How to become a licensed electrician in South Carolina

Licensing office South Carolina Residential Builders Commission and Contractor's Licensing Board (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) · (803) 896-4696 [1][3]

The license pathway in South Carolina

1. 1

   Electrician working for a contractor (no state card)

   South Carolina has no apprentice or helper registration. The residential license is for independent contractors who contract with a builder, general contractor or property owner, and commercial licenses go to the contracting business. Your hours under a licensed electrician count toward a license later. [3][4][13]

2. 2

   Journeyman Electrician certification (CAGC, used by some cities)

   • 4,000 hours on the job
   • Yes: CAGC Foundation exam through PROV, online or in person
   • $35 application

   A certification formerly issued by the Municipal Association of South Carolina. You need 2 years (4,000 hours) of full-time electrical installation experience under a journeyman or master; a two-year technical college degree counts as one year. It isn't a state license, but some city codes require it (example: Easley). [2][9][10][11]

3. 3

   Residential Electrician license

   • 1 year of experience
   • Yes: Residential Electrical (60 questions, 73.3% to pass, 180 minutes) plus Business Management and Law (50 questions), open book, PSI; $94 for both parts
   • $135 application, $220 license
   • Every 2 years by June 30 of odd years; $220

   Needed to contract for residential electrical work over $500 (homes up to three floors and buildings with up to sixteen units). You need one year of residential electrical experience within the past five years, verified by a licensed supervisor. Jobs over $5,000 also need a $10,000 surety bond. [1][8][12][13][14][15]

4. 4

   Master Electrician certification (CAGC)

   • 8,000 hours on the job
   • Yes: CAGC Foundation exam through PROV
   • $35 application

   For certified journeymen with at least four years (8,000 hours) in the trade, two of them under a master; 10 documented years can replace the journeyman requirement. A master certification issued by exam lets you skip the technical exam for the state residential and commercial electrical licenses. [1][9][17]

5. 5

   Mechanical Contractor: Electrical classification (commercial)

   • 2 years of experience
   • Yes: Electrician exam (80 questions, 56 correct to pass, 5 hours, $75) plus Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors ($75), open book, PSI
   • $350 initial license
   • Every 2 years (expires October 31 of odd years); $135

   Needed for commercial electrical work over $10,000. The license belongs to the business, which names a Primary Qualifying Party (PQP) who passed the exams and has at least two years of full-time experience within the past five. The license group (1 to 5) sets the largest job you can take, from $35,000 to unlimited. [3][5][16][17][18]

Who needs a license in South Carolina

South Carolina licenses electricians at two levels, through two boards in the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR).

• Residential: state law defines a residential specialty contractor as "an independent contractor" who contracts with a licensed residential builder, general contractor or property owner when the job is over $500. Electricians must get a specialty contractor license after passing the exam. Residential means buildings up to three floors and up to sixteen units.
• Commercial: no business may do mechanical contracting (which includes electrical work) where the total cost of construction is over $10,000 without a license from the Contractor's Licensing Board.

A licensed mechanical contractor with the Electrical classification doesn't also need the residential license for work in that classification. A residential builder licensed by exam may also do residential electrical work.

Recent change: a 2023 law (Act 69, H.4115) raised the commercial threshold from $5,000 to more than $10,000. The residential thresholds didn't change. [1][4][5][6][7][8]

No state journeyman license: what that means for you

There's no state apprentice, journeyman or master electrician license in South Carolina. You can learn the trade working for a contractor without a state card.

Journeyman and master electrician certifications do exist. The Municipal Association of South Carolina ran this Mechanical Trades Certification Program from 1965 until January 1, 2026, when Carolinas AGC took it over. The CAGC Foundation says the card confirms you met its experience and exam requirements, and it shouldn't be confused with the state licenses. Cards issued by the Municipal Association stay valid until the expiration date printed on them.

• Journeyman Electrician: 2 years (4,000 hours) of full-time electrical installation experience under a journeyman or master. A two-year degree from an accredited technical college counts as one year.
• Master Electrician: a certified journeyman with at least four years (8,000 hours) in the trade, two of them under a master. Ten documented years can replace the journeyman requirement.
• There's also a Journeyman Electrician Residential and a Master Residential Electrician certification.

Some cities and counties require these cards. For example, the City of Easley's code says no person may do electrical work in the city without a certificate from the South Carolina Municipal Association. State law also lets counties and cities examine and license residential specialty contractors, but not re-test someone who passed a Commission-approved exam. Ask your local building department what it requires. [2][4][9][10][11]

The residential electrician license

The Residential Builders Commission licenses residential electricians. To qualify for the exam you need at least one year of residential electrical experience within the past five years. Each supervisor or employer fills out an Experience Affidavit and must have been appropriately licensed during the time they supervised you. Experience from any state or country counts.

You apply first; the Commission reviews your application, verifies your experience and then emails an exam eligibility letter. The application is valid for one year. You also submit a credit report, and the Commission checks criminal and judgment records.

