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Electrician · State license

How to become a licensed electrician in Idaho

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?

Idaho licenses electricians statewide through the Idaho Electrical Board, part of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). You start as a registered apprentice. To become a journeyman electrician you need 8,000 hours of work as an apprentice plus a four-year course of related instruction approved by Idaho Career and Technical Education, or 16,000 hours of electrical experience, and you must pass a state exam. A master license takes at least four years as a licensed journeyman. [1][2][3][4]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Idaho

In Idaho you start as a registered apprentice. Get hired by an electrical contractor or accepted into an apprenticeship program, register with DOPL (DOPL lists $15) before you start work, and enroll in an approved four-year course of related instruction at a college, the union training center or IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors). Hours you work while your registration is lapsed don't count. [1][5][15][17][22][27]

  • High school diploma or GED

    DOPL's apprentice registration form asks only for the application, the fee and any out-of-state license We found no state education rule. Programs set their own: the Southwest Idaho Electrical JATC (union) requires a diploma, GED (General Educational Development test) or two-year degree plus one full year of high school algebra (both waived if you document 4,000 hours in the electrical construction trade), and IEC Idaho asks for a diploma or equivalent. [15][22][26]

  • Minimum age

    No state minimum found in the electrical law. IEC Idaho and North Idaho College say 16 The Southwest Idaho Electrical JATC (Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee) requires 18 when you are indentured. [15][22][28]

  • Register before you start work

    State law makes it unlawful to work as an apprentice without a current DOPL registration. Apply through DOPL online services or with the apprentice registration form. DOPL's fee table lists $15. [1][5][26]

  • Helper jobs

    Apprentices work only under the constant on-the-job supervision of a residential, journeyman or master electrician. An employer may not knowingly hire someone without an active license or registration to do electrical work, so an electrician's helper needs at least the apprentice registration. [4][7]

  • Supervision ratio

    One supervising electrician to no more than six apprentices in a residential setting, and one journeyman or master to no more than two elsewhere. The ratio stops applying after 6,000 hours if you are enrolled in or have finished a board-approved program. [5]

  • Math and aptitude test

    The Southwest Idaho Electrical JATC gives the Electrical Training Alliance aptitude test: algebra and functions (33 items, 46 minutes) and reading comprehension (36 items, 51 minutes). If you score high enough, an interview follows You can retest only after three months. [15]

  • Driver's license and drug test

    The Southwest Idaho Electrical JATC requires a valid driver's license and that you be drug free, and you have 30 days to finish the application. [15]

  • Pay while you learn

    As of October 2026, the Southwest Idaho Electrical JATC lists first-period apprentice pay at 49% of the journeyman rate, $22.21 an hour plus $11.41 in benefits, rising to 84% after 6,500 hours. It charges no tuition for the related training. [15]

  • Credit for military service

    Idaho law tells licensing boards to accept relevant military education, training or service toward licensing qualifications. [23][33]

  • Still in high school?

    High school students in a board-recognized program can do residential electrical work without an apprentice registration, under the constant supervision of a licensed residential or journeyman electrician, but those hours don't count toward your apprentice hours. Idaho Career and Technical Education publishes an Electrical program of study for schools. The state's Advanced Opportunities program gives each public school student $4,625 for grades 7-12 that can pay for dual credit and approved workforce training, including electrical apprenticeship year 1 and 2 courses. The Idaho Department of Labor supports school-to-registered-apprenticeship programs, usually in 11th or 12th grade. [6][34][35][36][37]

Where to apply in IdahoHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board · (208) 334-3233 [1]

Idaho electrician license at a glance

Who issues licenses
Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board [1][25]
Apprentice registration
Required before you work as an apprentice DOPL lists $15, and hours count only while you are registered [1][5][26][27]
Journeyman experience
8,000 hours as an apprentice plus a four-year approved course of instruction, or 16,000 hours of electrical experience [3][4]
Journeyman exam
PSI (a testing company), 100 questions, 270 minutes, 70% to pass, $75, open book 2020 or 2023 NEC (National Electrical Code) [9][10]
Classroom hours
A four-year related-instruction sequence approved by Idaho Career and Technical Education Programs describe it as 144 hours a year (576 in all) [3][4][16][28]
Master experience
At least four years as a licensed journeyman, plus the master exam [3][20]
Contractor license
Business license Contractor exam, $300,000 liability insurance and a designated supervising electrician [4][7][10]
Reciprocity
Journeyman: NERA (National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance) states (AK, AZ, AR, CO, IL, IA, ME, MN, MT, NH, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, WI, WY) and Oregon. Master: Wyoming [12][18][19]
Local licenses
None: electrical licensing is the state's exclusive job, and cities and counties can't add their own licenses or fees [2]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a license in Idaho
  5. The license ladder: apprentice to master
  6. The journeyman and master exams
  7. Fees and renewal
  8. Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Idaho
  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 Idaho

  1. 1

    Apprentice Electrician (registration)

    • $15 (DOPL fee table; its table also lists a $15 application fee)
    • DOPL's fee table lists a 1-year term; state law sets 2-year registrations, and DOPL is moving trades to 2-year cycles from October 30, 2026. No more than five 2-year periods.

    Your entry registration. You work under the constant on-the-job supervision of a residential, journeyman or master electrician. It is unlawful to work as an apprentice without a current registration, and hours worked while your registration is lapsed don't count. The board can consider a waiver for unregistered hours only if you file DOPL's Active Registration Waiver Request with your journeyman application, with W-2s and a work verification form. [1][5][7][8][14][27][29]

  2. 2

    Residential Electrician

    • 4,000 hours on the job
    • Two-year course of related instruction approved by the Electrical Board and Idaho Career and Technical Education
    • Yes, residential electrician exam
    • 3-year license

    Limited to residential settings: one- and two-family homes, townhouses and multi-family buildings up to three stories. These hours also count toward the journeyman license. [3][4][7][8]

  3. 3

    Journeyman Electrician

    • 8,000 hours on the job
    • Four-year sequence of instruction approved by Idaho Career and Technical Education (programs: 144 hours a year, 576 in all)
    • Yes: PSI, 100 questions, 270 minutes, 70% to pass, $75, open book (2020 or 2023 NEC)
    • $55 license plus $15 application ($70 processing fee on the application)
    • 3-year license; $45 renewal

    Lets you do and supervise electrical installation work. You qualify with 8,000 hours as an apprentice plus the approved four-year course, or with 16,000 hours of electrical experience. You must pass the exam before you apply. [1][3][4][8][9][10][12][16]

  4. 4

    Master Electrician

    • 4 years of experience
    • Yes: PSI, 100 questions, 270 minutes, 75% to pass, $75
    • $65 license plus $15 application ($80 processing fee on the application)
    • 3-year license; $45 renewal

    For electricians who plan, lay out or design installations. You need at least four years as a licensed journeyman. DOPL issues a journeyman license along with the master license at no extra cost. [1][3][7][9][10][20]

  5. 5

    Electrical Contractor

    • Yes: contractor business and law exam, 100 questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass, $75 (PSI)
    • $125
    • $100 renewal; state law sets a 2-year term (DOPL's fee table lists 1 year)

    A business license. The contractor passes an exam, carries $300,000 of liability insurance (and workers' compensation if it applies) and designates one supervising electrician. An individual owner must employ a full-time journeyman with over 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman, or a master, or act as their own if licensed. [1][4][5][7][8][9][10]

Who needs a license in Idaho

Idaho law makes it unlawful to act as a residential, journeyman or master electrician, or as an electrical contractor, without a license from DOPL. Apprentices must hold a current apprentice registration.

Licensing is the state's exclusive job. No city or county may require an extra license or registration, or charge fees, for a state licensee to work there, though cities and counties can impose stricter public safety rules.

The licensing rules don't apply to some work. Examples include a property owner doing noncommercial work on their own home and outbuildings, and a maintenance electrician doing like-for-like maintenance and replacement on the employer's premises. Check the full list in Idaho Code 54-1016 before relying on one. [2][5][6]

The license ladder: apprentice to master

If you qualify on 16,000 hours of experience but haven't passed the exam yet, you can get a provisional journeyman license. It lasts six months, can be renewed once, and you work under constant supervision while you take the exam. No more than 2,000 hours earned as a limited electrical installer or trainee count toward the journeyman license.

Idaho also has limited electrical installer licenses for specific kinds of work, such as signs, elevators, irrigation sprinklers, solar photovoltaic and limited energy, which need 4,000 hours in that category. Compare ladders in other states on the electrician hub and in journeyman vs. master. [3][4][7][8][9]

The journeyman and master exams

DOPL's exam vendor is PSI. Register and schedule on the PSI Idaho Trade Licensing site or at (855) 340-3713. PSI's bulletin lists test sites in Boise, Lewiston, Moscow, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls, and in Spokane Valley, Washington.

The journeyman exam has 100 questions in 270 minutes, and you need 70% to pass. The master exam also has 100 questions in 270 minutes, with a 75% passing score. Each costs $75, and a retake is also $75.

