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Electrician — License Requirements by State
Installs and repairs electrical systems. Journeyman licenses are issued by state or municipal boards; most require an apprenticeship and a state exam.
12 of 51 states populated with official data (retrieved 2026-08-20).
By The LicenseFig Editorial Team · independent editorial research project
How to get your Electrician license
- Check your state requirements. Open the requirements table for your state on this page — education hours, exam vendor, fees and retake rules.
- Complete pre-license education. Finish the required education hours (or approved equivalent) from an accepted provider.
- Pass the background check. Submit fingerprints and clear the required criminal background check where applicable.
- Register and pass the exam. Register with the exam vendor (PSI, Pearson VUE or Prometric), then pass the national and state portions.
- Pay the license fee. Submit the application and license fee to the state board to receive your license.
- Keep it active. Track renewal dates and continuing-education hours using the License Renewal Calculator.
How much does it cost to get your Electrician license?
Costs vary by state. Most charge a modest application or license fee — often between $0 and $120 — and a handful of states also require a small exam fee. A few occupations add pre-license education tuition. See the Fees column in the table below for your state, then compare costs across states with the Exam Cost Compare tool.
| State | Education | Exam | Pass % | Fees | Retake | Reciprocity | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AK | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AZ | — | — | — | — | — | No state journeyman license — AZ licenses electrical contracting businesses (C-11 commercial / CR-11 residential / L-11 dual) via the Registrar of Contractors; some cities (Phoenix, Tucson) require local journeyman cards | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) ↗ |
| AR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CA | 720 hrs | 100N · 70% · $100 | — | App $75 | 60 days after a failed exam | No formal reciprocity — CA issues certifications (not licenses) via DIR/DLSE; out-of-state hours/certifications are reviewed individually | California Department of Industrial Relations — Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Electrician Certification Unit ↗ |
| CO | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FL | — | — | — | — | — | No state-level journeyman license — FL licenses electrical CONTRACTORS only (Certified EC statewide / Registered ER local) via the ECLB/DBPR; several counties (e.g. Miami-Dade, Broward) issue local journeyman licenses | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) — Electrical Contractors Licensing Board ↗ |
| GA | — | — | — | — | — | No state-level journeyman license — GA licenses electrical CONTRACTORS (Class I restricted / Class II unrestricted) via the Construction Industry Licensing Board; individual electricians work under a contractor license | Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) — Division of Electrical Contractors ↗ |
| HI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ID | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IL | — | — | — | — | — | No state license — electrician licensing is municipal in Illinois (Chicago Department of Buildings; other municipalities vary); there is no statewide board, exam or license | City of Chicago Department of Buildings (no state-level electrician license in Illinois) ↗ |
| IN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KS | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ME | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MI | — | · 75% · $100 | — | · Lic $40 | — | No — Michigan does not hold reciprocity with any other state (per LARA) | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) — Bureau of Construction Codes, Electrical Administrative Board ↗ |
| MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MS | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MO | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NH | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NM | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NY | — | — | — | — | — | No state license — electrician licensing is local in New York (NYC DOB Master/Special Electrician; upstate cities and counties license separately) | New York City Department of Buildings (licensing is at the local, not state, level) ↗ |
| NC | — | — | — | — | — | Contractor-based licensing — the NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors licenses electrical contracting businesses (Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited); no state-issued journeyman license | North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors ↗ |
| ND | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OH | — | — | — | — | — | No state journeyman license — OCILB licenses electrical CONTRACTORS (commercial) at the state level; only the cities of Hamilton and Middletown require local journeyman licenses | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce ↗ |
| OK | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PA | — | — | — | — | — | No state license — electrician licensing is local in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other municipalities); there is no state-level electrician board | Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections (no state-level electrician license in Pennsylvania) ↗ |
| RI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TX | — | 59N/26S · 70% · $78 | — | App $30 | — | Partial — no blanket reciprocity; TDLR may credit verifiable out-of-state experience toward the 8,000-hour requirement | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Electrician Program ↗ |
| UT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WA | 96 hrs | 60N/17S · 70% | — | App $107.6 · Lic $160.6 | 14 days between retakes; after 3 failures wait 3 months | Yes — Oregon only, for the 01 General Journey Level certificate (bilateral) | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) — Electrical Program ↗ |
| WV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
● Data updated 2026-08-20Data retrieved 2026-08-20 from state boards, PSI, Pearson VUE and CMS. Requirements change — verify with your state board before enrolling or paying. Dash (—) = not published / pending verification.
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