How to get an electrician license in Maryland

Licensing office Maryland State Board of Electricians (Maryland Department of Labor) · (410) 230-6163 [1]

The license pathway in Maryland

1. 1

   Apprentice electrician

   • $12 license; $12 renewal
   • Every 2 years

   A state license to assist with electrical work while you train to become a journeyperson, under the direction of a licensed master electrician. There are no prerequisites, and apprentices must be supervised at all times by a licensed master or journeyperson. [1][2][7][12][15]

2. 2

   Journeyperson electrician

   • 4 years of experience
   • Yes, PSI: 70 questions, 210 minutes, 70% to pass, open book (NEC); waived for completed registered apprenticeships
   • $18.50 license; $65 PSI exam
   • Every 2 years; 5 hours CE

   Requires at least 4 years of work providing electrical services under a master electrician (or a similarly qualified government employee) and a passing exam score. If you complete a state- or federally approved apprenticeship of at least 576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours, the Board waives the experience and exam requirements. [3][4][9][11][12][15][16]

3. 3

   Master electrician

   • 7 years of experience
   • Yes, PSI: 90 questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass, open book (NEC)
   • $25 license; $65 PSI exam
   • Every 2 years; 10 hours CE

   Requires at least 7 years under a master electrician; the Board may credit up to 3 years for formal study or training, and must credit work in a completed approved apprenticeship. A master who contracts must carry liability insurance and may also need a local registration. [3][8][9][11][12][13][15][16]

Who needs a license in Maryland

All electrical work in Maryland must be done by a licensed master, journeyperson or apprentice electrician, and apprentices must be supervised at all times by a licensed master or journeyperson. Employers may not hire anyone to provide electrical services who isn't licensed by the State Board, and at least one licensed master or journeyperson must be present at each job site.

The Board warns that unlicensed electrical work is illegal and can bring fines of up to $5,000, imprisonment, or both. Some older pages still call it the State Board of Master Electricians; the statute now calls it the State Board of Electricians. [1][6][7]

Statewide licensing replaced county licenses

Before July 1, 2021, some counties and cities licensed electricians themselves. Under current law, beginning July 1, 2021, a local jurisdiction may not issue licenses for apprentice, journeyperson or master electricians; the Board began accepting apprentice and journeyperson applications on that date.

Counties and cities can still register electricians, issue permits, charge fees and inspect work. A jurisdiction that registers electricians must use the same exam as the State Board. Some local jurisdictions charge a registration fee before you can pull a permit, so check with the county or city where you work. [2][5][8]

The license ladder

• Apprentice: no prerequisites and no exam. You assist under the direction of a licensed master electrician while training to become a journeyperson.
• Journeyperson: at least 4 years providing electrical services under a master electrician or a similarly qualified government employee, plus the exam. Work in a completed state- or federally approved apprenticeship counts toward the 4 years.
• Master: at least 7 years under a master electrician or similarly qualified government employee, plus the exam. The Board may credit up to 3 years for formal study or professional training in electrical installation.

Maryland states experience in years, not hours, except for the apprenticeship waiver: completing an apprenticeship approved by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council or the federal Office of Apprenticeship with at least 576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours gets you a journeyperson license without the exam. Only the MATC or federal certificate is accepted as proof. [2][3][4][7]

The exam

PSI gives the master and journeyperson exams. The Board lists PSI test centers in Baltimore, College Park, Hagerstown, Lanham and Salisbury, and an exam fee of $65. State law sets the passing score at 70%.

Per PSI's bulletin, the journeyperson exam has 70 questions in 210 minutes (49 correct to pass) and the master exam 90 questions in 240 minutes. Both are open book: you bring your own National Electrical Code (NEC) book, which may be tabbed but not written in; the bulletin lists the 2020 NEC, so confirm the edition with PSI before you buy. Applications must be made online with PSI.

If you fail, the Board's FAQ (frequently asked questions) says you must wait 30 days to reapply, and 60 days for later retakes, paying the fee each time. There is no required prep course. [8][9][10][11]

Fees, insurance and renewal

State license fees are $25 for a master, $18.50 for a journeyperson and $12 for an apprentice; renewals cost $31.50, $18.50 and $12. Exam fees are paid to PSI. All Board fees are non-refundable.

A master electrician (or a business) that contracts electrical work must carry at least $300,000 of general liability and $100,000 of property damage insurance. Apprentices and journeypersons working for a licensed master don't need their own. A licensee without insurance can apply for "uninsured status," but a master on uninsured status can only work as a journeyperson in a county that requires a State master license.

Licenses last two years and expire on a staggered basis. To renew, a master needs 10 hours and a journeyperson 5 hours of approved continuing education (CE) completed during the prior license term. [2][12][13][14][15][16]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships

Completing a registered apprenticeship of 576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours lets you skip the journeyperson exam. On the union side, the Baltimore JATC is run by IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 24 and the Maryland Chapter of NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association); a JATC is a joint apprenticeship and training committee. Other IBEW/NECA programs are listed on the Electrical Training Alliance locator. On the open-shop (non-union) side, IEC Chesapeake runs electrical apprenticeship programs.

The Maryland Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship has an apprenticeship locator. Frederick Community College lists the Baltimore JATC's entry rules: age 18 or older, a valid driver's license, a high school diploma or GED, and a score of 4 or higher on the electrical trades aptitude test. [4][17][18][19][20][21]

If you're licensed in another state

State law lets the Board waive the exam for licensees from states that waive Maryland's exam in return. You need an active license earned by exam in a state with substantially equivalent rules, plus 7 years of experience (4 before licensure) for master or 4 years (2 before licensure) for journeyperson.

The Board currently lists master reciprocity with Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. For journeyperson licenses its pages disagree: the applications page lists Virginia, Delaware and D.C., while the how-to-apply page says Maryland reciprocates journeyperson licenses only with Virginia (and another line on that page says there is no provision for out-of-state journeyperson licenses at all). Ask the Board before you apply.

A warning from the Board: if you get your Maryland license by reciprocity from a local (county) license, you can't use it to get a reciprocal license in another state. See also our guide to license reciprocity. [2][8][22][23]

Steps to get licensed in Maryland

1. Get your apprentice license

   Apply online for an apprentice license. There are no prerequisites. Work only under the supervision of a licensed master or journeyperson. [1][2][23]

2. Build 4 years of experience (or finish an apprenticeship)

   Work at least 4 years providing electrical services under a master electrician, or complete a registered apprenticeship of at least 576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours approved by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council or the federal Office of Apprenticeship. [2][3]

3. Pass the PSI exam, or apply by waiver

   Exam route: apply online with PSI (paper, fax and email applications ended March 31, 2025) and pass the journeyperson exam. Apprenticeship route: send your completion certificate with the waiver application; you must apply within 2 years of receiving it. [2][11]

4. Apply for your state license

   After passing, apply online through the Board's licensing applications page. Upload all supporting documents within 30 days of applying or the application is denied. [9][23]

5. Renew every 2 years

   Renew online and complete continuing education during the license term: 5 hours for a journeyperson, 10 hours for a master. [15][16]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  Baltimore Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 24 / NECA Maryland Chapter)

  A joint apprenticeship and training committee of IBEW Local 24 and the Maryland Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, recognized as a Maryland Apprenticeship Ambassador by the state. [17]

• Union

  Electrical Training Alliance training center locator (IBEW/NECA JATCs)

  Finds the IBEW/NECA joint apprenticeship and training committee (JATC) training center nearest you. [18]

• Open shop

  IEC Chesapeake electrical apprenticeship

  The Independent Electrical Contractors' Chesapeake chapter runs electrical apprenticeship programs for the region and says it has done so for more than 40 years. [19]

• State program

  Maryland Office of Apprenticeship (Maryland Department of Labor)

  The state apprenticeship agency, home of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council. Its apprenticeship locator lists registered programs. [20]

• School

  Frederick Community College electrical apprenticeships

  Partners with the Baltimore Electrical JATC and IEC Chesapeake to host apprenticeship training in the Frederick region. [21]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask