Vermont Master Electrician License Requirements (2026)

The Vermont Electricians' Licensing Board, administered by the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), licenses individual electricians statewide under 26 V.S.A. Chapter 15. Vermont issues four primary tiers — Apprentice (registered while learning under a licensed electrician), Journeyman (independent installer working under a Master), Master (authorized to design, supervise, and contract for electrical work), and Type S restricted licenses for specialized scopes such as appliance installation, sign work, and limited-energy systems. Vermont enforces the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) as adopted by the Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety. Every electrical installation requires a state electrical permit and inspection except in municipalities with their own approved inspection program.

Regulatory Oversight

Under 26 V.S.A. (Professions and Occupations); Vermont Act 21 of 2019 (Residential Contractor Registration); Administrative Rules of the Electricians and Plumbers Licensing Boards, Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) is the body that issues this license and enforces compliance with it. The Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, housed within the Secretary of State, administers the Residential Contractor Registration program and supports the Electricians' Licensing Board and the Plumbers' Licensing Board, which set examination, experience, and discipline rules for the licensed trades.

Official portal: https://sos.vermont.gov/opr/
Address: 89 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Montpelier, VT 05620-3402
Phone: (802) 828-2363

Who May Apply

At a minimum the applicant has to be 18 years old and supply a valid Social Security Number. No Vermont residency requirement.

Good moral character

OPR may deny, condition, or revoke a license for unprofessional conduct under 3 V.S.A. § 129a.

Background investigation

Disclosure of prior license discipline and trade-related criminal convictions is required on the application.

Required Experience and Education

Eligibility requires 4 years of Journeyman: 8,000 hours (approximately 4 years) of qualifying experience as a registered apprentice under a licensed Master Electrician. Master: an additional 2,000 hours (approximately 1 year) of journey-level experience after passing the journeyman exam. Type S restricted licenses require experience scoped to the specific category., documented and independently verifiable. Payroll, tax, project, and supervisor records are the usual proof the board will accept.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

OPR Apprentice Registration on file for the entire qualifying period
Hour logs and W-2/1099 records signed by the supervising Master Electrician
Approved electrical apprenticeship program completion certificate (where applicable)

Education substitution

Hours from an approved electrical apprenticeship or accredited electrical technology program may count toward the 8,000-hour journeyman requirement under Electricians' Licensing Board rules.

Examination Requirements

The licensing examination is delivered by Prometric (under contract to OPR / Vermont Electricians' Licensing Board). All of the following parts must be cleared prior to issuance:

Vermont Journeyman Electrician Examination — National Electrical Code, Vermont rules — 80 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 70%
Vermont Master Electrician Examination — NEC, theory, business and law (taken after the journeyman license is held) — 100 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: Examination fee set by Prometric and posted in the current OPR fee schedule.

Retake policy: Failed examinations may be re-taken under OPR scheduling rules. Each application remains valid for one year.

Insurance and Financial Requirements

This credential carries no state-level surety bond requirement under the cited sources. Individual jobs may still trigger a permit or public-works bond, which should be verified before bidding.

General liability

OPR does not impose a state-level general liability minimum on individual electrician licenses. Most owners and general contractors contractually require $1,000,000/$2,000,000.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation insurance is required under 21 V.S.A. Chapter 9 for any business with employees in Vermont.

Additional financial requirements

No financial statement requirement for individual electrician licenses.

Licensing Fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$100
Examination	$100
Initial license	$220
Renewal (every 2 years)	$220

Keeping the License Current

Renewal of the Vermont Master Electrician (Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and Type S restricted) comes due every 2 years. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $220. Vermont electrician licenses renew every two years on the schedule set by the Electricians' Licensing Board.

Continuing education: Continuing education in the NEC and code updates as required by the Vermont Electricians' Licensing Board for each two-year renewal cycle.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity and License Transfer

The NASCLA Accredited Examination is not accepted by Vermont for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
New Hampshire	Reviewed individually	OPR may accept an active New Hampshire Master Electrician license under endorsement after verification.
Maine	Reviewed individually	OPR may accept an active Maine Master Electrician license under endorsement after verification.

