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Electrician · State license

How to become a licensed electrician in Connecticut

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?

Connecticut licenses electricians statewide through the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). You start as a registered apprentice with the Department of Labor, hired by an employer that sponsors apprentices. The unlimited journeyperson license (E-2) takes a registered apprenticeship of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training over at least four years, plus classroom hours, and a passing score on a PSI (a testing company) exam. After two years as a journeyperson you can test for the E-1 unlimited contractor license. [1][2][3][4][5]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Connecticut

In Connecticut you can't do electrical work as an unregistered helper: you need to be a registered apprentice. The usual first step is to get hired by a contractor that sponsors apprentices (the Department of Labor publishes a list) or to apply to a union (IBEW/NECA) or open-shop (IEC New England) program; your employer then registers you with the Department of Labor. You work under licensed electricians and take related classes, often at night. [2][5][13][15][20]

  • High school diploma or GED

    Not required by the state to register as an apprentice: the Department of Labor's apprenticeship standards ask only for "the basic education necessary for entry-level training" and let each sponsor set a minimum. The license law itself asks for proof of an eighth-grade education or its equivalent. Programs set their own rules: the Hartford Electricians JATC (IBEW Local 35) requires a high school diploma, GED (General Educational Development test) or associate degree, and IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors) New England requires a diploma or GED. [2][14][15][20]

  • Minimum age

    16 to be registered as an apprentice under the Department of Labor's standards 18 to get a license. IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 35's program takes applicants who are at least 17 when they apply. [2][14][15]

  • Register before you start work

    State law bars anyone from doing licensed work without a license or a Department of Labor registration card. You can't register yourself: you must be hired by an apprentice employer, which registers you after hire through the state's e-Apprenticeship system. The registration fee set by law is $50, renewed every year (the sponsor pays a separate $60 per apprentice). [2][5][12][23]

  • Helper jobs

    Apprentices may work only under the supervision of a licensed contractor or journeyperson, and contractors can only add apprentices within the state's hiring ratios (one licensee per apprentice for the first three apprentices, then more). Hours you work before you're registered don't count toward the apprenticeship. [2][6][14]

  • Math and aptitude

    IBEW Local 35's JATC (Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee) requires a passing grade in Algebra (or the Electrical Training Alliance's Tech Math course) and a sealed transcript, then gives qualified applicants an aptitude test and an interview Anyone conditionally accepted must pass a drug test. IEC New England requires an entry math exam. [15][16]

  • Applying and timing

    As of October 2026, the Hartford Electricians JATC takes applications year-round, in person (8 am to noon on weekdays or by appointment; call (860) 525-5982). IEC New England's application period for first-year students starting in 2027 is February 1-15, 2027. Its brochure says you must be looking for a full-time apprenticeship job with an independent electrical contractor, who registers you, and should have reliable transportation. [15][17][20]

  • Pay while you learn

    Apprentices are paid on a rising scale set as a percentage of the journeyperson rate. In IBEW Local 35's program that starts at 40% and climbs to 80% over six periods. IEC New England charges tuition ($2,100 a year for member employers' apprentices, $3,100 otherwise, for 2027-2028). [14][15][17]

  • Credit for school or military

    The Department of Labor can credit approved prior schooling: its credit listing (dated February 2012) gives up to 1,500 on-the-job hours to graduates of a Connecticut technical high school in a related trade. Service members, National Guard members and veterans (within two years of discharge) can apply for a military training evaluation that may shorten the apprenticeship or allow them to sit for the exam. [12][14][24]

  • Still in high school?

    Connecticut's technical high schools (CTECS) offer an electrical program. Through Work-Based Learning, juniors and seniors who are at least 16 can work for a paid employer during trade time, and state law lets these students work in hazardous trades. CTECS (Connecticut Technical Education and Career System) also teaches apprentice classes in the evening Students under 18 need a parent's permission. The state education department lists Architecture and Construction among its career and technical education clusters. Hours count only after you're a registered apprentice, though tech-school graduates can get the credit above. [14][22][24][25][26][27]

Where to apply in ConnecticutHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), Occupational and Professional Licensing Division; Electrical Work Examining Board [1][2]