Both are open book. You bring your own 2020 or 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC, the national wiring rulebook) and the 2023 Ugly's Electrical References. You may highlight and permanently tab your books before the exam, but you can't write in them during it, and sticky notes are confiscated.

You need a passing score before you send DOPL your license application. [9][10][11][12]

Fees and renewal

DOPL's electrical fee table lists a $15 application fee plus a license fee: $15 for an apprentice, $55 for a journeyman, $65 for a master and $125 for a contractor. Journeyman and master licenses run three years and renew for $45. Contractors renew for $100.

The fee table lists one-year terms for apprentices and contractors, while state law sets two-year terms for them. DOPL announced that from October 30, 2026 it is moving electrical licenses that renew more often than every two years, including apprentice registrations, to a two-year cycle, with fees doubled to cover both years. Affected licenses held by individuals will expire on the holder's birthday.

Apprentice registrations can be renewed, but no one can hold one for more than five two-year periods. Renewal requires proof that you met the board's apprentice instruction and work requirements. [1][8][13][14]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Idaho

Union programs are run by joint apprenticeship and training committees (JATCs, boards of union and contractor representatives). The Southwest Idaho Electrical JATC, run with IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 291 and Idaho NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association), requires you to be 18, have a diploma or GED and a year of algebra, a driver's license and be drug free, and pass an aptitude test and an interview. Ranked applicants stay on the eligibility list for one year. DOPL's list also includes the Eastern Idaho Electrical JATC.

Open-shop programs include IEC Idaho, which runs a four-year program in Boise and Nampa with at least 8,000 hours of work and 576 hours of instruction, and WECA (Western Electrical Contractors Association). Several contractors and every community college on DOPL's list also offer approved instruction.

DOPL keeps a list of board-approved apprentice programs. More on choosing: electrician apprenticeships, union vs. non-union and the aptitude test. [15][16][17]

If you're licensed in another state

Idaho law lets DOPL license electricians from states with requirements at least equal to Idaho's without a written exam.

For journeymen, DOPL's application lists the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA) states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Oregon has its own agreement with Idaho. Your license must be active and earned by examination.

For masters, the Idaho-Wyoming agreement covers master electricians who earned the license by exam after four years (8,000 hours) as a licensed journeyman. DOPL's master application also asks reciprocal applicants for proof of at least four years as a journeyman.

Idaho's universal licensure law offers another route if you hold a current, unrestricted license elsewhere; the board may require all or part of its exam. Read more in our reciprocity guide, and confirm with DOPL at (208) 334-3233 before you apply. [3][12][18][19][20][21]

Career changers: age, background and timing

The fastest path in the rules is 8,000 hours of work while you complete the four-year related-instruction course, then the exam. Without the course, the law requires 16,000 hours (eight years) of experience.

The Southwest Idaho Electrical JATC requires you to be at least 18; IEC Idaho accepts applicants from 16. Veterans can ask for credit: Idaho law tells licensing boards to accept relevant military education, training or service.

If you have a criminal record, Idaho law lets you ask a licensing authority at any time whether a conviction would disqualify you before you apply. [3][4][15][22][23][24]

Steps to get licensed in Idaho

  1. Get hired or accepted into a program

    Apply to the Southwest Idaho Electrical JATC, an IBEW/NECA program elsewhere in the state, IEC Idaho, or get hired by an electrical contractor and enroll in an approved college program. [15][16][17][22]

  2. Register as an apprentice with DOPL before you work

    Register through DOPL online services. Keep the registration current: hours you work while it is lapsed don't count toward your license. [1][5][27]

  3. Finish the four-year course and 8,000 hours

    Complete the related instruction approved by Idaho Career and Technical Education and log 8,000 hours under a residential, journeyman or master electrician. Experience in appliance repair, motor winding or communications doesn't count. [3][4]

  4. Pass the journeyman exam with PSI

    Once you have finished the four-year course (or have 16,000 hours of experience), register for the exam on the PSI Idaho site or at (855) 340-3713. It costs $75; bring your own 2020 or 2023 National Electrical Code. [4][9][10][11]

  5. Apply for the journeyman license

    Send DOPL the journeyman application with your passing score, work verification forms, your apprenticeship completion certificate and the $70 processing fee. [12]

  6. Keep going toward master

    After at least four years as a licensed journeyman, pass the master exam and apply for the master license ($80 processing fee). [3][20]

Where to get the hours

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

Licensed in another state?

