Electrician License Requirements by State
Installs, maintains, and repairs electrical systems. This page currently compares 49 of 51 jurisdictions published jurisdictions for electrician contractors while the remaining states are still being researched and drafted. Every row links to the verified state page with statute citations, fees, exam scope, insurance, and renewal rules.
- Published guides
- 49
- Require trade exam
- 49
- Require surety bond
- 17
- Local / municipal
- 17
- Avg published experience
- 4.4 yr
Comparison table — 49 of 51 jurisdictions
Scroll horizontally on smaller screens. Use the sort control to compare low-fee states, high-bond states, or the jurisdictions with the heaviest published experience requirements. Click any state to open the verified license page.
17 of these published jurisdictions rely on local or municipal licensing instead of a single statewide credential.
| State | License | Exam | Experience | Bond | Initial fee | Renewal | NASCLA | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Master Electrician (and Electrical Contractor License) | Yes | 7 yr | — | $150 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Alaska Local / municipal | Alaska Electrical Administrator Certificate of Fitness | Yes | 4 yr | $10,000 | $200 | 2 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to issued certificate |
| Arizona | Arizona Electrical Contractor (C-11, CR-11, or L-11) | Yes | 4 yr | $4,250 | $480 | 2 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Master Electrician / Journeyman Electrician | Yes | 2 yr | — | $80 | 1 yr | — | 45 – 90 days from application to wallet card |
| California | California Class C-10 — Electrical Contractor | Yes | 4 yr | $25,000 | $200 | 2 yr | — | 5 – 7 months (including DIR certification scheduling) |
| Colorado | Colorado Master Electrician (and Electrical Contractor Registration) | Yes | 6 yr | — | $92 | 3 yr | — | 6 – 8 years end to end (apprentice through master) |
| Connecticut | Connecticut E-2 Journeyperson Electrician and E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor | Yes | 4 yr | — | $150 | 1 yr | — | 4 years apprenticeship + 60–120 days application processing |
| Delaware | Delaware Master Electrician (Board of Electrical Examiners) | Yes | 7 yr | — | $157 | 2 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to license issuance |
| District of Columbia Local / municipal | DC Master Electrician (and Journey Electrician) | Yes | 7 yr | — | $230 | 2 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Florida Local / municipal | Florida Certified Electrical Contractor (EC) | Yes | 6 yr | — | $0 | 2 yr | — | 3 – 6 months from application to wallet card |
| Georgia | Georgia Electrical Contractor (Class I or Class II) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $200 | 2 yr | — | 90 – 180 days from application to wallet card |
| Hawaii | Hawaii C-13 Electrical Contractor and Supervising Electrician | Yes | 4 yr | $5,000 | $351 | 3 yr | — | — |
| Idaho | Idaho Journeyman and Master Electrician License | Yes | 4 yr | — | $60 | 1 yr | — | 4 years apprentice to journeyman; 6+ years to master |
| Indiana Local / municipal | Indiana Electrician (Municipal — No State License) | Yes | 4 yr | $5,000 | $200 | 1 yr | — | 4 – 6 years from apprenticeship entry to Master Electrician credential |
| Iowa | Iowa Class A Master Electrician (and Electrical Contractor) | Yes | 1 yr | — | $150 | 3 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Kansas Local / municipal | Kansas Electrician (Municipal — Wichita, Overland Park, KCK, Topeka) | Yes | 4 yr | $5,000 | $200 | 1 yr | — | 4 – 12 weeks per municipality including exam scheduling |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Master Electrician (and Electrical Contractor) | Yes | 6 yr | $5,000 | $250 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Louisiana Local / municipal | Louisiana Electrical Work Specialty Contractor (LSLBC) | Yes | 5 yr | — | $100 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to license issuance at the next Board meeting |
| Maine | Maine Master Electrician (Helper, Apprentice, Journeyman, Limited, and Master classes) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $125 | 1 yr | — | 45 – 90 days from application to wallet card after exam pass |
| Maryland Local / municipal | Maryland Master Electrician | Yes | 7 yr | — | $37 | 2 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Master Electrician (Class A) and Journeyman Electrician (Class B) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $117 | 3 yr | — | 4 – 5 years from apprentice to Journeyman; one additional year minimum to Master |
| Michigan | Michigan Master Electrician (and Electrical Contractor) | Yes | 6 yr | — | $110 | 3 yr | — | 4 – 6 years total (apprenticeship + journeyman experience) |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Master Electrician (and Electrical Contractor) | Yes | 4 yr | $25,000 | $100 | 2 yr | — | 4 – 5 years (apprenticeship through Master) |
| Mississippi Local / municipal | Mississippi Electrician — No State License (Municipal Only) / MSBOC Electrical Classification | Yes | 4 yr | — | $200 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to credential |
| Missouri Local / municipal | Missouri Electrician (Municipal — Kansas City Master Electrician + St. Louis County Electrical Contractor) | Yes | 5 yr | $25,000 | $300 | 1 yr | — | 90 – 180 days from application to active business license per jurisdiction |
| Montana | Montana Master Electrician / Journeyman Electrician | Yes | 4 yr | — | $120 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to license card |
| Nebraska Local / municipal | Nebraska Electrical Contractor (Class A / Class B) and Master / Journeyman Electrician | Yes | 4 yr | — | $200 | 3 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Nevada Local / municipal | Nevada C-2 Electrical Contractor | Yes | 4 yr | $15,000 | $600 | 2 yr | — | 90 – 150 days from application to issued license |
