Electrician · State license
How to become a licensed electrician in Wyoming
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?
Wyoming licenses electricians statewide through the Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety, part of the State Fire Marshal's office. You start as a registered apprentice electrician, hired by a licensed electrical contractor and enrolled in an approved apprenticeship school. To take the journeyman exam you need 4 years (8,000 hours) of work experience plus 576 hours of classroom instruction. A master license takes 8 years (16,000 hours), 4 of them as a licensed journeyman. [1][2]
New to the trade?
Starting from zero in Wyoming
In Wyoming you start by getting hired by a licensed electrical contractor as an apprentice electrician. Within 10 days of your first day, start your $20 apprentice license application in the State Fire Marshal's online portal, and enroll in an approved apprenticeship school, such as the union Wyoming Statewide Electrical JATC (Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee), ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) Rocky Mountain's correspondence program or a community college program on the state's list. [1][2][4][5][6]
High school diploma or GED
The state law that defines an apprentice electrician lists no diploma requirement: you must be hired by a licensed electrical contractor, registered with the department and enrolled in an approved training program. Programs set their own rules. The Wyoming Statewide Electrical JATC requires a high school diploma or GED (a college degree can replace it) Honorably discharged veterans with at least 3 years of active duty who apply within 5 years of discharge are exempt from the diploma and algebra proof. [2][11][12]
Minimum age
The Wyoming JATC requires you to be 18 when you apply. We didn't find a state minimum age for the apprentice license. [11]
Register before you start
If you have never held a Wyoming apprentice license, you must begin licensing within 10 days of starting work. Apply in the State Fire Marshal's eLicense portal with a government ID The fee is $20 and you renew every year. [1][2]
Helper jobs
State law says electrical equipment must be installed by licensed electrical contractors using licensed masters or journeymen, or registered apprentices supervised by them. So, under state law, anyone helping a contractor install electrical equipment needs to be a registered apprentice. One journeyman or master may supervise no more than two apprentices at a time. [1][2]
Math and aptitude test
The Wyoming JATC requires one credit of Algebra I or higher (or its SkillsPrep online math course; GED scores don't count as proof) and a minimum score of 3 on its aptitude test before an interview. [11][13]
Applying
The Wyoming JATC takes online applications with a $30 processing fee, then ranks applicants after an interview You can be hired from the list at any time of year, and classes start each fall. Call (307) 234-8311. ABC Rocky Mountain's program has flexible enrollment and you can start any time, usually through your employer. [6][12][14]
Pay while you learn
Wyoming JATC apprentices start at 55% of the journey-level wage Its posted minimum starting wage is $20.63 an hour in the Cheyenne area and $20.64 in the Casper area (as of October 2026). [15]
Credit for school or military
State law gives credit for time in an electrical school, up to 2 years (4,000 hours), toward the experience requirement. Military electrical experience can be considered if you upload your DD-214 (military discharge papers). The Wyoming JATC gives a direct interview with 2,000 documented hours and direct entry with 4,000. [1][2][11]
Still in high school?
The Wyoming JATC and the apprentice license path start after high school (the JATC requires age 18). Meanwhile, the Wyoming Department of Education says career and technical education (CTE) programs of study are set by each district, so ask your school what it offers. Dual and concurrent enrollment lets you earn college credit at all seven Wyoming community colleges and the University of Wyoming while in high school. The state's Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways connect youth ages 16 to 24 to construction careers. State law exempts buildings built by a school as part of an industrial arts class from the licensed-electrician rule, as long as a qualified instructor supervises and the work is inspected. We found no rule that counts high school CTE hours toward the journeyman license. [2][10][11][16][17]
Where to apply in WyomingHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs
Licensing office Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety (State Fire Marshal), Electrical Safety · (307) 777-7288 [1]
Wyoming electrician license at a glance
- Classroom hours
- 144 hours a year, 576 hours over a four-year apprenticeship, from an approved program [1]
- Master experience
- 8 years (16,000 hours), including 4 years (8,000 hours) as a licensed journeyman, plus 576 classroom hours [1]
- Contractor license
- $400 a year The business must employ a Wyoming master electrician full time as master of record [1][2]
- Reciprocity
- Journeyman: AK, AR, CO, ID, IA, ME, MN, MT, NE, NH, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT. Master: ID, IA, SD [1]
On this page
- At a glance
- Starting from zero
- The license pathway
- Who needs a license in Wyoming
- The license ladder: apprentice to master
- The journeyman and master exams
- Fees, renewal and continuing education
- Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Wyoming
- If you're licensed in another state
- City rules in Cheyenne
- Steps to get licensed
- Where to get the hours
- Licensed in another state?