  • Journeyman Electrician: AK, AZ, AR, CO, IL, IA, ME, MN, MT, NH, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, WI, WY

    DOPL's journeyman application lists these National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA) states. DOPL checks with your state that your license is active and was earned by examination, and when it was issued. [3][12]

  • Journeyman Electrician: OR

    A written Idaho-Oregon agreement issues journeyman licenses without an exam. You must hold an active Oregon license earned by exam, with four years of apprenticeship schooling (576 classroom hours minimum) and 8,000 hours of supervised work, or experience Idaho finds equivalent. [12][18]

  • Journeyman and Master Electrician: WY

    The Idaho-Wyoming agreement covers both levels without an exam. A master applicant must have earned the master license by exam after at least four years (8,000 hours) as a licensed journeyman. [19][20]

  • Any level (universal licensure)

    Idaho law tells every licensing authority to license people who hold a current, unrestricted license in another state and show competency by methods the board sets; the board may require all or part of its exam. A separate law covers people with four years of work experience in a state that doesn't license the trade. [21][30]

Also listed by: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming (their own boards list Idaho 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
ID Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists ID

Questions people ask

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

Usually about four years: 8,000 hours as a registered apprentice plus a four-year course of related instruction, then the journeyman exam. Without the course, you need 16,000 hours (eight years) of electrical experience. [3][4]

Do I need a license to be an electrician's helper in Idaho?

You need an apprentice registration from DOPL. State law makes it unlawful to work as an apprentice without one, and employers may not knowingly hire unregistered people to do electrical work. DOPL lists the registration at $15. [1][4][5]

Is the Idaho journeyman electrician exam open book?

Yes. You bring the 2020 or 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2023 Ugly's Electrical References. The PSI exam has 100 questions in 270 minutes, and you need 70% to pass. [10]

Do Idaho cities have their own electrician licenses?

No. Electrical licensing is the state's exclusive job, and local governments can't require extra licenses or fees from state licensees. [2]

Does Idaho accept out-of-state electrician licenses?

For journeymen, from the NERA states DOPL lists and from Oregon; for masters, from Wyoming. Your license must be active and earned by exam. Idaho's universal licensure law is another route. [12][18][19][21]

Sources (37)
  1. Idaho Electrical Board, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Idaho Code 54-1002, License essential to engage in business; licensure authority exclusive to the state, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Idaho Code 54-1007, Issuance of licenses; reciprocity, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. IDAPA 24.39.10, Rules of the Idaho Electrical Board, Idaho Office of the Administrative Rules Coordinator. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. Idaho Code 54-1010, Installations by electrical contractor; apprentice registration; supervision ratios, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. Idaho Code 54-1016, Exemptions, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. Idaho Code 54-1003A, Definitions, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. Idaho Code 54-1008, Duration of license, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. Idaho Trade Licensing: Available Tests, PSI Services LLC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Idaho Trade Licensing Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 7/9/2026), PSI Services LLC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. Program Information and Exams (Electrical), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. Electrical Journeyman License Application (revised August 2, 2024), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. Idaho Code 54-1013, Renewal of licenses or registrations, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. Big changes are on the way! Stay informed about important updates that may impact your renewal cycle (Electrical, October 8, 2026), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Applicant (Southwestern Idaho Electrical JATC), Southwest Idaho Electrical Training Center. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Apprenticeship, Independent Electrical Contractors of Idaho. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Board Approved Apprenticeship Programs, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Reciprocal Agreement: Idaho Journeyman and Oregon Journeyman Electrical Licenses, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. Reciprocal Agreement: Wyoming and Idaho Journeyman and Master Electrician Licenses, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. Master Electrician License Application (revised June 15, 2024), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. Idaho Code 67-9409, Universal licensure, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. Interested in becoming an Electrical Apprentice?, Independent Electrical Contractors of Idaho. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. Idaho Code 67-9404, Military education, training, and service; qualifications for licensure, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  24. Idaho Code 67-9410, Inquiry regarding the potential impact of a criminal conviction, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  25. Idaho Code 54-1003, Administrator authority, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  26. Apprentice Work Registration Application (updated July 1, 2023), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  27. Idaho Electrical Board: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  28. Electrical Apprenticeship (Workforce Training Center), North Idaho College. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  29. Active Registration Waiver Request (Idaho Electrical Board), Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  30. Idaho Code 67-9414, Universal work recognition, Idaho Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  31. Apprenticeships, Idaho Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  32. Finding and getting an apprenticeship, Idaho Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  33. Military Service Members, Veterans and Spouses, Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  34. Trades and Industry (program standards: Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Construction Trades), Idaho Career and Technical Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  35. Advanced Opportunities: Public School, Idaho State Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  36. Advanced Opportunities: Workforce Training Approved Programs (spreadsheet), Idaho State Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  37. Give students a career jumpstart: School to Registered Apprenticeship Program, Idaho Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.