Journeyman Electrician License Requirements 2026
Journeyman electrician license requirements are not nationally uniform: some states issue a statewide journey-level credential, while others leave individual licensing to cities or regulate only electrical contractors. The Texas regulator documents an 8,000-hour route and a 70 percent exam cut score, but those figures are not universal. The tables below quote only figures published by regulators or official exam administrators.
Which states license journeyman electricians statewide?
Statewide individual licensing is common across the West, Upper Midwest, and Northeast, but it is not the rule everywhere. A worker in a local-license state must check the city or county where the work will occur; a state electrical-contractor license does not automatically create a personal journeyman credential.
| State | 2026 individual licensing level | State | 2026 individual licensing level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Local journey rules; state licenses electrical contractors | Montana | State journeyman license |
| Alaska | State certificate of fitness | Nebraska | State journeyman license |
| Arizona | No general statewide journeyman license; contractor and local rules apply | Nevada | Local journey cards; state contractor rules |
| Arkansas | State journeyman license | New Hampshire | State journeyman license |
| California | State general-electrician certification for covered workers | New Jersey | State contractor license; local individual rules may apply |
| Colorado | State journeyman license | New Mexico | State journeyman certificate |
| Connecticut | State journeyperson license | New York | Local individual licensing |
| Delaware | State journeyperson license | North Carolina | State contractor license; no general state journeyman license |
| Florida | Mainly local individual licensing; state contractor licenses | North Dakota | State journeyman license |
| Georgia | State contractor license; no general state journeyman license | Ohio | State commercial contractor license; local journey rules |
| Hawaii | State journey-worker electrician license | Oklahoma | State journeyman license |
| Idaho | State journeyman license | Oregon | State general journeyman license |
| Illinois | Local individual licensing | Pennsylvania | Local individual licensing |
| Indiana | Local individual licensing | Rhode Island | State journeyperson license |
| Iowa | State journeyperson license | South Carolina | State contractor license; local journey rules may apply |
| Kansas | Local individual licensing | South Dakota | State journeyman license |
| Kentucky | State electrician license | Tennessee | State contractor and limited-license system; local rules can apply |
| Louisiana | State contractor license; local individual licensing | Texas | State journeyman license |
| Maine | State journeyman license | Utah | State journeyman license |
| Maryland | State journeyperson license | Vermont | State journeyman license |
| Massachusetts | State journeyman license | Virginia | State journeyman tradesman license |
| Michigan | State journey license | Washington | State journey-level certificate |
| Minnesota | State journeyworker license | West Virginia | State journeyman license |
| Mississippi | State contractor license; local individual rules | Wisconsin | State journeyman electrician credential |
| Missouri | Statewide electrical-contractor program plus local journey rules | Wyoming | State journeyman license |
This classification routes readers to the right licensing level; legal permission comes from the responsible board. The U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored CareerOneStop License Finder says state agencies submit occupational-license records annually, but it also warns that not every state supplies every record. State board and local code-office pages remain the controlling sources.
California illustrates the naming issue. The state calls its individual credential “general electrician certification” and requires 8,000 hours for that classification, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations. It is the closest statewide comparison to a journeyman credential, even though the title differs.
What are the verified exam requirements, fees, and passing scores?
The most common documented pattern in this sample is several years of supervised experience followed by a code-based examination. Fees are less comparable because one regulator may quote an exam charge while another quotes an application or initial-license charge.
