Rhode Island Electrician License Requirements

Rhode Island licenses electricians statewide through the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) Board of Examiners of Electricians. Class A is the Electrical Contractor license, held by the person, firm, or corporation engaging in electrical contracting; Class B is the Journeyperson Electrician license. They are not two unrestricted individual “master/journeyperson” tiers. A Class B holder ordinarily works as an employee of a Class A contractor, while a Class A contractor employs journeypersons to perform the work. Local jurisdictions still issue permits and enforce local electrical requirements.

Regulatory Body

Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training — Board of Examiners of Electricians (DLT) administers the credential or scope-specific rules discussed here under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-6; 260-RICR-30-15-7. Whether that pathway applies depends on the work scope and conditions explained below. DLT and the Board of Examiners of Electricians issue and renew statewide electrical licenses, approve applicants for examinations, administer the licensing rules, and enforce the electrical-licensing law.

Official portal: https://dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/professional-regulation
Address: 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: (401) 462-8580

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 21 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The current DLT application requests a Social Security number and provides a path for applicants with valid out-of-state trade licenses and official verification. The Board’s active rule permits qualifying out-of-state licensees to take the Rhode Island journeyperson examination; it does not publish a blanket residency requirement.

Good moral character

Applicants sign and notarize the DLT application. False statements about experience or qualifications are subject to the penalties in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-6.

Background investigation

DLT’s current electrician application requires identity, notarization, work history, education, and license information. It does not list a general criminal-background-check prerequisite on its published instructions.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 6 years of The Class B Journeyperson path requires at least 8,000 hours over no fewer than four years as a registered apprentice, plus 144 hours of related instruction each year in a DLT-approved registered apprenticeship. To take the Class A Electrical Contractor examination, an applicant needs at least 12,000 hours (six years) of relevant experience and must have held Rhode Island Class B for two years., 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

Registered-apprentice record and employer affidavit or other satisfactory proof of 8,000 hours for Class B
Notarized employer letter describing work-related experience
576 hours of DLT-approved related instruction for the Class B path
Class B license held for two years and proof of 12,000 hours for the Class A examination
Valid out-of-state trade license and official license verification, if using the out-of-state applicant path

Education substitution

Approved vocational or trade-school training can receive limited classroom credit under the apprenticeship statute, but it does not eliminate the required registered-apprenticeship experience for the ordinary Class B path.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Rhode Island DLT Division of Professional Regulation / Board of 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:

Class B Journeyperson or Class A Electrical Contractor written examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 70%

Examination fee: $75 nonrefundable application-processing fee for an examination. After a score of 70 or higher, DLT invoices the applicable two-year license fee.

Retake policy: DLT’s current website provides a retest process, but the published application instructions do not state a universal waiting period or number of attempts. Follow the current retest instructions and submit the required fee.

Insurance and Bonds

No statewide contractor license surety bond is required for this credential in the cited sources. Project-specific, permit, or public-works bonds may still apply, so confirm bonding before bidding a given job.

General liability

A state-licensed electrician or business working within the electrical license is exempt from RICRLB registration but not from R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-7 insurance. Maintain at least $500,000 combined single-limit public liability and property-damage insurance; the licensing agency must keep a valid certificate as a condition of the license.

Workers' compensation

Maintain workers’ compensation insurance as required by Rhode Island law. Electrical contractors must also meet the applicable insurance condition for their state trade license.

Additional financial requirements

The current DLT electrician application, Chapter 5-6, and active Board rule do not list a financial-statement or blanket surety-bond requirement for Class A or Class B.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$75
Initial license	$240
Renewal (every 2 years)	$240

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 Rhode Island electrician.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Rhode Island Electrical Contractor Class A / Journeyperson Electrician Class B runs on a 2 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $240. Renewal is on the birthday of the individual who qualifies for the certificate or license. The two-year renewal fee equals the applicable license fee: $240 for Class A and $72 for Class B. Delinquent licenses incur a $12 monthly administrative assessment; after two years without renewal the license is forfeited.

Continuing education: Class A and Class B licensees complete at least 15 clock hours of Board-approved continuing education as a condition of renewal. The current statute and rule limit this CE obligation to Class A and B and require coverage of the adopted NEC and ICC national codes.

