Electrician License Requirements by State: Who Licenses You, Hours, Exams and CE
By BRIX Editorial Team · Updated
Electrician licensing is set by each state, and the rules differ a lot. Texas licenses journeymen and masters statewide; Florida leaves journeymen to counties; California certifies electricians who work for C-10 contractors; North Carolina and Georgia license contractors by class. Expect 4,000 to 12,000 hours of experience and an exam, often open book.
Key takeaways
- There's no national electrician license. Each state board, and sometimes each county, sets its own rules.
- Statewide journeyman licenses exist in Texas; Florida journeymen are licensed locally; California uses a state certification for workers.
- North Carolina and Georgia license electrical contractors, sized by project value (NC) or service type (GA).
- Exams are usually based on the National Electrical Code and often open book, but editions and pass marks vary (70% or 75%).
- CE ranges from 4 hours a year (Texas, Georgia) to 32 hours every three years (California).
How does electrician licensing work in the U.S.?
State by state. Most states follow a ladder of apprentice or trainee, journeyman, master and contractor, but they don't all license every rung, and some hand part of the ladder to cities and counties. Before you count hours, find out three things for your state: who issues the license, whether journeymen are licensed by the state or locally, and which license lets you run your own business.
Electrician licensing compared by state
| State | Who licenses | Journeyman / worker license | Experience for the top tier | Exam | Continuing education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | TDLR (TDLR) | Statewide journeyman: 8,000 hours (TDLR) | Master: 12,000 hours plus 2 years as journeyman | PSI, open book, 2026 NEC, 70% (TDLR) | 4 hours yearly (TDLR) |
| Florida | DBPR Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB) | Local only: DBPR "does not license or regulate journeymen" (ECLB) | Certified contractor: e.g. 3 years management in last 6, 40% 3-phase | Pearson VUE, open book, 75% per section (DBPR) | 11 hours every 2 years (ECLB) |
| California | DIR (workers) and CSLB (C-10 contractors) (DIR) | State certification: General Electrician 8,000 hours (8 CCR §291.1) | C-10 contractor: 4 years journey-level experience | DIR exam, $175, 70% (DIR) | 32 hours every 3 years (DIR) |
| North Carolina | NCBEEC (NCBEEC) | None in NCBEEC's license list (NCBEEC) | Unlimited: 9,000 hours, 8,000 primary (21 NCAC 18B) | PSI, open book, 70 (NCBEEC) | 8 hours yearly (NCBEEC) |
| Georgia | Division of Electrical Contractors (GA rules) | None found in the board's rules (GA rules) | Class II: 4 years primary experience (SB 553 adds new paths in 2026) | 70 to pass (GA rules) | 4 hours a year, renewed biennially (GA rules) |
Which states license journeyman electricians?
Of the five states on this page, only Texas issues a statewide journeyman electrician license, through TDLR, after 8,000 supervised hours (TDLR). California gets close with its DIR certification, which every electrician working for a C-10 contractor needs unless they're the owner or qualifier (DIR). Florida explicitly leaves journeymen to counties (ECLB), and North Carolina's and Georgia's boards list contractor licenses only.
How long does it take to become a licensed electrician?
At roughly 2,000 working hours a year, 8,000 hours is about four years. That's the journeyman threshold in Texas and the General Electrician threshold in California. North Carolina's smallest contractor class needs 3,000 hours, while a Texas master needs 12,000. Your state's page lists the exact hours and what counts toward them.
- Register as an apprentice or trainee if your state requires it (Texas: $20 TDLR apprentice license; California: DIR trainee card with school enrollment).
- Log supervised hours and get them signed as you go.
- Sit your state's exam; tab your NEC if it's open book.
- Keep up CE and renewals, which range from yearly to every three years.
- When you're ready to run a shop, get the contractor license and set up the business with how to start an electrical business.
What's the difference between an electrician license and an electrical contractor license?
One lets you do the work; the other lets you sell it. A journeyman or certified electrician works for someone else's company. An electrical contractor license covers the business that bids, contracts and pulls permits. In Texas the contractor must employ a master electrician of record ($110 a year with TDLR). In California the business needs a C-10 from CSLB, separate from any DIR card. In Florida, a certified contractor can work statewide, while a registered contractor is limited to the jurisdictions that issued the local certificate (ECLB). North Carolina sizes contractor licenses by the value of a single project, from $60,000 for Limited to any value for Unlimited (NCBEEC).
Practice and next steps
Electrical exams reward speed in the code book more than memorization. Our voltage drop calculator helps with the math, and the electrical trade guide covers pricing and running jobs once you're licensed. For other trades, see HVAC licensing by state and plumbing licensing by state.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a national electrician license?
No. Electrician licensing is handled by each state, and in some states partly by counties and cities. A license from one state works in another only if that state offers reciprocity or endorsement, as Texas does with listed states for journeyman and master licenses.
Which states don't license journeyman electricians statewide?
Among the states we've verified, Florida's DBPR says it doesn't license journeymen; counties do. North Carolina's and Georgia's electrical boards list contractor licenses only. Texas licenses journeymen statewide, and California certifies electricians who work for C-10 contractors.
How many hours do you need to be a journeyman electrician?
It depends on the state. Texas requires 8,000 hours under a master electrician, and California's General Electrician certification requires 8,000 hours for a C-10 contractor. In Florida, the hours are set by each county.
Are electrician exams open book?
Often. The Texas, Florida and North Carolina exams are open book against the National Electrical Code. Passing scores differ: 70% in Texas, North Carolina and Georgia, and 75% per section for Florida's state contractor exam.
How much continuing education do electricians need?
Texas and Georgia require 4 hours a year, North Carolina 8 hours a year for most contractor classes, Florida 11 hours every two years for electrical contractors, and California 32 hours every three years for certified electricians.
Related
- How to Get an Electrician License in Texas: Every TDLR Tier, Hours and FeeTexas electrician license tiers from apprentice to contractor: TDLR hours, exams, fees, CE and insurance, each linked to the official TDLR page.
- How to Get an Electrician License in Florida: Certified Contractors, Registered Contractors and Local JourneymenFlorida electrician licensing: certified vs registered electrical contractors, ECLB experience, exam, fees and CE, and local journeyman cards.
- How to Become a Certified Electrician in California: DIR Certification and the C-10 LicenseCalifornia electrician certification (DIR) and C-10 contractor license (CSLB): hours by category, exam fees, 32-hour CE renewal and bonds, with sources.
- How to Get an Electrical License in North Carolina: NCBEEC Classes, Hours and ExamNorth Carolina electrical licensing by NCBEEC: Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited classes, project limits, experience hours, open-book PSI exam and CE.
- How to Get an Electrical Contractor License in Georgia: Class I, Class II and the 2026 ChangesGeorgia electrical contractor licensing: Class I vs Class II, age 21, experience rules, 70% exam, 4 hours of yearly CE and the 2026 SB 553 changes.
- HVAC License Requirements by State: Technician Rules, Contractor Classes and Size LimitsHVAC license requirements compared for Texas, Florida, California and North Carolina: who licenses, size limits, experience and CE, with board links.
- Plumbing License Requirements by State: Journeyman, Master and Contractor RulesPlumbing license requirements compared for Texas, Florida, California and North Carolina: journeyman rules, contractor licenses, hours, exams and CE.
- Electrician Software for Panel Upgrades, EV Chargers, Permits and Progress BillingElectrician software that answers calls, books site visits for panels and EV chargers, tracks permits and license renewals, and progress-bills bigger jobs.
- Voltage Drop CalculatorFree voltage drop calculator for copper and aluminum, single and three phase: drop in volts and percent, plus the smallest wire size for a 3% target.
- AI Receptionist for Electricians: Screen the Hazards, Book the Site VisitAn AI receptionist for electricians that screens for safety hazards, qualifies panel, EV and generator quote calls and books the site visit while you work.
Sources
- TDLR — Electricians program (checked October 24, 2026)
- TDLR — Journeyman Electrician application (checked October 24, 2026)
- TDLR — Electrician exam information (checked October 24, 2026)
- TDLR — Electrician continuing education (checked October 24, 2026)
- Florida DBPR — ECLB FAQ (checked October 24, 2026)
- Florida DBPR — Electrical Candidate Information Booklet (checked October 24, 2026)
- California DIR — Electrician Certification FAQ (checked October 24, 2026)
- Title 8 CCR §291.1 — Electrician certification hours (checked October 24, 2026)
- NCBEEC — Licensing (checked October 24, 2026)
- NCBEEC — Examinations (checked October 24, 2026)
- NCBEEC — Continuing education (checked October 24, 2026)
- NCBEEC — 21 NCAC 18B rules (checked October 24, 2026)
- Georgia Rules — 121-3 Application for licensure (checked October 24, 2026)
- Georgia Rules — 121-4 Renewal and continuing education (checked October 24, 2026)
Change log
- : Hub published comparing Texas, Florida, California, North Carolina and Georgia electrician licensing, each cell linked to the official board.