| State | Experience or education prerequisite | Exam fee | Passing threshold | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 8,000 qualifying work hours; up to 1,000 classroom hours may count | $200 certificate fee | 70% | Alaska Mechanical Inspection FAQ and legislative presentation |
| California | 8,000 hours for general electrician certification | $100 exam fee | 70% | California DIR requirements and 2026 test information |
| Idaho | 8,000 hours plus 4 years of approved school, or 16,000 hours | Vendor schedule | Pass NASCLA exam | Idaho DOPL |
| Maine | 8,000 hours plus 576 hours of study on the standard route | $150 license fee plus $21 background report | Board-approved exam | Maine licensing page |
| Maryland | 4 years under qualified supervision; approved apprenticeship route specifies 576 classroom and 8,000 work hours | PSI schedule | Board-approved exam | Maryland Board requirements |
| Massachusetts | 600 hours of education, a 15-hour code-update class, and 8,000 work hours over at least 4 years | PSI schedule | PSI bulletin | Massachusetts application guide |
| Michigan | 8,000 hours across 4 years; minimum age 20 | State schedule | 75% | Michigan LARA |
| Minnesota | Qualifying experience must be documented before the written exam | $50 exam fee | Board exam | Minnesota DLI |
| Montana | 8,000 hours or approved apprenticeship completion | $240 application fee | Exam required | Montana journeyman checklist |
| Nebraska | 4 years, or 3 years plus an electrical-technology degree | $90 application fee | Board exam | Nebraska 2026 application |
| New Hampshire | Board qualification route | $90 exam fee | 70% | New Hampshire fee rule and electrician rules |
| Oregon | Board-approved experience route | $100 license fee | Board exam | Oregon license directory |
| Texas | May sit after 7,000 hours; 8,000 hours required for license | $30 application plus $78 exam | 70% | Texas TDLR application guide and PSI bulletin |
| Utah | 4-year, 576-hour apprenticeship plus 8,000 hours, or 16,000 hours of experience | State and vendor schedules | Written and practical exams required | Utah DOPL |
| Washington | State-approved training and experience route | PSI bills by exam time; state-administered journey exam is $70.90 | 70% on each section | Washington exam page and WAC fee rule |
“Vendor schedule” is intentional. A number was omitted when the board sends candidates to an outside test provider without putting a current amount on the regulator page. That avoids copying an old candidate bulletin into a 2026 table.
The Texas row also shows why application timing and licensure timing must be separated. TDLR allows an applicant to seek exam approval at 7,000 hours, but it still requires the full 8,000 hours before issuing the license. The PSI bulletin lists 80 scored questions, 240 minutes, a 70 percent cut score, and a $78 examination charge.
Are most journeyman exams based on the same threshold?
No, although 70 percent appears frequently. Alaska, California, New Hampshire, Texas, and Washington publish a 70 percent threshold in the linked sources. Michigan requires 75 percent.
That small difference can be obscured by exam structure. Washington requires 70 percent on each examination section. Texas’s current bulletin describes one scored journeyman exam with 80 scored items. New Hampshire’s rules describe 110 questions, divided into 50 National Electrical Code questions, 50 practical-installation questions, and 10 state-law and rule questions. Those are different testing designs even where the percentage matches.
Passing scores also do not transfer automatically. Colorado’s reciprocity page requires an active license earned through a state-administered examination and held for at least 1 year. It lists 14 partner states: Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The official list is on the Colorado Electrical Board application page.
Why do fees vary so much across state tables?
Boards label different pieces of the transaction. California’s $100 is an examination fee. Montana’s $240 is an application fee. Maine publishes a $150 license fee and a separate $21 background-report charge. Texas separates a $30 state application from a $78 vendor exam.
Nebraska’s 2026 form is another example. It lists a $90 journeyman application charge and then a license fee that depends on the year of issuance within the license cycle. Quoting only one of those numbers as “the Nebraska cost” would understate what a new applicant may pay.
For budgeting, ask the board or vendor about five distinct items: application review, examination, initial credential, background check, and local registration. Add only the charges that apply to the same applicant path.
What should an applicant verify before applying?
Start with the licensing level in the first table, then open the regulator’s current application and exam bulletin. Verify which work hours count, who must sign the experience record, which code edition is tested, and whether separate law or practical sections apply.
Workers crossing state lines should check reciprocity before scheduling a second exam. Reciprocal recognition usually depends on how the original license was earned, its current standing, and how long it has been held. A license granted without examination may fail a reciprocity rule that requires a tested credential.
Finally, check local registration even after receiving a state license. In states with local licensing, the city is the primary gatekeeper. In states with statewide credentials, a municipality may still control permits and contractor registration. The person-level journey license and the business-level contractor license answer different legal questions.