Reciprocity

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

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

The current rule provides an out-of-state route, not a published reciprocal-license waiver: a qualified out-of-state contractor or journeyperson may take the Rhode Island Class B examination. To take the Class A examination, the applicant must then hold Rhode Island Class B for two years and document 12,000 hours. Confirm any individual qualification with DLT.

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 Rhode Island'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
Massachusetts Electrician License Requirements — Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician (Certificate B) and Master Electrician (Certificate A)

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Choose the credential. Class B is the statewide Journeyperson license. Class A is the Electrical Contractor license for contracting work; do not treat them as the same individual tier.
Register as an apprentice. Register with DLT immediately upon employment with a properly licensed electrical contractor and work under the required supervision.
Complete the Class B prerequisites. Document 8,000 apprentice hours over at least four years and 144 hours of related instruction per year in the approved program.
Apply for and pass Class B. File the notarized DLT application, employer documentation, and $75 processing fee. The Board requires a written examination and a score of at least 70.
Build the Class A qualifications. Accumulate at least 12,000 hours of relevant experience and maintain Rhode Island Class B for two years.
Apply for and pass Class A. Pass the Class A Electrical Contractor examination, then pay the $240 two-year Class A license fee. A corporation needs the qualifying Class A officer and the applicable corporate certificate.
Renew and obtain local permits. Renew for two-year terms on the qualifying individual’s birthday, complete the required 15 hours of CE for Class A or B, and comply with municipal permit and inspection rules.

Application Checklist

Before submitting to DLT, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

DLT Class B or Class A application and $75 processing fee
Government-issued identification and notarized application
Notarized employer letter and work-history evidence
For Class B: DLT registered-apprentice record, 8,000 hours, and required related instruction
For Class A: 12,000 hours and Rhode Island Class B held for two years
Passing written examination score of at least 70
Two-year license fee: $240 Class A or $72 Class B
$500,000 combined-single-limit liability/property-damage insurance
Local permits and inspections for the project jurisdiction

Common Filing Mistakes

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a Rhode Island Electrician application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Reversing the Class A and Class B roles

Class A is the Electrical Contractor license; Class B is the Journeyperson license. The prior “Class A journeyperson/Class B master” framing is incorrect.

Skipping apprentice registration

The statute requires apprentice registration immediately upon employment with a properly licensed contractor, and the Class B path requires registered-apprentice evidence.

Using four years as the Class A requirement

Four years/8,000 hours is the Class B path. Class A requires six years/12,000 hours plus two years holding Rhode Island Class B.

Missing the insurance obligation because of the RICRLB exemption

A licensed electrical business working within its trade license is exempt from contractor registration, not from the statutory insurance requirement.

Treating the state license as the only project approval

Rhode Island law still requires compliance with city or town electrical rules, permits, and inspections where applicable.

Study and Reference Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

Rhode Island DLT electrician application and instructions — Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. Current experience, instruction, application, examination, and fee information for Class A and Class B.
R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-6 — Rhode Island General Assembly. Primary statute for Class A contractor, Class B journeyperson, apprenticeship, fees, renewal, CE, scope, advertising, and local rules.
Board of Examiners of Electricians rule — Rhode Island Department of State. Active DLT rule on license types, examinations, passing score, Class A/Class B qualifications, renewal, and CE.

Other Rhode Island Trade Licenses

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Rhode Island Class A and Class B?

Class A is the Electrical Contractor license. Class B is the Journeyperson Electrician license. A Class B holder is generally restricted to working as an employee of a Class A, C, or D license holder unless separately registered as an electrical contractor and holding the needed certificate.

How do I qualify for Rhode Island Class B Journeyperson?

The ordinary registered-apprentice path is at least 8,000 hours over at least four years, 144 related-instruction hours per year, and a passing Class B examination score. The statute and current DLT application set out documentation and certain alternate/out-of-state evidence routes.

How do I qualify for Class A Electrical Contractor?

DLT’s active rule requires at least 12,000 hours (six years) of experience and Rhode Island Class B held for two years before the Class A examination. Class A applicants must be at least 21.

Is Rhode Island electrician licensing annual?

No. Chapter 5-6 provides two-year terms renewing on the birthday of the individual who qualifies for the certificate or license. A license not renewed within two years after expiration is forfeited and requires a new examination application.

How much continuing education is required?

Class A and Class B electricians need at least 15 clock hours of Board-approved continuing education for renewal. The coursework includes the currently adopted NEC and ICC national codes.

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.