Electrician · State license
How to get an electrician license in Alabama
State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026
Journeyman level 8,000 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?
Alabama licenses electricians statewide through the Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. There are two licenses: journeyman electrician and electrical contractor (the Board also calls this "Master Electrician"). To sit for the journeyman exam you document 8,000 hours of electrical work, and up to 2,000 of those hours can come from school or an apprenticeship. There is no state apprentice license or registration. Counties and cities may also give their own exams, but a state license lets you work anywhere in the state with the local permit and business license. [1][2][3]
New to the trade?
Starting from zero in Alabama
Alabama has no apprentice electrician license, so there's nothing to file with the state before your first job. Get hired by an electrical contractor or apply to a union apprenticeship such as the Birmingham or Montgomery electrical JATC (Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee). Keep your W-2 or 1099 forms: the Board counts documented hours, and you need 8,000 to take the journeyman exam. [1][5][6][9][10]
High school diploma or GED
Not required by Alabama law or Board rule for apprentices or for the journeyman exam (neither lists one). The Birmingham Electrical JATC requires a high school diploma or GED (General Educational Development test) with official transcripts, and the Montgomery Electrical Training Alliance (IBEW Local 443) requires a diploma or GED. [1][6][9][10]
Minimum age
No state age rule found for electrical workers. The Birmingham Electrical JATC requires you to be at least 18. [9]
Math and aptitude test
Birmingham Electrical JATC: one full year of high school algebra (or one post-high-school algebra course) with a passing grade, and a qualifying score on the NJATC (National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee) aptitude test, followed by an interview. Montgomery asks for proof of one year of algebra and points applicants without it to an online Tech Math course. [9][10]
Credit for school or military
One year of an approved electrical curriculum or apprenticeship counts as 1,000 hours toward the journeyman exam, up to 2,000. The Board's application says a long certificate from an Alabama public two-year or community college earns 2,000 hours. The Board may accept military education, training or service as enough to sit for the exam. [1][6]
Still in high school?
The state Department of Education's Career and Technical Education program has a Construction cluster with an Electrical program built on NCCER's electrical curriculum, plus the statewide Academy of Craft Training, where high school students split time between their school and an ACT training center. The Alabama Office of Apprenticeship supports youth apprenticeships One 2026 program it registers takes students 17 and older in approved CTE pathways. Community colleges offer dual enrollment. The Board's rule credits accredited college electrical curriculum, and doesn't mention high school courses. [1][12][17][18][19][20][21]
Where to apply in AlabamaHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs
Licensing office Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors · (334) 679-1020 [2][15]
Alabama electrician license at a glance
- Who issues licenses
- Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors Montgomery [2]
- Journeyman experience
- 8,000 hours installing electrical wiring and equipment (commercial, industrial or residential) School or apprenticeship can count for up to 2,000 [1]
- Contractor experience
- 8,000 hours of design, layout and supervision of electrical work, or 8,000 hours as a journeyman in charge of jobs [1]
- Contractor fees
- $165 exam fee, $150 license fee, $150 yearly renewal [1]
- Reciprocity
- Contractor license by reciprocity from MS, TN, NC, SC, VA, OH, LA and TX Journeyman only from Texas; no longer with Georgia [13]
On this page
The license pathway in Alabama
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1
Apprentice or helper (no state license)
Alabama has no state apprentice electrician license or registration. The law requires a license to run an electrical contracting business or to "perform work as a master or journeyman electrician." You build the 8,000 hours you need for the journeyman exam by working in the trade, often in a registered apprenticeship. [1][3][5]
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2
Journeyman Electrician
- 8,000 hours on the job
- Not required; one year of an approved electrical curriculum or apprenticeship counts as 1,000 hours, up to 2,000
- Yes: Alabama journeyman exam or the NASCLA (National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies) portable journeyman exam ($115)
- $115 exam, $35 license
- Yearly, $35
Lets you install electrical wiring, apparatus and equipment. A journeyman must work under a master or state-certified electrical contractor. You show 8,000 hours with notarized employer affidavits and W-2 or 1099 forms, or a work affidavit from a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship. [1][2][5][6]
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3
Electrical Contractor (Master Electrician)
- 8,000 hours on the job
- Not required; one year of an accredited electrical curriculum or approved apprenticeship counts as 1,000 hours, up to 2,000
- Yes ($165)
- $165 exam, $150 license
- Yearly, $150; 14 hours CE every two years
Lets you plan, lay out and supervise electrical work and run an electrical contracting business, with no limit on voltage or bid size. You need 8,000 hours of experience in design, planning, layout and direct supervision, or 8,000 hours as a journeyman in charge of jobs. A licensed Alabama professional electrical engineer also qualifies to sit for the exam. [1][2][7]
Who needs a license in Alabama
Alabama's Electrical Contractors Act says no one may "engage in the electrical contracting business or perform work as a master or journeyman electrician" without a license from the Board or from the county or city where the work is done. Exemptions include utility power and telephone work, systems of 25 volts or less, and the owner of a property (or the owner's employee) working on that property.