| New Hampshire Local / municipal | New Hampshire Master Electrician (Apprentice, Journeyman, Master) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $150 | 3 yr | — | 4 – 6 years for the full Apprentice → Journeyman → Master path |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Electrical Contractor License (with Qualified Journeyman Electrician) | Yes | 5 yr | $1,000 | $250 | 3 yr | — | 120 – 240 days from application approval to business license issuance |
| New Mexico | New Mexico EE-98 Electrical Contractor (and ER-1 Journeyman) | Yes | 4 yr | $10,000 | $360 | 3 yr | — | 45 – 90 days from application to ER-1 card; longer for EE-98 |
| New York Local / municipal | New York City Master Electrician License | Yes | 7 yr | $25,000 | $50 | 3 yr | — | 6 – 12 months including supervisor affidavit collection |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Electrical Contractor (Limited, Intermediate, or Unlimited) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $100 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, or Class B Master Electrician | Yes | 4 yr | — | $100 | 1 yr | — | 30 – 90 days from application to wallet card |
| Ohio Local / municipal | Ohio Electrical Contractor (OCILB Commercial License) | Yes | 5 yr | $25,000 | $360 | 1 yr | — | 90 – 150 days from application to wallet card |
| Oklahoma Local / municipal | Oklahoma Journeyman Electrician and Unlimited Electrical Contractor | Yes | 4 yr | $5,000 | $150 | 3 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Oregon | Oregon General Journeyman Electrician (Class A) and General Supervising Electrician | Yes | 4 yr | — | $100 | 3 yr | — | 4 years (apprenticeship) + 30 – 90 days (exam to wallet card) |
| Pennsylvania Local / municipal | Pennsylvania Electrician (Municipal Licensing — No State License) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $250 | 1 yr | — | 30 – 120 days per municipality from application to license issuance |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Electrician License (Class A/B Journeyperson and Master) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $120 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 90 days from application to wallet card after passing the exam |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Electrical Contractor License (SCMCB) | Yes | 3 yr | — | $200 | 2 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Electrical Contractor (Class A or B), Inside Wireman, and Journeyman Electrician | Yes | 4 yr | — | $150 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Tennessee | Tennessee CE Electrical Contractor (LLE Limited Licensed Electrician for projects under $25,000) | Yes | 3 yr | — | $250 | 2 yr | — | 90 – 150 days from application to wallet card |
| Texas | Texas Master Electrician License | Yes | 6 yr | — | $0 | 1 yr | — | 8 – 12 weeks after the 12,000-hour threshold is met |
| Utah | Utah Master Electrician (and Journeyman Electrician) | Yes | 6 yr | $50,000 | $100 | 2 yr | — | — |
| Vermont Local / municipal | Vermont Master Electrician (Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and Type S restricted) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $220 | 2 yr | — | Approximately 5 years from apprentice registration to Master license |
| Virginia | Virginia Master Electrician (and ELE Specialty Contractor) | Yes | 1 yr | — | $130 | 3 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Washington | Washington Electrical Administrator and (01) General Journey Electrician | Yes | 4 yr | $4,000 | $117 | 3 yr | — | 30 – 90 days from application to wallet card |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Master Electrician (and Journeyman Electrician) | Yes | 4 yr | — | $75 | 1 yr | — | 60 – 120 days from application to wallet card |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor | Yes | 5 yr | — | $100 | 4 yr | — | 5 – 6 years from apprentice to Master Electrician credential |
National picture for electrician contractors
Of the 49 jurisdictions currently published in this dataset, 49 require a trade examination administered by PSI, Prometric, NASCLA, Pearson VUE, ICC, or the state board directly. 17 require an explicit surety bond filed with the regulator before the license issues, and 0 accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination as a path toward reciprocal licensure for this line of work. Where the regulator publishes a numeric threshold, the average documented experience requirement is 4.4 years.
The comparison above is generated at build time directly from the state license entries on this site. Every value is traceable to the regulator's published rule. If you spot a discrepancy, the state page is the source of truth and will be re-verified against the official source set.
Choosing where to license first
- Lowest barrier to entry: sort by initial fee and look closely at rows where Exam = No or the state is marked Local / municipal.
- Strongest reciprocity downstream: states marked NASCLA Accepted, because the same exam can unlock multiple jurisdictions later.
- Lowest upfront cost: focus on combinations with the smallest initial fee and no bond requirement.
- Fastest path to wallet card: compare the Time column, but remember that municipal programs can still involve multiple city registrations.
Related reading
Original cross-state analyses from our dataset that add context to the electrician contractors table above — who runs the exams, where the burden is heaviest, and what a criminal record means for eligibility.
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The Contractor Licensing Atlas
What mapping 586 licenses revealed about exam providers, bonds, and where a trade needs no state license at all.
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Contractor license difficulty index
Where each state ranks on exam, experience, and bond burden — hardest to easiest.
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License costs ranked by state
Cheapest to most expensive states once fees, bond, and first-year insurance are counted.
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Licensing with a criminal record
A 50-state look at background checks and which convictions actually block a license.
All data verified from the issuing state board's published rules. Last full pass: 2026-Q2.