirements — New York Electrician Requirements — Local Licensing; NYC Master/Special Electrician Example
Rhode Island Electrician License Requirements — Rhode Island Electrical Contractor Class A / Journeyperson Electrician Class B
Vermont Electrician License Requirements — Vermont Master Electrician License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Choose the individual credential. Start with Journeyman eligibility unless you qualify for the Board’s specific reciprocity pathway. Master applicants must first have a Massachusetts Journeyman license.
Complete Journeyman education and experience. Complete 600 Board-approved education hours, the 15-hour code-update course, and 8,000 supervised hours over at least four years.
Apply to PSI. Since June 1, 2025, individual examination applications are submitted online to PSI. Include the forms and documentation on the current Board checklist.
Pass the Journeyman examination. PSI administers the Board’s examination. Use the current candidate information bulletin for the portions, references, score, scheduling, and examination rules.
Meet Master prerequisites. Hold the Massachusetts Journeyman license for at least one year while actively engaged in electrical work and complete the 150-hour Board-approved Master course.
Apply for and pass the Master examination. Submit the Master application through PSI and follow the current candidate bulletin.
License the business when applicable. A business entity doing electrical work needs a Board business license with a Massachusetts-licensed Master as Licensee of Record. The Board lists a $221 business-license application fee, plus any vendor fee.

Application Checklist

Have each of the following squared away before the packet goes to BSEE:

Board-approved education records: 600 hours for Journeyman or 150 hours for Master
15-hour code-update completion certificate
Work-experience documentation with the supervising Massachusetts licensee information
Signed and notarized DOL CORI form
Current PSI application and required payment
Massachusetts Journeyman license and one year of qualifying work before applying for Master
Board business-license application if operating through a business entity

Common Filing Mistakes

These are the recurring mistakes that most often delay or reject a Massachusetts Electrician application, based on the official instructions cited here.

Using an outdated exam process

PSI, not an in-house Board sitting, now processes individual applications and administers the examination. Check the current candidate bulletin before scheduling.

Stopping at the 8,000 hours

Journeyman eligibility also requires 600 hours of Board-approved education and the current code-update course.

Applying for Master without the Master course

Master eligibility requires both at least one year as a Massachusetts Journeyman and 150 hours of Board-approved Master education.

Assuming regional reciprocity

Massachusetts identifies New Hampshire as its only reciprocity partner and applies conditions to the New Hampshire credential.

Operating a company without the business credential

An entity doing electrical work needs a Board business license and a qualified Massachusetts Licensee of Record.

Study and Reference Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

Board/PSI Candidate Information Bulletin — Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians / PSI. Use the current bulletin for test portions, references, scheduling, and examination conditions.
Massachusetts Electrical Code (527 CMR 12.00) — Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Board’s education and examination materials identify Massachusetts electrical-code content as required study.
237 CMR 13.00 and 17.00 — Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Primary requirements for initial eligibility and continuing education.

Other Massachusetts Trade Licenses

Looking at a different trade? CLR also publishes these Massachusetts licensing guides:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Massachusetts Journeyman and Master Electrician?

A Journeyman (Certificate B) qualifies after the 8,000-hour and education route. A Master (Certificate A) must first hold the Massachusetts Journeyman license, have at least one year of qualifying work, complete 150 hours of Master education, and pass the Master examination.

How many hours are required for a Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician?

The Board requires 8,000 clock hours over at least four years under direct supervision of a Massachusetts-licensed Journeyman Electrician, along with 600 hours of Board-approved education and the code-update course.

Who administers the Massachusetts electrician examination?

PSI processes individual applications and administers the examinations for the Board. Applications have been submitted to PSI online since June 1, 2025.

Which states have electrician reciprocity with Massachusetts?

The Board states that it has reciprocity only with New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Journeyman or Master license must have been gained by examination there, not by reciprocity or endorsement.

How often does an electrician license renew?

The Board renews licenses every three years. Master renewal is $117; Journeyman renewal is $78. Licensees generally need 21 hours of continuing education during the three-year period before renewal.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.