Connecticut electrician license at a glance

Who issues licenses
Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Apprentices register with the Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship Training [1][2][13]
Apprentice registration
Required before you do electrical work Your employer registers you after it hires you; $50 a year paid to the Department of Labor [2][5][12]
Journeyman experience (E-2)
Registered apprenticeship: 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, at least 4 years [2][3][4]
Classroom hours (E-2)
720 hours of related instruction (Department of Labor work schedule and DCP's equivalency page) One DCP table lists 576 [3][4][8]
Journeyman exam
PSI, 80 questions, 3.5 hours, 70% to pass, $59 You may bring the NEC (National Electrical Code) [9][10]
Contractor license (E-1)
Two years as a licensed journeyperson plus a trade exam and a business and law exam [1][2][10]
Fees
$90 journeyperson application, $120 license $150 contractor application, $150 license [1][2]
Renewal and CE
Every year by September 30 ($120 journeyperson, $150 contractor) 4 hours of continuing education a year after your first renewal [1][11]
Reciprocity
None: DCP says Connecticut has no reciprocal agreements Out-of-state licensees can apply as equivalent but still take the exam [1][18]
Minimum age
16 to register as an apprentice 18 for a license [2][14]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a license in Connecticut
  5. The license ladder: apprentice to contractor
  6. The exam
  7. Fees, renewal and continuing education
  8. Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Connecticut
  9. If you're licensed in another state
  10. Career changers: age, background and timing
  11. Steps to get licensed
  12. Where to get the hours
  13. Licensed in another state?
  14. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Connecticut

  1. 1

    Registered apprentice

    • 720 hours over the apprenticeship (Department of Labor work schedule)
    • $50 registration with the Department of Labor
    • Yearly, $50

    Your entry status. An employer that sponsors apprentices hires you and registers you with the Department of Labor; you then work under a licensed contractor or journeyperson and attend related classes. You must be at least 16. [2][4][5][12][14]

  2. 2

    E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson

    • 8,000 hours on the job
    • 4 years of experience
    • 720 hours (one DCP table lists 576)
    • Yes: PSI, 80 questions, 3.5 hours, 70% to pass, $59
    • $90 application, $120 license
    • Yearly by September 30, $120; 4 hours CE a year

    Lets you do all electrical work, but only while employed by a licensed contractor. You qualify by finishing a registered apprenticeship (8,000 hours over at least four years plus classroom hours) or by proving equivalent experience and classroom training, then passing the exam. [1][2][3][4][8][10][11]

  3. 3

    E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor

    • 2 years of experience
    • Yes: trade exam plus a business and law exam (50 questions, 2 hours, 70%), $59 per part
    • $150 application, $150 license
    • Yearly by September 30, $150; 4 hours CE a year

    Only contractors can pull permits and contract with customers. You need two years as a licensed journeyperson (or equivalent experience and education) and must pass both exams. You must also show you'll meet workers' compensation and unemployment insurance requirements. [1][2][7][10][11]

Who needs a license in Connecticut

State law says no one may do, or offer to do, electrical work in Connecticut without a license from DCP or a registration card from the Department of Labor (the apprentice route). Electrical work covers installing, maintaining, testing or repairing any wiring or equipment that uses electricity, except low-voltage wiring for lawn sprinklers.

DCP licenses individuals, not companies. Licenses with odd numbers (E-1, L-5) are contractor licenses; even numbers (E-2, L-6) are journeyperson licenses for employees. Only contractors can pull permits and sign contracts, and journeypersons and apprentices can't work directly for customers.

The law has exemptions, such as homeowners working on a single-family home they own and live in (with inspection), government employees, and utility employees doing utility work. Check the full list in section 20-340 before relying on one. [2][6][7]

The license ladder: apprentice to contractor

Connecticut also has limited licenses with shorter apprenticeships, for example L-6 low-voltage and alarm work (4,000 hours), C-6 low-voltage, sound and telephone-interconnect work (4,000 hours), PV-2 solar electric (4,000 hours) and C-8 signs (2,000 hours).