- Questions people ask
The license pathway in Wyoming
-
1
Apprentice Electrician
- Enrollment in an approved apprenticeship school (144 hours a year)
- $20
- Yearly, $20, with an employer-signed report of your on-the-job hours and your school records
Your entry license. You must be hired by a licensed electrical contractor, work under a licensed journeyman or master electrician, register with the department and be enrolled in an apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (or an equivalent one). [1][2]
-
2
- 8,000 hours on the job
- 4 years of experience
- 576 hours (144 a year for four years)
- Yes: ICC 385, 80 questions, open book, 4 hours, $115 (Pearson VUE)
- $100
- Every 3 years (expires January 1), $50; 16 hours CE
Lets you install and supervise electrical work while employed by a licensed electrical contractor. You qualify for the exam with 8,000 hours of supervised experience and 576 classroom hours from an approved apprenticeship program. [1][2][3]
-
3
Master Electrician
- 16,000 hours on the job
- 8 years of experience
- 576 hours
- Yes: ICC 701, 100 questions, open book, 5 hours, $115 (Pearson VUE)
- $200
- Every 3 years (expires July 1), $100; 16 hours CE
Needed to serve as master of record for an electrical contractor. You need 16,000 hours of experience, 8,000 of them as a licensed journeyman, plus 576 classroom hours. [1][2][3]
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4
Who needs a license in Wyoming
State law says licensed electrical contractors, employing licensed master or journeyman electricians or registered apprentices supervised by a licensed master or journeyman, "shall install all electrical equipment."
There are exceptions, though the work still has to meet code. Examples include an owner (or partner, or major stockholder of a family corporation) working on property they own or lease that isn't for immediate resale; oil and gas field operations, refineries and mines; utilities; farms or ranches of 40 acres or more on deeded land; and buildings built by a school as part of an industrial arts class under a qualified instructor. Read the full list in W.S. 35-9-123 before relying on one.
Separate low voltage and limited technician licenses cover alarm, communication, sound, TV, control and lawn sprinkler wiring, and limited work on elevators, signs, water wells and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) equipment. [1][2]
The license ladder: apprentice to master
- Apprentice Electrician: registered with the state, $20 a year, enrolled in approved classes.
- Journeyman Electrician: 4 years (8,000 hours) of experience plus 576 classroom hours, then an exam.
- Master Electrician: 8 years (16,000 hours), 4 of them (8,000 hours) as a licensed journeyman, plus 576 classroom hours, then an exam.
- Electrical Contractor: a business license that needs a Wyoming master electrician as master of record.
Journeyman experience must be under the direct supervision of a qualifying electrician for a licensed electrical contractor and must cover residential, commercial and industrial work, with no more than 75% in any one category.
The department's table of apprentice years sets supervision levels: 100% in years 1 and 2, 50% in year 3 and 25% in years 4 and 5. An apprentice past 10,000 hours goes back to 100% supervision.
If you can't show 576 classroom hours, the board's page says you may qualify with 10 years and 20,000 hours of on-the-job experience "as a licensed journeyman or master electrician" with approval of the chief electrical inspector.
Every journeyman and master must work for a licensed electrical contractor. Compare states on the electrician hub and in journeyman vs. master. [1][2]
The journeyman and master exams
Wyoming uses International Code Council (ICC) exams given at Pearson VUE test centers. Apply to the department first; once it approves you, ICC is told you're eligible and you schedule. ICC suggests waiting 24 to 48 hours after approval before booking.
The journeyman exam (ICC 385) has 80 multiple-choice questions with a 4-hour limit, and the master exam (ICC 701) has 100 questions in 5 hours. Both are open book and cost $115. Besides the National Electrical Code (NEC), you may bring Ferm's Fast Finder Index, Ugly's Electrical Reference, Tom Henry's Key Word Index or a hardcover NEC Handbook. You must wait 10 days before retaking a failed exam.
Check the code edition. ICC's bulletin, dated August 19, 2025, lists the 2023 NEC as the reference, while the department's website lists the 2026 NEC among the state's adopted codes and says its exams are based on the current edition. Confirm the edition with the department or in ICC's exam catalog before you buy books. [1][3]
Fees, renewal and continuing education
State fees: apprentice $20 a year, journeyman $100, master $200, low voltage or limited technician $100, electrical contractor $400 a year. The ICC exam is $115, paid to the testing company. Since April 1, 2025, card payments carry a 2.5% processing fee.
Journeyman licenses expire January 1 in the third year after issue; master licenses expire July 1 in the third year. Renewal costs half the license fee ($50 journeyman, $100 master) and needs 16 hours of approved continuing education, at least 8 of them on the NEC.
You have a 45-day grace period with a $50 late fee. After that, you must pass the exam again to get your license back. [1][2][3]
Union and open-shop apprenticeships in Wyoming
The law requires every apprentice electrician to be enrolled in a program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or an equivalent program. The department publishes a list of approved apprentice education providers.
Union: the Wyoming Statewide Electrical JATC (joint apprenticeship and training committee) is run by NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association) and IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Locals 322 and 415, which together cover the whole state. It combines 4 years of classes with 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training, with programs in the Casper and Cheyenne areas.
Open shop: ABC Rocky Mountain offers a four-level correspondence program built on NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) curriculum and approved by the Wyoming Electrical Board. IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors) Rocky Mountain is also on the state's list.
Colleges: Casper College, Central Wyoming College, Northern Wyoming Community College and Western Wyoming Community College are approved providers. See also electrician apprenticeships and union vs. non-union. [2][4][5][6]
If you're licensed in another state
Wyoming lists reciprocal journeyman agreements with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Utah, and master agreements with Idaho, Iowa and South Dakota.
Reciprocity only skips the exam. You must have earned your license by exam (70% or more for journeyman, 75% for master), held it at least a year, and meet Wyoming's own hours and 576 classroom hours. For a journeyman license you also show 16 hours of continuing education, 8 of them on the code. You can reciprocate only once; if that license lapses, you must test. If you failed a Wyoming exam, you must hold your home-state license 3 years before applying, and "grandfathered" licenses aren't eligible.
Wyoming's general law on recognizing out-of-state licenses (W.S. 33-1-120) applies to licenses under Title 33 of the state statutes; electrician licenses are under Title 35, so that law doesn't cover them. See our reciprocity guide. [1][2][7]
City rules in Cheyenne
Some Wyoming cities enforce the electrical code themselves under authority delegated by the State Fire Marshal; their electrical inspectors must hold a state journeyman or master license.
Cheyenne also licenses electrical contractors. Its regulations say electrical contractors need "a valid State of Wyoming and City of Cheyenne license" and that journeyman and master electricians must hold a current Wyoming state license. City licenses expire every year. [2][8]
Steps to get licensed in Wyoming
Get hired by a licensed electrical contractor
Apply to electrical contractors or to an apprenticeship program. As an apprentice you must work for a licensed electrical contractor under a licensed journeyman or master electrician. [2]
Get your apprentice license within 10 days
Create an account in the eLicense portal, get your ID verified, then apply and pay $20 by Visa or MasterCard. Processing can take up to 5 business days per step. [1]
Enroll in approved apprenticeship classes
Take 144 hours of classes a year (576 total) from a program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or an equivalent program on the state's approved list. [1][2][4]
Renew every year with your hours
The apprentice year runs July 1 to June 30. Each renewal ($20) needs an on-the-job training form signed by the journeyman or master you worked under, with hours split into residential, commercial and industrial, plus your school records. [1]
Apply for the journeyman exam
With 8,000 hours (no more than 75% in one category) and 576 classroom hours, apply in the portal with notarized work verification. Once approved, schedule ICC exam 385 through Pearson VUE ($115). [1][3]
Get licensed and renew
Upload your pass letter and pay the $100 license fee. Renew every 3 years for $50 with 16 hours of approved continuing education. [1][2]
Where to get the hours
Programs that train electricians in or for Wyoming, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.
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Union
Wyoming Statewide Electrical JATC (IBEW Locals 322 and 415, NECA)
The union program covering all of Wyoming, run jointly by the Wyoming Chapter of NECA and IBEW Locals 322 and 415. Four years of classes plus 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training, which meets the state's minimum to take the journeyman exam. [4][5]
-
Open shop
ABC Rocky Mountain Wyoming Electrical Apprenticeship Education Program
A four-level correspondence program (NCCER curriculum, 680 class hours) approved by the Wyoming Electrical Board, usually taken while you work for a member company with a journeyman or master as instructor. [4][6]
-
State program
Approved apprentice education providers (State Fire Marshal list)
The department's list of approved schools, including Casper College, Central Wyoming College, Northern Wyoming Community College (Gillette and Sheridan), Western Wyoming Community College, IEC Rocky Mountain, ABC Rocky Mountain and the Wyoming Electrical JATC. [4][9]
-
State program
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services apprenticeship team
The state workforce agency's apprenticeship team promotes registered apprenticeship, funds sponsors and runs Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways for ages 16 to 24; its hub is WyApprenticeships.com. [10]
Licensed in another state?
Journeyman Electrician: AK, AR, CO, ID, IA, ME, MN, MT, NE, NH, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT
The department lists reciprocal journeyman agreements with these states. You must have earned that state's license by exam with a score of 70% or more, held it at least one year, and still meet Wyoming's 8,000 hours and 576 classroom hours. The fee is $100. [1]
Master Electrician: ID, IA, SD
You must have earned the master license by exam with a score of 75% or more, held it at least one year, and meet Wyoming's master requirements (4 years and 8,000 hours as a journeyman, plus 576 classroom hours). The fee is $200. [1]
Also listed by: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah (their own boards list Wyoming as a partner; check both sides before you move).
Questions people ask
How many hours do you need to be a journeyman electrician in Wyoming?
8,000 hours (4 years) of supervised work experience plus 576 classroom hours (144 a year) from an approved apprenticeship program. Then you pass the ICC journeyman exam. [1]
Do I need a license to be an electrician's helper in Wyoming?
Yes, if you do electrical work. State law allows only licensed electricians and registered apprentices supervised by a journeyman or master to install electrical equipment. The apprentice license is $20 and you must start the application within 10 days of starting work. [1][2]
Is the Wyoming journeyman electrician exam open book?
Yes. ICC exam 385 is open book, with 80 questions in 4 hours, and costs $115 at Pearson VUE. [3]
Does Wyoming accept out-of-state electrician licenses?
Only from states with an agreement: 17 states for journeyman and Idaho, Iowa and South Dakota for master. You must have tested for the license, held it a year and meet Wyoming's hour and classroom requirements. [1]
Can I become a journeyman in Wyoming without apprenticeship school?
The usual rule requires 576 classroom hours. The board's page says that without them you may qualify with 10 years and 20,000 hours of experience as a licensed journeyman or master electrician, if the chief electrical inspector approves. [1]
Sources (17)
- Electrical Licensing, Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety (State Fire Marshal). Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Wyoming Statutes Title 35, Chapter 9, Article 1 (Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety), W.S. 35-9-101 to 35-9-131, Wyoming Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Wyoming Electrical Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin (August 19, 2025), International Code Council. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Wyoming Approved Apprentice Education Providers (updated 1.25.2024), Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety (State Fire Marshal). Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Wyoming Statewide Electrical JATC (home page), Wyoming Statewide Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Wyoming Electrical Apprenticeship Education Program, Associated Builders and Contractors, Rocky Mountain Chapter. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Wyoming Statutes Title 33, W.S. 33-1-120 (licensure for qualified individuals licensed in other jurisdictions), Wyoming Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- City of Cheyenne Contractor Licensing Regulations (Rev. 03/10/2026), City of Cheyenne Contractor Licensing Board. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Apprentice Education, Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety (State Fire Marshal). Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Apprenticeship Expansion and Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways, Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Minimum Requirements to Apply, Wyoming Statewide Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Request On-line Application Access, Wyoming Statewide Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Aptitude Test Information, Wyoming Statewide Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Ranking/Wait List Information, Wyoming Statewide Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Wages, Benefits, Fees & Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Wyoming Statewide Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Career & Technical Education, Wyoming Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Dual & Concurrent Enrollment, Wyoming Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.