Counties and cities may still require their own exam. But anyone holding a valid statewide license "shall be deemed qualified" and may work in any county or city, as long as they have the local building permit and business license.
The Board stopped issuing new provisional electrical contractor licenses (local-license-based) on May 15, 2024. Existing holders can keep renewing them, but they cover only the issuing county or city. [3][4]
The license ladder
- Apprentice or helper: no state license. Your hours count toward the journeyman exam.
- Journeyman electrician: 8,000 hours of installation work, then the exam. A journeyman "shall work under a master or state certified electrical contractor."
- Electrical contractor: 8,000 hours of design, layout and supervision, or as a journeyman in charge of jobs, then the contractor exam. The license is "unlimited in voltage and bid requirements."
For both exams, one year of education from an electrical curriculum accredited by the state's community college system (the rule says "Alabama Post-Secondary of Community College System"), or one year of an approved apprenticeship, counts as 1,000 hours, for a maximum of 2,000 hours. [1][5]
The journeyman exam
The Board's journeyman application offers two exams, each $115: the Alabama journeyman exam (given by Prov) or the NASCLA portable journeyman exam. The law lets the Board adopt the National Electrical Code (NEC, the national wiring rulebook) for its exams. Study material is listed in the Candidate Information Bulletin on the Board's site.
Your exam approval expires two years after it's granted if you haven't passed and become licensed; after that you must apply again. Fees aren't refundable. [1][4][6]
Fees and renewal
Fees set by the Board effective January 17, 2026:
- Journeyman: $115 exam, $35 license, $35 yearly renewal, $15 inactive certificate.
- Electrical contractor: $165 exam, $150 license, $150 yearly renewal, $75 inactive certificate.
- Reciprocal electrical contractor license: $315.
All licenses expire every year. Electrical contractors must complete 14 hours of continuing education (CE, approved classes) every two years. A contractor license that has been expired for more than five years can't be restored; you must qualify again as a new applicant. [1][7][8]
Union and open-shop apprenticeships
Alabama doesn't license apprentices, so an apprenticeship here is about training and documented hours. The Board accepts a work affidavit from a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship in place of W-2s.
- Union: IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers)/NECA joint apprenticeship and training committees (JATCs, run jointly by the electricians' union and union contractors) include the Birmingham Electrical JATC and the Montgomery Electrical Training Alliance. Find others with the Electrical Training Alliance locator.
- State: the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship registers apprenticeship programs and keeps a map of sponsors.
More background: electrician apprenticeships and union vs. non-union. [6][9][10][11][12]
If you're licensed in another state
The Board grants an electrical contractor license by reciprocity if you passed an equivalent exam and hold a current license with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, North Carolina Electrical Board, South Carolina Contractor's Board, Virginia Contractor Licensing Board, Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, or Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Texas is the only one listed for journeyman licenses. The Board also accepts the NASCLA electrical contractor exam.
"The Board no longer shares reciprocity with Georgia." To apply, pass the Alabama business and law exam at Prov, send the notarized reciprocity application with a license verification from your state, and pay $315.
Military members, federal personnel and military spouses who move to Alabama on orders and hold a contractor license elsewhere may have the contractor exam waived, and military spouses' first licensing fee is waived. [1][2][13]
Steps to get licensed in Alabama
Get electrical work experience
Work installing electrical wiring and equipment for an employer, or in a registered apprenticeship. Commercial, industrial and residential work all count. You need 8,000 hours, and up to 2,000 can come from approved schooling or apprenticeship years. [1]
Collect affidavits and tax forms
Each employer signs a notarized Affidavit of Employment, and you attach your W-2 or 1099 forms. If you trained in a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, a work affidavit from the program is enough, with no W-2s needed. [6]
Apply for the journeyman exam
Apply online through the Board's journeyman exam application or on paper, and pay the $115 exam fee. Card payments carry a 4% service fee. Once approved, you get scheduling information by email, and the approval lasts two years. [1][2][6][14]
Pass the exam and get licensed
After you pass, apply for the license (online by logging back into your exam application, or with form EC-1) and pay the $35 license fee. Renew every year. [1][2]
Move up to electrical contractor
With 8,000 hours as a journeyman in charge of jobs, or in design and supervision, you can apply for the contractor exam ($165) and then the license ($150). Contractors need 14 hours of continuing education every two years. [1][2]
Where to get the hours
Programs that train electricians in or for Alabama, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.