The classroom requirement for the E-2 isn't stated the same way everywhere. The Department of Labor's electrician work schedule and DCP's equivalent-experience page say 720 hours; DCP's "Careers in the Trades" table lists 576. Confirm with your program or DCP. See journeyman vs. master for how this compares with other states. [1][2][3][4][8]

The exam

DCP's exam vendor is PSI. Every applicant must take an exam, and the exam fee is paid to PSI separately ($59 per part). The E-2 exam has 80 questions in 3.5 hours, and you need 70% to pass. You may bring approved references, including the National Electrical Code (NEC, 2020 or 2023 edition) and Ugly's Electrical References; you can highlight and tab them, but you can't write in them during the exam.

Contractors (E-1) also take a 50-question business and law exam (2 hours, 70%). Your eligibility to test lasts one year from DCP's approval, and you can retest without limit during that time. Schedule at PSI's Connecticut site or (855) 746-8171. [1][9][10]

Fees, renewal and continuing education

DCP's application fee is $90 for a journeyperson and $150 for a contractor; neither is refundable. After you pass the exam, the license fee set by law is $120 for a journeyperson and $150 for a contractor.

All electrical licenses expire every year on September 30. Renewal costs $120 for a journeyperson and $150 for a contractor. Electricians must complete 4 hours of continuing education (CE) a year, by June 30, from courses approved by the Electrical Board; CE isn't required before your first renewal.

Apprentices pay the Department of Labor a $50 registration fee and $50 a year to renew. [1][2][11][12]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Connecticut

To become an apprentice you must be hired by an apprentice employer; the Department of Labor publishes a list of sponsors and regional contacts on its apprenticeship page. Classes are usually provided by the technical high school system's evening program, an open-shop association school, a union JATC school or an approved private school.

Union (IBEW/NECA): The Hartford Electricians JATC (IBEW Local 35) requires you to be at least 17 when you apply, have a high school diploma, GED or associate degree, and have passed Algebra. Training is free apart from books, and pay starts at 40% of the journeyman rate.

Open shop: IEC New England runs a four-year evening program in Rocky Hill with 720 classroom hours and an entry math exam; its tuition for 2027-2028 is $2,100 for members' apprentices and $3,100 for others.

More on choosing: electrician apprenticeships, union vs. non-union and the aptitude test. [5][13][14][15][16][17]

If you're licensed in another state

DCP says Connecticut has no reciprocal agreements with any other jurisdiction. State law lets the commissioner license someone from a state with similar or higher requirements without an exam if that state does the same for Connecticut licensees, but DCP's current application pages say every applicant must take an exam.

You can apply with an "equivalent out of state license": your license must have required the same classroom hours and curriculum and on-the-job hours as the Connecticut license (for the E-2, 720 classroom hours and 8,000 hours). Connecticut's general law for people licensed in other states (section 21a-11b of the General Statutes), which helps new residents and military spouses, doesn't cover these trade licenses: it lists other DCP license chapters, not chapter 393. See our reciprocity guide. [1][2][18][19]

Career changers: age, background and timing

You must be 18 to get a license, and the apprenticeship takes at least four years. There's no shortcut on classroom hours: DCP won't accept work experience in place of the required classes, and it rejects continuing education and manufacturer certificates as substitutes.

If you have a criminal record, you can ask DCP at any time whether a conviction would disqualify you from a license; DCP must answer within 30 days of a complete request. [2][3]

Steps to get licensed in Connecticut

  1. Get hired as a registered apprentice

    Find an employer on the Department of Labor's apprenticeship sponsor list or apply to a union or open-shop program. Your employer registers you after hire; registration costs $50 a year. [5][12][13]

  2. Work under licensed electricians and attend classes

    Complete 8,000 hours of on-the-job training over at least four years, plus the related classroom hours in the electrician work schedule (720 hours). Keep monthly work records signed by you and your employer. [4][14]

  3. Apply for the E-2 exam within 30 days of finishing

    State law says you must apply for the licensure exam within 30 days of completing your apprenticeship. Apply online through eLicense ($90). Licensed trades' apprentices must pass the exam before the Department of Labor awards the completion certificate. [1][6][14]

  4. Pass the PSI exam and pay the license fee

    Schedule with PSI ($59); you have one year from DCP's approval to test. After you pass, send DCP the $120 license fee. [2][10]

  5. Renew every year and keep going

    Renew by September 30 each year and complete 4 hours of continuing education by June 30 (not needed before your first renewal). After two years as a journeyperson you can apply for the E-1 contractor license. [1][2][11]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train electricians in or for Connecticut, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

Licensed in another state?

We didn't find a reciprocity agreement published by the licensing office for this license. Ask the office how it treats an out-of-state license or experience before you apply.

Also listed by: Alaska, Florida, Montana, New Hampshire, Nevada, Utah (their own boards list Connecticut as a partner; check both sides before you move).

Open the reciprocity map · How reciprocity works

AlaskaAK MaineME VermontVT New HampshireNH WashingtonWA IdahoID MontanaMT North DakotaND MinnesotaMN IllinoisIL WisconsinWI MichiganMI New YorkNY Rhode IslandRI MassachusettsMA OregonOR NevadaNV WyomingWY South DakotaSD IowaIA IndianaIN OhioOH PennsylvaniaPA New JerseyNJ ConnecticutCT CaliforniaCA UtahUT ColoradoCO NebraskaNE MissouriMO KentuckyKY West VirginiaWV VirginiaVA MarylandMD DelawareDE ArizonaAZ New MexicoNM KansasKS ArkansasAR TennesseeTN North CarolinaNC South CarolinaSC District of ColumbiaDC OklahomaOK LouisianaLA MississippiMS AlabamaAL GeorgiaGA HawaiiHI TexasTX FloridaFL
CT Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists CT

Questions people ask

How long does it take to become a journeyman electrician in Connecticut?

At least four years. The E-2 journeyperson license requires a registered apprenticeship of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training (the work schedule sets a minimum of four years) plus 720 classroom hours, then a passing score on the PSI exam. [3][4][10]

Can I work as an electrician's helper in Connecticut without a license?

Not on electrical work. State law requires a license or a Department of Labor registration card, so helpers doing the trade must be registered apprentices. Your employer registers you after hiring you. [2][5]

Do I need a high school diploma to be an electrical apprentice in Connecticut?

The state's apprenticeship standards don't require one; they let each sponsor set a minimum education level. The main programs do: IBEW Local 35 requires a diploma, GED or associate degree, and IEC New England requires a diploma or GED. [14][15][20]

Does Connecticut accept out-of-state electrician licenses?

DCP says Connecticut has no reciprocal agreements. You can apply with an equivalent out-of-state license that required the same hours and classes, but you still take the Connecticut exam. [1][18]

Sources (27)
  1. Electrical License, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Chapter 393: Electricians, Plumbers, Solar, Heating, Piping and Cooling Contractors and Journeymen... (revised to January 1, 2025), Connecticut General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Electrical Journeyperson - Equivalent Experience and Training, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. Work Schedule: Electrician (E-2), Connecticut Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship Training. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. How do I become a Registered Apprentice?, Connecticut Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. Chapter 393, 2026 Supplement (revised to January 1, 2026), Connecticut General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. Electrician (consumer facts), Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. Careers in the Trades License Types, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. Exams, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Occupational Licensing: Electrical Trades Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 2/4/2026), PSI Services LLC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. Electrician - Continuing Education, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. Chapter 557: Employment Regulation (sections 31-22m to 31-22v, apprenticeship), Connecticut General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. Office of Apprenticeship Training, Connecticut Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. Apprentice Handbook & Progress Report, Connecticut Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship Training. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Apprentice Application Information, IBEW Local 35 / Hartford Electricians JATC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Apprenticeship Overview, Independent Electrical Contractors of New England. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Registration Information, Independent Electrical Contractors of New England. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Electrical Journeyperson - Equivalent Out of State License, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. Chapter 416, section 21a-11b: Licenses for persons licensed in another United States jurisdiction, Connecticut General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. IEC New England Learn While You Earn Apprenticeship Program (brochure), Independent Electrical Contractors of New England (hosted by the Connecticut Department of Labor). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. Connecticut Building Construction Trades Apprenticeship Programs (JATDCC directory), Connecticut Department of Labor (hosted); Joint Apprenticeship Training Directors Committee of Connecticut. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. Apprenticeship and Extension, Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. Welcome to E-Apprenticeship, Connecticut Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  24. Apprenticeship Credit Listing: On-the-Job Training Credit Only (February 2012), Connecticut Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship Training. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  25. Construction Cluster, Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  26. Work-based Learning, Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  27. Career Clusters, Career Pathways, Programs of Study, Connecticut State Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.