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Electrician · State license

How to get an electrician license in Iowa

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

Journeyman level 8,000 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?

Iowa licenses electricians statewide through the Electrical Examining Board, now part of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL). You start with a $20 yearly apprentice license while in a registered apprenticeship. After 8,000 hours on the job and 576 classroom hours you can sit for the journeyman exam (70% to pass). After a year as a licensed journeyman you can test for master, and a master can hold an electrical contractor license. [1][2][3]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Iowa

In Iowa you can't do electrical work without a state license, even as a beginner. Your first step is to get into a registered apprenticeship: apply to a union program such as the Des Moines Electrical JATC (Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee), or get hired by an open-shop contractor (for example an ABC of Iowa member) that enrolls you. Then apply for the $20-a-year apprentice license at iowaelectrical.gov before you start work. [1][2][8][13][14]

  • High school diploma or GED

    Iowa's electrician law and the board's licensing rules don't list one for the apprentice license They require you to be in a registered apprenticeship. Programs set their own rules: the Des Moines Electrical JATC (run by IBEW Local 347 and the Iowa Chapter of NECA) requires a high school diploma, HiSET (High School Equivalency Test) or GED (General Educational Development test), or a counselor's letter saying you're on track to graduate this school year, plus a passing grade in Algebra I or Algebra II. [1][2][15][16]

  • Minimum age

    The state's apprentice license rules don't set one. The Des Moines Electrical JATC lets you apply at 17, but you must be 18 before you can be registered as an apprentice. [2][15]

  • Get licensed before you start work

    A person without a current license can't work as an electrician or unclassified person. The apprentice license costs $20 a year, is only for people in a registered apprenticeship, and can be held for up to six years. Apply online at iowaelectrical.gov. The board waives first-time license fees if your household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. [1][2][8]

  • Helper jobs

    If you work for a licensed electrical contractor but aren't in an apprenticeship, you need an unclassified person license ($20 a year). Apprentices and unclassified persons must be directly supervised at all times by a licensed electrician, who may supervise no more than three at once. The Des Moines JATC says you can also work as an entry-level construction wireman before or after applying. [2][15]

  • Aptitude test and math

    The Des Moines JATC ranks applicants with the GAN aptitude battery (math, reading comprehension, spatial reasoning and mechanical principles; five sections, about 2.5 hours) and a personal experience form. The test isn't pass/fail. The application fee is $40. [13][15]

  • Driver's license

    The Des Moines JATC requires a valid driver's license to become an apprentice. [15]

  • Application windows

    As of October 2026, the Des Moines JATC takes applications year-round but tests four times a year. For the Winter 2027 test (February 22-23, 2027), start your application by January 8, 2027 and finish it by February 8, 2027. ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) of Iowa apprentices are enrolled by their employer Its winter daytime class registration runs November 4 to December 9, 2026. [14][17][18]

  • Pay while you learn

    Iowa Workforce Development says registered apprentices start working and earning from day one, and in most cases the employer pays for classroom costs. ABC of Iowa apprentices earn paid on-the-job training hours with a member employer. [14][19][20]

  • Credit for school or military

    DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College) says graduates of its electrical trades program can apply for credit of hours toward an apprenticeship, and the board's community college route counts an approved 2,000-hour program toward the journeyman exam. The Des Moines JATC lets you add college transcripts, pre-apprenticeship certificates and military documentation to your application. [5][10][15]

  • Still in high school?

    State law says a student in a home construction course taught by a licensed electrician through a school district, community college or state university isn't treated as an apprentice or unclassified person. The Des Moines JATC accepts applications at 17 with a counselor's letter if you're on track to graduate. Iowa Workforce Development says more Iowa high schools offer registered apprenticeship and quality pre-apprenticeship programs Start with your school counselor. Iowa child labor law lets students under 18 in a registered apprenticeship or approved career and technical education (CTE) program do some otherwise restricted work if it's incidental to training and closely supervised, with written permission from a parent and the school or employer. Iowa's CTE programs include a service area covering construction, and Senior Year Plus concurrent enrollment and career academies let you take community college career and technical courses while in high school. [1][15][20][21][22][23]

Where to apply in IowaHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Iowa Electrical Examining Board, Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) [1][8]

Iowa electrician license at a glance

Who issues licenses
Electrical Examining Board, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing DIAL [1][8]
Apprentice license
Required to work as an apprentice $20 per year; you must be in a registered apprenticeship; limit 6 years [1][2]
Journeyman experience
Finish a registered apprenticeship: 8,000 hours on the job plus 576 classroom hours before testing [2][3]
Journeyman exam
PSI (a testing company), 80 scored questions, 180 minutes, 70% to pass, 2023 NEC (National Electrical Code) allowed in the room $87 [4][6]
Master experience
1 year as a licensed journeyman, then the master exam [2]
License fees
Journeyman $75 and master or contractor $375 for 3 years Apprentice $20 per year [2]
Renewal + CE
Journeyman, master and contractor licenses last 3 years 18 hours of approved CE (continuing education) per 3-year license [2][5]
Reciprocity
Agreements with 13 states for journeyman and master licenses [12]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a license in Iowa
  5. The license ladder: apprentice to contractor
  6. Other routes to the journeyman exam
  7. The exam
  8. Fees, renewal and continuing education
  9. Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Iowa
  10. If you're licensed in another state
  11. Recent changes
  12. Steps to get licensed
  13. Where to get the hours
  14. Licensed in another state?
  15. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Iowa

  1. 1

    Apprentice electrician

    • Through your registered apprenticeship program (576 hours before the journeyman exam)
    • $20 per year
    • Yearly; no more than 6 years without a board extension

    You need this license to work as an apprentice, and you must be in an apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. You must be directly supervised at all times by a licensed journeyman or master. [1][2][3]

  2. 2

    Journeyman electrician, class A

    • 8,000 hours on the job
    • 4 years of experience
    • 576 hours (registered apprenticeship)
    • Yes: PSI, 80 scored questions, 180 minutes, 70% to pass, open book with the 2023 NEC; $87 exam fee
    • $75 for 3 years
    • Every 3 years; 18 hours CE

    Lets you wire and install electrical equipment anywhere in Iowa, working under the general direction of a master electrician. The usual route is finishing a registered apprenticeship; the board also accepts an approved community college program plus 6,000 hours on the job. [2][3][4][5][6]

  3. 3

    Master electrician, class A

    • 1 year of experience
    • Yes: PSI, 100 scored questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass
    • $375 for 3 years
    • Every 3 years; 18 hours CE

    Lets you plan, lay out and supervise electrical work. You qualify after one year of experience as a licensed journeyman and a passing master exam score. [2][4][5][6]

  4. 4

    Electrical contractor

    • $375 for 3 years
    • Every 3 years

    For a person who runs an electrical business: you must hold, or employ someone who holds, an active master electrician license, and register as a contractor with DIAL. Contractors also need at least $1 million of general liability coverage. [2][4]

Who needs a license in Iowa

Iowa's rules say "a person who does not have a current valid license cannot perform work as an electrician or as an unclassified person." That includes beginners. If you are in a registered apprenticeship you need an apprentice license. If you work for an electrical contractor without being in an apprenticeship, you need an unclassified person license ($20 a year).

Apprentices and unclassified persons must be "directly supervised at all times" by a licensed master or journeyman (or a residential license holder on residential work). One licensed electrician can supervise no more than three of them at once.

There is one homeowner exception. You don't need a license for work on your own principal residence if it qualifies for the homestead tax exemption, is an existing house rather than new construction, and isn't larger than a single-family home. Inspections are still required. [1][2][4]

The license ladder: apprentice to contractor

Iowa also has a residential track. A residential electrician can qualify with 6,000 hours as an apprentice and the residential exam, and a residential master needs 2,000 hours as a residential or journeyman electrician plus an exam. Residential licenses cover dwellings with no more than four living units. Some cities can limit their use by local ordinance.

See journeyman vs. master for what the two levels mean in general. [1][2][3][4]

Other routes to the journeyman exam

The rule lists several ways besides a finished apprenticeship:

Every route still requires the journeyman exam with a score of 70 or higher within 24 months before you apply. [2][3][5]

The exam

PSI runs Iowa's electrical exams for the Electrical Examining Board. You can't register until the board approves your testing sponsorship. Its approval letter has the code you need to register with PSI.

[2][3][4][6]

Fees, renewal and continuing education

Licenses and fees from the board's rule:

Fees are prorated if a license is issued for less than the full term. DIAL's fee schedule for the 2026-2028 cycle adds a 10% late renewal fee per month for the first three months after a license expires. The board waives fees for first-time applicants whose household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Continuing education (CE, approved classes you take while licensed): each holder of a three-year license must complete 18 hours of approved CE before renewal, or 6 hours for each year if the license was issued for a shorter term. [2][5][7]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Iowa

Iowa law ties the apprentice license to an apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, so you need a program sponsor. DIAL publishes a list of approved training programs, including:

More: electrician apprenticeships and union vs. non-union. [1][8][9][10][11]

If you're licensed in another state

Iowa has three ways in:

  1. Reciprocal agreements. The board has agreements with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. You must have passed that state's exam with 70% or more and held the license for a year, and you can't have failed the Iowa exam. The rule also requires either a completed apprenticeship or 16,000 hours of licensed work, shown by sworn affidavit. Which Iowa license you get depends on the state; see the table on DIAL's reciprocal agreements sheet. For example, Texas master licenses go to Iowa Master Class A, while Colorado master licenses go to Iowa Journeyman Class A.
  2. Licensure by verification. Iowa's general license recognition rule covers electricians. You need a license held for at least 1 year in another jurisdiction with a similar scope of practice, in good standing, and proof that you live in Iowa (or that you're married to an active-duty service member on a permanent change of station).
  3. Work experience from a state with no license. If you moved from a place that didn't license electricians, at least 3 years of full-time work in the last 4 years may count toward training requirements. You still need to pass the exam.

See Texas and the reciprocity guide for more. [2][12]

Recent changes

Iowa's electrical licensing program now sits in DIAL, and the law names DIAL as the department. The licensing rules that used to be in the Public Safety Department's chapters (661) were moved to DIAL's chapter 481-401 as of July 9, 2025. Some older DIAL documents, like the testing sponsorship sheet, still mention the State Fire Marshal Division. [1][2][3]

Steps to get licensed in Iowa

  1. Get hired and get your apprentice license

    Join a registered apprenticeship (union, open shop or employer program) and apply for an apprentice license online at iowaelectrical.gov. The license costs $20 a year. [1][2][8]

  2. Log 8,000 hours and 576 classroom hours

    Work under direct supervision of a licensed journeyman or master. Once you reach 8,000 on-the-job hours and 576 classroom hours, your program director sends a letter saying so, or you send your apprenticeship completion certificate. [2][3]

  3. Apply for the journeyman license and request test sponsorship

    Apply online and submit the testing sponsorship form, no earlier than one month before you are ready to test. The board emails an approval letter with a code to register with PSI. [3]

  4. Pass the PSI journeyman exam

    80 scored questions in 180 minutes, 70% to pass, with the 2023 National Electrical Code as your reference. The exam fee is $87. [4][6]

  5. Receive your license, then keep it current

    The journeyman license is issued once you finish the apprenticeship. It runs 3 years and costs $75; complete 18 hours of approved CE before each renewal. [2][3][5]

Where to get the hours

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

Licensed in another state?

  • Journeyman (to Iowa Journeyman Class A): AK, AR, CO, MN, MT, NE, NH, ND, OK, SD, TX, WI, WY

    A journeyman license from any of these states may reciprocate to an Iowa Journeyman Class A license, and the other way around. You must have passed a state-sponsored exam with 70% or more and held the license for 1 year, and you can't have taken and failed the Iowa exam. [2][12]

  • Master or electrical contractor (to Iowa Master Class A): AR, MN, NE, ND, SD, TX, WI, WY

    Master (or, for Nebraska and South Dakota, electrical contractor) licenses from these states may reciprocate to an Iowa Master Class A license. Master or contractor licenses from Alaska, Colorado, Montana, New Hampshire and Oklahoma reciprocate to an Iowa Journeyman Class A instead. [12]

  • Any license (licensure by verification)

    If you move to Iowa, Iowa's licensure-by-verification rule lets you apply on the strength of a license you have held for at least 1 year in another state with a similar scope of practice. You must prove Iowa residency (or be a military spouse on official orders). [2]

Also listed by: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming (their own boards list Iowa 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
IA Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists IA

Questions people ask

How many hours do I need to become a journeyman electrician in Iowa?

DIAL's testing sponsorship sheet says registered apprentices can seek sponsorship for the journeyman exam after at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 hours of classroom training. The board's rule describes this as four years of experience as an apprentice. [2][3]

Do apprentices need a license in Iowa?

Yes. Apprentice electricians must be licensed by the board ($20 a year) and be in an apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. Helpers who aren't in an apprenticeship need an unclassified person license. [1][2]

Is the Iowa journeyman electrician exam open book?

You may bring the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2023 NEC Handbook. The PSI exam has 80 scored questions, 180 minutes, and needs 70% to pass. [6]

Which states have electrical reciprocity with Iowa?

Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming, for journeyman licenses. Master licenses from some of these states convert to an Iowa master license and others to a journeyman license. [12]

How much does an Iowa electrician license cost?

Apprentice $20 a year, journeyman $75 for 3 years, and master or electrical contractor $375 for 3 years. The PSI exam fee is $87. [2][6]

How much continuing education do Iowa electricians need?

18 hours of board-approved CE for each three-year license term. [5]

Sources (23)
  1. Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 103, Electricians and Electrical Contractors, Iowa Legislature. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  2. Iowa Admin. Code 481, Chapter 401: Electrician and Electrical Contractor Licensing Program, Licensing Requirements, Procedures, and Fees, Iowa Legislature (Iowa Administrative Code). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  3. State of Iowa Testing Sponsorship Requirements and Information (revised 12/14/2023), Iowa Electrical Examining Board (DIAL). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  4. Electrical Licensing FAQs, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  5. Iowa Admin. Code 481, Chapter 403: Electrician and Electrical Contractor Licensing Program, Education, Iowa Legislature (Iowa Administrative Code). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  6. Iowa Electrical Examining Board Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 9/19/2025), PSI Services LLC. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  7. License Fees for 2026-2028 License Cycle, Iowa Electrical Examining Board (DIAL). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  8. Electrical Licensing, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  9. Locate a Training Center: Inside Wireman, electrical training ALLIANCE (IBEW and NECA). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  10. Electrical Trades, Des Moines Area Community College. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  11. The Iowa Office of Apprenticeship, Iowa Workforce Development. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  12. Reciprocal Licensing Agreements with Other States (1/29/2026), Iowa Electrical Examining Board (DIAL). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  13. Steps to Apply, Des Moines Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 347 and Iowa Chapter NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. Intro to Iowa Apprenticeships, ABC of Iowa Trust (Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Frequently Asked Questions (Applicants), Des Moines Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 347 and Iowa Chapter NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship, Des Moines Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 347 and Iowa Chapter NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Application Deadlines (updated October 7, 2026), Des Moines Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 347 and Iowa Chapter NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Employer Apprenticeship Registration: 2026-2027 Registration Dates, ABC of Iowa Trust (Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. Forging a New Career Path: Becoming an Apprentice in Iowa, Iowa Workforce Development. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. Frequently Asked Questions: Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Iowa Workforce Development. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 92, Child Labor, Iowa Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. Career & Technical Education, Iowa Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. Senior Year Plus, Iowa Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.