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Union
Birmingham Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 136 and NECA)
Four-year registered inside wireman apprenticeship in Birmingham; apply online, take the aptitude test, then interview with the selection committee. [9]
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Union
Montgomery Electrical Training Alliance (IBEW Local 443)
Four-year earn-while-you-learn wireman apprenticeship; the program says all its apprentices get their Alabama journeyman license before they graduate. [10]
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Union
Other IBEW/NECA training centers
Find other Alabama inside-wireman training centers with the Electrical Training Alliance locator. [11]
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State program
Alabama Office of Apprenticeship
The state agency (part of the Alabama Department of Workforce) that registers apprenticeship programs in Alabama, including youth programs. [12][17]
Licensed in another state?
Electrical Contractor: MS, TN, NC, SC, VA, OH, LA, TX
The Board lists these partner boards for the electrical contractor license if you passed an equivalent exam and hold a current license. You must also pass Alabama's business and law exam and pay a $315 fee. The Board also accepts the NASCLA electrical contractor exam. [13]
Journeyman Electrician: TX
Texas (TDLR) is the only partner the Board lists for the journeyman level. As of October 2026 the Board has proposed a journeyman reciprocal application fee, to be voted on December 9, 2026. [13][16]
Also listed by: Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia (their own boards list Alabama as a partner; check both sides before you move).
Questions people ask
How many hours do you need to be a journeyman electrician in Alabama?
8,000 hours of electrical installation work. Up to 2,000 of them can come from approved schooling or apprenticeship years, at 1,000 hours per year. [1]
Does Alabama have an apprentice electrician license?
No. The state licenses only journeyman electricians and electrical contractors, so there's no apprentice card to get before you start working. [1][5]
How much does the Alabama journeyman electrician license cost?
$115 for the exam and $35 for the license, then $35 a year to renew. [1]
Does Alabama have electrical reciprocity with Georgia?
No. The Board says it no longer shares reciprocity with Georgia, and pending Georgia reciprocal applications no longer qualify. [13]
Do Alabama cities have their own electrician licenses?
They may require their own exam, but a statewide license from the Board lets you work in any county or city if you have the local permit and business license. [3]
Sources (21)
- Ala. Admin. Code Chapter 303-X-3, Licensing and Fees (effective February 14, 2026), Alabama Legislative Services Agency, Alabama Administrative Code. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- How to Get Licensed, Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Code of Alabama Section 34-36-13, License required; exemptions, Alabama Legislature (ALISON). Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Code of Alabama Section 34-36-7, Examinations; reciprocity; issuance of licenses (board's posted copy of the chapter), Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Code of Alabama Section 34-36-3, Definitions, Alabama Legislature (ALISON). Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Electrical Journeyman Examination Application (Forms JCE-1 to JCE-5), Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Code of Alabama Section 34-36-8, Expiration and renewal; continuing education (board's posted copy of the chapter), Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Code of Alabama Section 34-36-9, Failure to renew (board's posted copy of the chapter), Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Apply, Birmingham Electrical JATC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Wireman Apprenticeship (Montgomery Electrical Training Alliance), IBEW Local Union 443. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Locate a Training Center: Inside Wireman, electrical training ALLIANCE (IBEW and NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, Alabama Office of Apprenticeship. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Reciprocity Applications, Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Online Journeyman Application Available Now (October 6, 2026), Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Board Location and Contact, Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Notice of Intended Action: Amend Rule 303-X-3-.10 Fees and Charges (journeyman reciprocal fee), Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Alabama Office of Apprenticeship Partners with Vectorply Corporation to Expand Youth Pathways into Registered Apprenticeship, Alabama Department of Workforce. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Career and Technical Education, Alabama State Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Construction Cluster Program Guide 2026-2027, Alabama State Department of Education, Career and Technical Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Academy of Craft Training Program Guide 2026-2027, Alabama State Department of Education, Career and Technical Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Dual Enrollment, Alabama Community College System. Accessed October 11, 2026.