How electrician licensing works in Indiana

Journeyman level Licensed by cities or counties, not the state What's a journeyman?

The license pathway in Indiana

1. 1

   Apprentice or electrical worker

   No state license. In Indianapolis you work for a licensed electrical contractor; an unlicensed person may do electrical work only under the supervision of a licensed electrical contractor. [1][2]

2. 2

   Residential electrical license (Indianapolis)

   • 6 years of experience
   • Yes, ICC exam, 75% to pass, after Board approval
   • $377 new license holder (Jan.-June 2026)
   • Every two years; $247

   Lets the license holder's business work on one- and two-family structures only. You need six years of documented electrical construction experience and Board approval, then a passing ICC score and an orientation. [2][7]

3. 3

   Master electrical license (Indianapolis)

   • 6 years of experience
   • Yes, ICC exam, 75% to pass, after Board approval
   • $377 new license holder (Jan.-June 2026)
   • Every two years; $247

   The unrestricted license. Same six-year experience rule. Within a year of taking the residential exam you can upgrade without appearing before the Board again. [2][7]

4. 4

   Electrical contractor (Indianapolis)

   • $247 new business license (Jan.-June 2026); none for sole proprietors
   • Every two years; $247

   Required to connect power for construction or install, alter, service or repair a power distribution system in the Consolidated City. The business needs at least one license holder who passed the exam, plus a $10,000 bond, liability insurance and workers' comp. [1][7]

Who licenses electricians in Indiana

The State of Indiana doesn't license electricians: electrician is not among the professions the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency licenses, and Indianapolis's Board of Electrical Examiners says "There is not a state electrical license" and that licensing is at the discretion of the local municipality.

State law (IC 36-1-22) bars cities and counties from adopting new licensing requirements for builders and remodelers of homes after February 2013, but it says they can still require a person in a specific trade, "including an electrician", to be licensed, permitted, registered or listed before working. So rules vary from place to place: ask the building department where you'll work. [2][3][4]

How to get your first job or apprenticeship here

You don't need a state card to start. Get hired by an electrical contractor or apply to an apprenticeship. In Indianapolis, an unlicensed person may do electrical work only under the supervision of a licensed electrical contractor, and the license holder or an employee who reports directly to them is expected to be on site.

The Electrical Training Institute, run by IBEW Local 481 and NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association), accepts applications year-round. Its basic qualifications are age 17 or older, one year of high school algebra with a C or better, proof of citizenship and a valid driver's license. You apply online ($50), send official transcripts within 30 days, complete a Personal Experience Form, take an in-person aptitude test, and the top scorers are interviewed. [2][5][6]

Indianapolis electrical licenses

The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (BNS) licenses electrical contractors in the Consolidated City of Indianapolis (not the excluded cities of Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway and Southport). A license is required to connect power for construction or to install, alter, replace, service or repair a system distributing electrical power. Work under 25 volts and 50 watts (except fire alarms) doesn't need a licensed electrical contractor.

Each business must have at least one license holder who passed the exam. There are two license types: Master (unrestricted) and Residential (one- and two-family structures only). Indianapolis lists no separate journeyman license.

To take the exam you need at least six years of documented experience in electrical construction, from a notarized employer letter (or three references from supply houses or contractors plus tax records). The Board may credit up to two years for related college courses and up to two years for a completed electrical apprenticeship, and you must have worked in the industry at least 12 months of the last two years. [1][2][7]

The exam

You first appear before the Board of Electrical Examiners, which meets the second Thursday of each month; your packet is due at least ten business days before. If approved, you take the International Code Council (ICC) exam. The passing score for the 2023 NEC exam is 75%. You may retake it, but if you haven't passed within six months of approval, you must wait a year from approval before coming back for orientation and licensure. After passing you have two years to attend the Board's orientation. [2]

Fees, insurance and renewal in Indianapolis

From the 2026 electrical contractor packet:

• New license holder fee: $377 if you apply January-June 2026, $283 for July-December 2026, $189 in 2027.
• New business license fee: $247, $185 or $124 for the same periods; not charged to sole proprietorships.
• Renewal: $247 for the business and $247 for the license holder.
• A $10,000 license bond, general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence, and workers' compensation coverage (or an exemption).

Electrical contractor licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years and renew every two years. [7]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships

The Electrical Training Institute's apprenticeship is at least 720 hours of classroom instruction and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training over five terms, about five years. It lists starting pay of $22.90 an hour, with yearly raises. Outside Indianapolis, find your area's IBEW/NECA program with the Electrical Training Alliance locator.

ABC of Indiana/Kentucky runs Department of Labor-registered apprenticeships, including electrician, with training sites in Indianapolis, Daleville, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Greenwood/Columbus and southern Indiana. Most trades take four years, with classes one evening a week plus online study. You can also search the Apprenticeship Finder. [8][9][10][11][12]

If you're licensed elsewhere

With no state license, recognition is local. Indianapolis's Board may grant a reciprocal license if you hold a current license from a jurisdiction it has an agreement with and passed a Prometric exam with at least 75%. Its list includes Allen County (Fort Wayne), Bartholomew County (Columbus), Monroe County (Bloomington), St. Joseph County (South Bend), cities such as Anderson, Elkhart, Lafayette, Muncie and Terre Haute, and Belleville, Waukegan, Granite City and Rock Island in Illinois. The exam sponsor must mail an original letter to the Board. If you already passed the required ICC exam elsewhere, you can submit your score report with your application. [2]

Steps to get licensed in Indiana

1. Check the rules where you'll work

   Indiana has no state electrical license, so ask the city or county building department where you'll work what it requires. In Indianapolis, licensing runs through the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services. [1][2]

2. Get hired or join an apprenticeship

   Work for a licensed electrical contractor or join a registered apprenticeship such as the Electrical Training Institute (17+, one year of algebra with a C or better) or ABC of Indiana/Kentucky. [2][5][10]

3. Build six years of documented experience

   Indianapolis requires six years in electrical construction, verified by a notarized employer letter, and work in the industry for at least 12 months of the last two years. Up to two years can come from a completed apprenticeship and up to two from related college courses. [2]

4. Go before the Board and pass the ICC exam

   Submit the exam application, references and driver's license copy at least ten business days before a Board meeting (second Thursday of each month), interview with the Board, then pass the ICC exam with 75% or better within six months of approval. [2]

5. Attend orientation and license the business

   After passing, return for orientation and submit the bond, insurance, workers' comp and fees. Licenses renew every two years. [2][7]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  Electrical Training Institute (IBEW Local 481 / NECA), Indianapolis

  Inside electrician apprenticeship: at least 720 classroom hours and 8,000 on-the-job hours over about five years. Applications are taken year-round. [5][6][8]

• Union

  IBEW/NECA training centers (Electrical Training Alliance locator)

  Find the union inside-wireman program for other parts of Indiana. [9]

• Open shop

  ABC of Indiana/Kentucky electrician apprenticeship

  Merit-shop apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, with training sites around Indiana. Most trades take four years, with weekly evening classes; apprentices can earn a tuition-free Vincennes University associate degree. [10][11]

• Other

  U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Finder

  Search registered electrician apprenticeships anywhere in Indiana. [12]

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