The Commission's FAQ (frequently asked questions) says licenses renew every two years, before June 30 of odd-numbered years. State law (S.C. Code § 40-59-230) still says the Commission renews licenses annually, while the Commission's current FAQ describes two-year renewals; confirm with the Commission. [1][4][12][13]

The exams

Residential (PSI): you must pass two parts. The Residential Electrical exam has 60 questions; you need 44 correct (73.3%) and get 180 minutes. The Business Management and Law exam has 50 questions and needs a scale score of 68. Both are open book. PSI charges $94 for both parts or $75 for one. Your eligibility lasts one year with three attempts; after three failures you wait 12 months.

Commercial (PSI): the Electrician exam has 80 questions; you need 56 correct and get 5 hours ($75). You also pass the Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam (125 minutes, $75). The commercial exams are open book. You may take a classification exam only twice in 12 months and then once every six months. No pre-approval is needed to book the commercial exams. [3][5][12][14][15][16]

Commercial electrical contractor license

Commercial licenses belong to the business. Each classification needs a Primary Qualifying Party (PQP), the person responsible for directing the work, who passed the technical and business and law exams. Applicants must show at least 2 years of work experience within the past 5 years in the classification.

The license group sets the most you can bid on one job: Group 1 $35,000, Group 2 $100,000, Group 3 $200,000, Group 4 $400,000 and Group 5 unlimited. You qualify with a financial statement showing enough net worth or working capital, or with a surety bond equal to the net worth requirement (from $7,000 for Group 1 to $300,000 for Group 5).

The initial license fee is $350. Mechanical contractor licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years, and renewal costs $135 if on time. [3][5][17][18]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships

Because there's no apprentice license, an apprenticeship here is about training and documented experience. Union programs are run by local IBEW/NECA JATCs (short for Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee); find yours with the Electrical Training Alliance locator. Typical requirements are age 18, a high school education, one year of high school algebra, a qualifying aptitude test score and being drug free.

Apprenticeship Carolina, part of the SC Technical College System, helps employers register apprenticeships. Registered apprentices are paid, get at least one guaranteed raise and earn a Journeyworker credential from the U.S. Department of Labor when they finish.

For the differences between routes, see union vs. non-union, electrician apprenticeships and helper jobs. [4][19][20][21]

If you're licensed in another state

Residential: the Commission waives the technical exam if you hold a North Carolina or Mississippi license obtained by exam for at least a year, have passed the NASCLA (National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies) residential electrical exam in the past 3 years, or hold an SC master electrician certification by exam. You still need the experience and the Business Management and Law exam.

Commercial: the Board's exam waiver list (as of May 2026) accepts electrical exams from Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee, Utah master electrician exams passed before May 2017, Reading, Pennsylvania, and the NASCLA electrical exam. Georgia is listed, but the Board notes Georgia no longer accepts SC waiver applicants. You must pass the SC business and law exam, and licenses obtained by waiver or grandfathering don't qualify.

A journeyman license from another state doesn't convert to a state license here. See our license reciprocity guide and reciprocity map. [1][15][17][22]

Steps to get licensed in South Carolina

1. Get hired and document your experience

   Work for a licensed electrical contractor or in a registered apprenticeship. Keep W-2s or 1099s and the names of your licensed supervisors; the Commission verifies experience through affidavits they complete. [12][13]

2. Consider a journeyman certification

   After 2 years (4,000 hours) under a journeyman or master, you can apply for the CAGC Journeyman Electrician certification ($35) through the CAGC Foundation. Check whether your city requires it. [2][9][11]

3. Apply for the residential electrician license

   With one year of residential electrical experience in the past five years, apply on the Commission's residential electrician page with the $135 application fee. Experience must be approved before you can test. [1][12]

4. Pass both PSI exams

   After approval you have one year and three attempts to pass the Residential Electrical exam and the Business Management and Law exam, booked through PSI. Fail three times and you wait 12 months. [4][12][13]

5. Get licensed and renew

   Send your PSI results and the $220 license fee (plus a $10,000 bond if you'll take jobs over $5,000). The license renews every two years by June 30 of odd-numbered years. [13]

6. For commercial work, qualify a mechanical contractor license

   With 2 years of experience in the past 5, pass the PSI Electrician and commercial business and law exams, then apply to the Contractor's Licensing Board with the $350 fee and a financial statement or bond for your license group. [16][17][18]

Where to get the hours

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

• Union

  IBEW/NECA joint apprenticeship (JATC) programs

  Union apprenticeships run by local Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees (JATCs). Typical entry requirements are age 18, a high school education, one year of high school algebra, a qualifying aptitude test score and being drug free. Use the locator to find the program for your area. [19][20]

• State program

  Apprenticeship Carolina registered apprenticeships

  Apprenticeship Carolina, a division of the SC Technical College System, helps employers register apprenticeships. You apply to and are hired by the employer; programs typically last one to four years. [21]

• Open shop

  Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) chapters

  IEC's chapter list doesn't show a South Carolina chapter. The nearest listed chapters include Greater Charlotte IEC; check the chapter finder for current coverage. [23]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask