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Electrician · State license

How to become a licensed electrician in Vermont

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

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

Vermont licenses electricians statewide through the Electricians' Licensing Board and the Department of Public Safety's Division of Fire Safety. You usually start as a registered apprentice with the Vermont Department of Labor. The law requires a completed apprenticeship; Vermont State University, which teaches the apprenticeship classes, says that means 8,000 hours of on-the-job training plus 144 hours of classroom instruction each year for four years. Then you pass the journeyman exam, which includes a practical skills part. After two years as a licensed journeyman, you can test for the master license. [1][2][3][4]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Vermont

In Vermont you don't apply to the state to become an apprentice: an apprenticeship is a job, so you get hired by an employer that runs a registered apprenticeship program, then you and the employer sign an apprenticeship agreement that the Vermont Department of Labor approves. You can also work as an electrician's helper under a licensed electrician who is on the job site. Start with the Department of Labor's list of employers with apprenticeship programs, a local job center, or the union program's yearly application window. [2][3][6][8][11]

  • High school diploma or GED

    No diploma rule was found in Vermont's electrician law, the electrical rules or the apprenticeship law The apprenticeship law lets each program sponsor set its own minimum qualifications. The IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers)/NECA Electrical Training Alliance lists a high school education and one year of high school algebra as typical requirements for union programs. Vermont's certified pre-apprenticeship programs can, where practicable, help you earn a diploma or equivalent. [2][11][12][13]

  • Minimum age

    State law: a registered apprentice must be at least 16, unless another law sets a higher age, and a program's starting age can't be under 16. IBEW/NECA programs typically require 18. [11][13]

  • Register before you start work

    There's no state apprentice license card from the Division of Fire Safety. You become a registered apprentice when your sponsor files a signed apprenticeship agreement with the Vermont Department of Labor and the Department approves it. A parent or guardian also signs if you're under 18. [2][11]

  • Helper jobs

    Allowed. Vermont law says no license is needed for work by an electrician's helper under the direct supervision of a licensee. The rules define a helper as someone not enrolled in an apprenticeship who works under a master or journeyman who is present at the work site. The IBEW Local 300 program says up to 2,000 hours worked as a non-registered apprentice can count toward its on-the-job hours. [2][3][8]

  • Classroom (related instruction)

    Vermont State University runs the classroom part of the state's registered electrical apprenticeship: 144 hours each year for four years Apprentices work during the day and study a few nights a week. For 2026-27, registration ran August 3 to October 2 and Level 1 runs November 2, 2026 to May 1, 2027 (online). Bring a non-programmable calculator. [4][14]

  • Aptitude test and drug test

    Not part of Vermont's license law. The Electrical Training Alliance lists a qualifying aptitude test score and being drug free as typical union-program requirements Check with the program you apply to. [13]

  • Application windows

    IBEW Local 300's Vermont JATC (Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee) takes apprenticeship applications from June 15 to August 1 each year, so as of October 2026 the next window is June 15 to August 1, 2027. Employers with their own registered programs hire whenever they have openings. [6][8]

  • Pay while you learn

    Registered apprenticeships are paid jobs. By law, an adult apprentice's starting wage must be at least the minimum wage or 50% of the journey-worker rate, whichever is higher, and wages must rise as skills grow. State law sets one apprentice per journey-worker For each apprentice who has completed 2,000 hours, the ratio may increase to two to one. [11][15]

  • Credit for prior school or military

    Program standards must offer advanced standing (credit) for proven skills, experience or training. The Electricians' Licensing Board may count an apprenticeship served in another state. Service members and recent veterans designated as Army 12R electricians (or equivalent) with 8,000 hours and four years of active-duty field work can get a journeyman license without the exam. [2][3][11]

  • Still in high school?

    Vermont's apprenticeship law sets up registered youth apprenticeship programs for 16- and 17-year-olds. Since July 1, 2026 (Act 107 of 2026), they're for students who haven't finished high school and are enrolled in a career technical education (CTE) program, and a regional CTE center submits the program for registration. Vermont State University says students can start its electrical apprenticeship in high school through their tech centers Its youngest apprentice in one recent year was 17. Regional career technical education (CTE) centers offer state-approved technical programs, and the Agency of Education's Fast Forward and dual enrollment programs let students earn college credit. Electrical work done as a training project of a vocational school doesn't need a license. No rule was found that counts high school CTE hours directly toward the journeyman license. [2][11][14][16][17][18]

Where to apply in VermontHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Vermont Electricians' Licensing Board and Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · 802-479-7564 [1][2]

Vermont electrician license at a glance

Who issues licenses
Electricians' Licensing Board, through the Division of Fire Safety Department of Public Safety [1][2]
Apprentice registration
With the Vermont Department of Labor through your employer's registered program No state apprentice license [2][11]
Journeyman experience
A completed apprenticeship verified by the state (law) Vermont State University says that means 8,000 on-the-job hours plus 144 classroom hours a year for four years [2][4]
Journeyman exam
Written or computer-based, with a practical skills part $80 paid to the testing agency, ProV [3]
Master experience
2 years licensed and working as a Vermont journeyman, or comparable experience accepted by the Board [2][3]
License fees (3 years)
$115 journeyman, $150 master, $115 per Type-S specialty field [2][10]
Renewal + CE
Every 3 years 15 hours on the National Electrical Code (NEC) for journeymen and masters, 8 hours for Type-S, plus the Vermont Energy Goals module [2][3]
Reciprocity
Maine and New Hampshire residents National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA) states after 1 year; any U.S. license held 3 years [2][3][10]
Minimum age
16 for a registered apprentice under state law [11]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a Vermont electrician license
  5. The license ladder
  6. The exams
  7. Fees and renewal
  8. Union and open-shop apprenticeships
  9. If you're licensed in another state
  10. Steps to get licensed
  11. Where to get the hours
  12. Licensed in another state?
  13. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Vermont

  1. 1

    Electrician's helper or registered apprentice (no license)

    • 144 hours a year in a registered apprenticeship

    Helpers and apprentices work under a licensed electrician. A journeyman supervising you must be physically present on the site; a master can supervise directly or through a journeyman who is immediately available. Apprentices register with the Department of Labor through their sponsor. [2][3][4][11]

  2. 2

    Journeyman electrician

    • 8,000 hours on the job
    • 576 hours (144 a year for four years)
    • Yes: written or computer-based plus a practical skills part; $80 to ProV
    • $115 for a 3-year license
    • Every 3 years; 15 hours of NEC instruction

    You qualify after the Vermont Department of Labor verifies your completed electrical apprenticeship, or with equivalent training the Board accepts. A journeyman works under the direction of a master and can supervise apprentices and helpers. [2][3][4][10]

  3. 3

    Type-S journeyman (specialty)

    • 2,000 hours on the job
    • A training program recognized by the Board
    • Yes, one exam per specialty field
    • $115 per field for 3 years
    • Every 3 years; 8 hours on your specialty

    A limited license for one field, such as A1 gas or oil heating and heat pumps, C3 refrigeration and air conditioning, E5 well pumps, G7c commercial fire alarms or G7s solar. The application asks for a recognized training program plus one year (2,000 hours) of experience. [2][3][10]

  4. 4

    Master electrician

    • 2 years of experience
    • Yes, including questions on all Type-S specialty fields
    • $150 for a 3-year license
    • Every 3 years; 15 hours of NEC instruction

    After 2 years licensed and working as a journeyman, you can test for the master license. A master can design and install electrical work as a business and employ licensed electricians and helpers. [2][3]

Who needs a Vermont electrician license

Vermont's electrician law covers electrical installations in "complex structures," which the law defines as public buildings, along with work at their construction sites. Doing covered work without the right license can bring a fine of up to $500 per offense.

The law lists work that doesn't need a license. The biggest exception for newcomers to know: no license is required for "any electrical work in a building used for dwelling or residential purposes that contains no more than two dwelling units." Other exceptions include work by an electrician's helper under the direct supervision of a licensee, owners working on their own single-family home, and training projects at vocational schools.

That exemption is from licensing. The Vermont Electrical Safety Rules separately say they don't apply to a single-family owner-occupied home, but that this doesn't exempt single-family rentals or accessory dwelling units (ADUs) used as rentals. When an electrical work notice is required for a residential building with no more than two dwelling units, the rules let any person file it.

Confirm with the Division of Fire Safety whether a particular job needs a licensee. [1][2][3]

The license ladder

[2][3][4]

The exams

Vermont's exams may be written or computer-based and must include a practical skills part. They cover the theory and practice of electrical work plus Vermont's laws and rules. The rules note that the exam fee is currently $80, paid directly to the contracted testing agency, ProV. The Division of Fire Safety says testing is now on the 2023 edition of the National Electrical Code.

Board approval to test is good for three years. If you fail, you can retake the exam two more times; after a third failure you need a new application, Board approval and at least 8 hours of education on the NEC, the fire alarm code or an exam-prep course. Vermont State University offers free exam-prep workshops for apprenticeship graduates who don't yet hold a journeyman license. [1][2][3][4]

Fees and renewal

License fees are set by law and cover three years: $115 for a journeyman, $150 for a master and $115 per field for Type-S. A framed certificate costs $10 and a replacement license $20. On request, the Board waives application fees for qualified military members and military spouses.

Licenses last three years. Journeymen and masters need 15 hours of Board-approved NEC instruction in the 36 months before renewal; Type-S holders need 8 hours on their specialty. Every licensee also completes the Vermont Energy Goals education module. You can renew up to one year late with a $25 late fee; after that you must apply as a new licensee.

Questions go to Division of Fire Safety licensing at 802-479-7564. [1][2][3]

Union and open-shop apprenticeships

Vermont's registered electrician apprenticeships are run by employers and registered with the Vermont Department of Labor. The Department says there are over 250 Vermont employers offering electrician registered apprenticeships, and it posts a list of participating employers by county and occupation.

The union route is the Vermont Electrical JATC run with IBEW Local 300 in South Burlington. Its apprentices complete the state's 8,000 hours and 144 classroom hours a year plus 36 hours a year of hands-on training at the union hall. After a 500-hour probation they're eligible for health insurance, pension and other benefits. Elsewhere, find IBEW/NECA programs with the Electrical Training Alliance locator.

Compare the routes in union vs. non-union and electrician apprenticeships. [5][6][7][8][9]

If you're licensed in another state

Vermont offers several routes without the exam:

See our license reciprocity guide and reciprocity map. [2][3][10]

Steps to get licensed in Vermont

  1. Get hired as an apprentice or helper

    Apply to a Vermont employer with a registered electrician apprenticeship (see the Department of Labor's apprenticeship page), or to the IBEW Local 300 program during its June 15 to August 1 window. Helpers can work under a licensed electrician who is present on the site. [2][5][6][8]

  2. Register and take the classes

    Your sponsor registers your apprenticeship agreement with the Department of Labor. Complete 144 classroom hours each year for four years, usually through Vermont State University. [4][11]

  3. Log 8,000 on-the-job hours

    Work under licensed electricians until you finish the hours and get your certificate of completion. The Board may let you take the exam once you finish the classroom part, but it won't issue the license until the work hours are done. [3][4][11]

  4. Apply and pass the journeyman exam

    Mail the notarized electrical license application with your completion certificate and the $115 fee at least two weeks before a Board meeting, and complete the Vermont Energy Goals module. Then take the exam ($80 to ProV). If you fail three times, you need a new application and 8 hours of education before retesting. [1][3][10]

  5. Renew and move up to master

    Renew every 3 years with 15 hours of approved NEC instruction. After 2 years licensed and working as a journeyman, apply for the master exam. [2][3]

Where to get the hours

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

Licensed in another state?

  • Journeyman and master: ME, NH

    The Division of Fire Safety says reciprocal agreements for residents of Maine and New Hampshire remain in place; send a certified letter from the other state and a copy of your license. [3][10]

  • Journeyman and master

    Vermont has joined the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA): a license held in good standing for 1 year in a NERA member state lets you apply. NERA's website lists the member states. [3]

  • Journeyman and master

    By law the Board issues a license to journeymen and masters licensed in good standing anywhere in the United States for at least three years, called a Universal license on the application. [2][10]

Also listed by: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Utah (their own boards list Vermont 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
VT Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists VT

Questions people ask

How many hours do you need to be a journeyman electrician in Vermont?

Vermont State University, which runs the apprenticeship classes, says apprentices need 8,000 on-the-job hours under a master electrician plus 144 classroom hours each year of the four-year apprenticeship before they sit for the journeyman exam. [4]

Do you need a license to do electrical work on a house in Vermont?

Vermont's electrician law says no license is required for electrical work in a residential building with no more than two dwelling units. Licenses are required for covered work in public buildings and other complex structures. [2]

Can I work as an electrician's helper in Vermont without a license?

Yes. The law exempts work by an electrician's helper under the direct supervision of a licensee, and the rules say the supervising journeyman must be physically present on the site. [2][3]

How long before I can get a master electrician license in Vermont?

Two years licensed and working as a Vermont journeyman, or comparable experience the Board accepts, plus the master exam. [2][3]

Does Vermont accept electrician licenses from other states?

Yes, in several ways: reciprocity for Maine and New Hampshire residents, NERA member-state licenses held 1 year, and licenses held in good standing in any U.S. jurisdiction for 3 years. [2][3]

Sources (18)
  1. Electrical, Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. 26 V.S.A. Chapter 15: Electricians and Electrical Installations, Vermont General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Vermont Electrical Safety Rules, 2025 Edition (effective November 5, 2025), Vermont Electricians' Licensing Board and Division of Fire Safety. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. Registered Apprenticeships in Electrical and Plumbing, Vermont State University, Center for Workforce and Professional Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. Becoming an Apprentice, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. Apprenticeship Exploration Guide: Electrician, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. Electrical Apprenticeship Program, IBEW Local 300 / Vermont Electrical JATC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. Locate a Training Center, electrical training ALLIANCE (IBEW/NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Electricians' License Application and Instructions (June 2026), Vermont Division of Fire Safety. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. 21 V.S.A. Chapter 13: Apprenticeship, Vermont General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. Certified Pre-Apprenticeships, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. Apprenticeship Training, electrical training ALLIANCE (IBEW/NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. Vermont State University Apprenticeship Program Grows, Vermont State University. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. About Registered Apprenticeship, Vermont Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Act 107 of 2026 (S.173), An act relating to vocational rehabilitation and apprenticeships, as enacted, Vermont General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Career Technical Education Programs, Vermont Agency of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Dual Enrollment, Vermont Agency of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.

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