Vermont evaluates out-of-state Master Electrician licenses on a case-by-case basis under its endorsement process. Active licensure in good standing in a state with substantially equivalent requirements is the typical path.

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

Application Process, Step by Step

Register as an Apprentice Electrician. File an OPR Apprentice Electrician registration before starting work under a licensed Master.
Log 8,000 hours of qualifying experience. Approximately four years under a Master Electrician. Hours must be tracked and signed by the supervising Master.
Pass the Vermont Journeyman Electrician examination. Score 70% or better on the Prometric NEC and Vermont rules exam.
Work as a Journeyman for at least 2,000 hours. Approximately one additional year of journey-level experience is required to qualify for the Master exam.
Pass the Vermont Master Electrician examination. Score 70% or better on the Master Electrician exam covering NEC, theory, and business and law.
Receive the Master Electrician license. OPR issues the Master license. The Master may design, supervise, contract for, and pull permits on electrical work statewide.

Document Checklist

The items below are the ones worth confirming before the application is filed with OPR:

☐ OPR Apprentice Electrician registration filed before starting work
☐ 8,000 hours of qualifying experience signed by a Master Electrician
☐ Vermont Journeyman exam pass certificate at 70%+
☐ 2,000 additional journey-level hours for Master eligibility
☐ Vermont Master exam pass certificate at 70%+
☐ OPR Master Electrician application with fee
☐ Workers compensation certificate for any business with employees

Recommended References

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), Vermont-adopted edition — National Fire Protection Association. Primary technical reference. Open-book at the Prometric test center.
Vermont Electricians' Licensing Board Administrative Rules — Vermont Office of Professional Regulation. Vermont-specific licensing law and scope rules.
Tom Henry or Mike Holt Master Electrician Exam Prep — Trade publishers. Widely used for NEC calculation problems.

Frequent Application Errors

Drawn from the board instructions and sources cited on this page, the pitfalls below are the ones most likely to slow down or sink a Vermont Electrician application.

Working without an Apprentice registration

Vermont requires the Apprentice registration to be on file before starting work. Hours logged before registration do not count toward the journeyman requirement.

Skipping the journeyman step

Vermont enforces a strict apprentice → journeyman → master sequence. Direct entry to Master is not allowed.

Studying the wrong NEC edition

Vermont adopts the NEC on a delayed cycle. Confirm the current adopted edition with the Division of Fire Safety before scheduling.

Pulling permits without a Master

Only Master Electricians may pull state electrical permits and supervise work. Journeymen and apprentices cannot pull permits in their own name.

Missing continuing education

Renewal is contingent on Board-required CE. Missing CE blocks renewal and lapses the license.

Other Vermont Trade Licenses

CLR covers other Vermont trades as well — the published guides below may be more relevant:

Questions Applicants Ask

What are the Vermont electrician license tiers?

Apprentice (registered while learning), Journeyman (independent installer under a Master), Master (full authority including contracting and supervision), and Type S restricted licenses for specialized scopes.

How many hours does Vermont require to become a Journeyman Electrician?

8,000 hours (approximately four years) of qualifying apprentice experience under a licensed Master Electrician, plus passing the Journeyman examination.

What is a Type S restricted license?

Type S licenses authorize a narrow scope of electrical work — for example, appliance installation, signs, or limited-energy systems — with reduced experience requirements scoped to that category.

What electrical code does Vermont use?

Vermont enforces the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) as adopted by the Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety. Confirm the current adopted edition before testing.

How often do Vermont electrician licenses renew?

Every two years. Renewal requires Board-approved continuing education in the NEC and code updates.

Primary Sources

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

Verified 2026-04-19 · Next scheduled review 2026-07-18