How to become an electrician in Louisiana

Licensing office Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) · (225) 765-2301 [25]

The license pathway in Louisiana

1. 1

   Helper or apprentice (no state license)

   Louisiana does not license electrical workers at the state level. You learn the trade working for an electrical contractor or in a registered apprenticeship. State law says employees of statewide-licensed electrical contractors are excluded from local examination or certification requirements as a condition of working for that contractor. [5][6]

2. 2

   Class E Electrician Trainee (New Orleans)

   • $30 a year
   • Yearly, on your birthday; valid for 5 years, then you must take the Class D exam

   New Orleans' entry card. You need a typed letter from a Class A license holder or your union representative saying you work under them as a helper or trainee, and you must be 18. [3][8]

3. 3

   Class D Journeyman Electrician (New Orleans)

   • Yes: ICC F17 National Standard Journeyman Electrician exam
   • $60 a year
   • Yearly, on your birthday

   New Orleans' journeyman card. You submit an official ICC passing results report, must be 18, and must work for and under the supervision of a Class A electrical contractor. The city's page lists no hours requirement. [4]

4. 4

   Electrical contractor (LSLBC, Electrical classification)

   • Yes: Electrical trade exam (PSI) plus the Business and Law exam (50 questions, 70 to pass)
   • State law caps the license fee at $100 and the board's exam fee at $50
   • On the license anniversary; 1-, 2- or 3-year terms

   A license for the business, not a person. The company names a qualifying party (an owner or full-time employee) who passes the exams. Commercial licenses need a financial statement showing at least $50,000 net worth. [6][10][11][13][14]

Who needs a license in Louisiana

Louisiana's state license is for contractors. State law defines an electrical contractor as anyone who bids on or performs electrical wiring, fixtures or appliance work on a residential, commercial or other project with a project value of $10,000 or more. LSLBC's classification list says the same threshold applies to the Electrical classification, and that low-voltage work such as Cat 6 or fiber also needs it when the installation penetrates walls, ceilings or floors.

There is no state journeyman or master electrician license, and no state apprentice registration. LSLBC's four basic license types are commercial, residential, home improvement and mold remediation, all held by businesses.

Cities can add their own licenses for workers. New Orleans says electricians performing work in the city must get and renew a city electrical license every year. State law, however, excludes employees of statewide-licensed electrical contractors from local examination or certification requirements as a condition of working for that contractor. If you work in New Orleans, confirm which card you need with Safety and Permits at (504) 658-7200. [1][2][4][5][6]

The ladder in Louisiana

Because the state licenses only contractors, the steps depend on where you work.

• Helper or apprentice: no state license. Union and open-shop apprenticeships add classes to paid work.
• New Orleans Class E Electrician Trainee: $30 a year with a letter from a Class A license holder or union representative; valid for 5 years.
• New Orleans Class D Journeyman Electrician: pass the ICC National Standard Journeyman Electrician exam; $60 a year; you must work under a Class A electrical contractor.
• New Orleans Class A Electrical Contractor: pass the ICC Electrical Contractor exam or hold a statewide LSLBC license; $125 a year; at least $500,000 in general liability insurance.
• LSLBC electrical contractor: the statewide business license for jobs of $10,000 or more.

Compare Louisiana with other states on the electrician hub and in journeyman vs. master. [1][3][4][5][7][8]

The LSLBC contractor license and exams

You apply online, and the company designates a qualifying party for each classification. The qualifying party must be a sole proprietor, partner, member or officer, or a full-time employee, and must pass any trade exam the classification requires.

Trade exams moved to PSI on August 5, 2025. After LSLBC approves you, PSI emails an eligibility letter, and you schedule the Electrical exam through PSI's LSLBC page, where the candidate bulletin lists the content and references. The Louisiana Business and Law exam is taken in your LSLBC Contractor Portal: 50 questions, about 30 to 45 minutes, and you need 70 or above. If you fail an exam, the board's rules make you wait 30 days to retake it.

State law caps the license fee at $100, the renewal fee at $100 and the board's exam fee at $50, and lets the board add up to $400 for contractors not based in Louisiana. Commercial applicants submit a financial statement showing at least $50,000 net worth. Licenses renew on the anniversary of issue, for one, two or three years at a time; LSLBC says commercial contractors have no continuing education requirement. [6][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships

Union (IBEW/NECA): joint apprenticeship and training committees (JATCs, run by a board of union and employer representatives) combine paid work with classes. The Electrical Training Alliance lists typical requirements as age 18, a high school education, one year of algebra, a qualifying aptitude test score and being drug free; each local JATC can add its own. The Baton Rouge Area Electrical JATC runs a four-year program, accepts applications year-round and starts a class every August.

Open shop (non-union): ABC Pelican, the Associated Builders and Contractors chapter in Baton Rouge, sponsors registered apprenticeships for electricians and other trades through its member companies, and offers craft training in Baton Rouge and Westlake that individuals can join without an employer.

Read more about electrician apprenticeships, union vs. non-union and the aptitude test. [16][17][18][19]

If you're licensed in another state

There is no state journeyman license to transfer. For the contractor license, LSLBC announced in October 2024 that it accepts a trade exam you passed in another state, as long as you passed it with no waivers, exemptions or grandfathering. The exam counts for the equivalent Louisiana classification, all other licensing requirements still apply, and LSLBC said the change voids its earlier state-by-state agreements. Your home board completes LSLBC's Reciprocity Request form.

LSLBC's rules also give licenses to qualifying military members, military spouses and dependents who hold a similar license in another state, though they still must complete the Business and Law course. In New Orleans, the city's application lets electricians licensed by another city or state apply without the exam, subject to approval by the division chief. See our reciprocity guide. [8][20][21][22]

Steps to get licensed in Louisiana

1. Get hired or accepted into an apprenticeship

   Apply to an electrical contractor or to a program such as the Baton Rouge Area Electrical JATC or ABC Pelican. No state card is needed to start. [5][19][23]

2. Get a local card if your city requires one

   In New Orleans, apply for the Class E Electrician Trainee card ($30) through the One Stop App. Other cities may have their own rules; ask the local permit office. [3]

3. Pass a journeyman exam where it's required

   To become a Class D Journeyman Electrician in New Orleans, pass the ICC National Standard Journeyman Electrician exam and apply to the city ($60 a year). A Class E card lasts 5 years, after which the city requires the Class D exam. [4][8]

4. To run your own business, license it with LSLBC

   Apply online through LSLBC, name yourself as the qualifying party, pass the Electrical trade exam through PSI and the Business and Law exam, and meet the financial requirements. [6][9][10][11]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  Baton Rouge Area Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 995 and NECA)

  A four-year program registered with the State of Louisiana and the U.S. Department of Labor: paid work during the day and class one night a week. Apprentices also earn a continuing education certificate through Baton Rouge Community College. [17][26]

• Union

  IBEW/NECA programs elsewhere in Louisiana

  Joint apprenticeship and training committees (JATCs) run by the electricians' union and contractors. Find the program for your area with the Electrical Training Alliance's training center locator. [16]

• Open shop

  ABC Pelican Chapter craft training and registered apprenticeship

  The Associated Builders and Contractors chapter runs craft training centers in Baton Rouge and Westlake, including electrical. It registers apprentices through member employers, but individuals can enroll in its training without an employer sponsor. [18][19]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask