Alabama Electrician License: 8,000 Hours, Prov Exam

How to get licensed as an electrician in Alabama: 8,000 hours (Journeyman Electrician (statewide)), Prov exam, statute §34-36-8 renewal — verified from Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors (AECB).

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors (AECB) (official site) and last verified July 22, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Step 1 - Examination: Choose exam type; submit the Application for Examination with fee and supportive documentation of qualifications (work affidavits). The board must receive all items no later than 4:00 PM fourteen days before the next board meeting. Exam applications emailed to [email protected].
Step 2 - Licensure after passing: Submit EC-1 Application for Licensure (Electrical Contractor and Journeyman); Electrical Contractors also submit EC-2 Business Information. Return to [email protected] with the license fee.
Journeyman experience: 8,000 hours documented via notarized work affidavits; approved education/apprenticeship substitutes 1,000 hours per year up to 2,000 hours (AECB Journeyman Examination Application PDF).
Electrical Contractor experience: Four years / 8,000 hours of supervisory electrical construction experience (at least four years within the past eight); education substitution up to 2,000 hours (AECB Electrical Contractor Examination Application PDF). Statute alternative: 4 yrs as journeyman in charge of jobs OR 4 yrs in design/construction of electrical systems (Ala. Code §34-36-3(4)).
Exam frequency: The board examines applicants at least once every three months (§34-36-7(a)). No exam is required for renewal (§34-36-8).
Payment: 4% service fee for credit-card payment; no personal or business checks; certified check/money order payable to "State of Alabama"; all fees non-refundable.
Local licensing coexists: A state license is issued and recognized statewide, but counties and municipalities may impose their own local electrical licensing/permitting; the state license does not expand geographic boundaries imposed by a local license (Ala. Code Title 34, Ch. 36).
Reciprocity option: Holders of a current valid license in a reciprocating state (MS, TN, NC, SC, VA, OH, LA - EC only; TX - EC or Journeyman) or who passed the NASCLA Electrical Contractors Exam may apply by reciprocity; must pass the Alabama Business and Law Exam via Prov and pay a $315.00 reciprocal application fee. Georgia reciprocity discontinued.
Exemptions (Ala. Code §34-36-13(a)): No state license is required for work that Ala. Code §34-36-13(a) places outside the chapter (local permits may still apply). Exempt, among others: utility power systems built under the National Electrical Safety Code; telephone or signal systems installed by or for public utilities; a municipal-franchised CATV system technician; a master or journeyman electrician employed by a board/county/municipal licensee; the owner of a premises (and that owner's employees) doing electrical work on that premises; an electric-utility employee servicing a customer's appliances; a retail merchant (or its employees) installing or repairing an appliance the merchant sold, and modular/manufactured-housing makers; systems operating on 25 volts or less; and direct broadcast satellite service.

Legal basis

Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors (AECB) administers electrician licensing in Alabama. Every figure below is verified against the board’s own official pages and dated. Who must personally hold a credential — the contractor, the business, or the individual worker — is set out under Requirements.

What it’s called

Alabama licenses individual electricians — the state electrician license is issued by the Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors and held by the electrician personally (not only by the contractor, as in some states). “Electrician license,” “journeyman electrician license,” “master electrician license” and “electrician certification” are common informal names for the individual credential. The exact license tiers, fees, and any separate electrical-contractor license are set out in the license types and requirements below.

License types & fees

Type	Experience	Exam	Fee
Journeyman Electrician (statewide)	Document, via signed/notarized work affidavits, a minimum of 8,000 hours of electrical experience. One year of education in an approved electrical curriculum or apprenticeship program may be substituted for 1,000 hours of experience, up to a maximum of 2,000 of the 8,000 required hours. A long certificate from an Alabama public two-year/community college is awarded 2,000 hours. Applying strictly through work experience = four years; via a completed non-USDOL apprenticeship = two years. (Source: AECB Journeyman/Contractor Examination Application PDF.)	Statewide Journeyman Electrician examination administered by Prov (provexam.com); currently references the 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (board begins testing on the 2026 NEC on January 1, 2027).	Examination $115.00 + License $35.00 (annual renewal $35.00; inactive certificate $15.00)
Electrical Contractor (statewide; the term may be interchanged with "Master Electrician")	Minimum of four (4) years or 8,000 hours of supervisory electrical construction experience in commercial, industrial, or residential work, in a supervisory/managerial position, at least four years within the past eight years (verified by notarized Affidavit of Supervisory and Work Experience). One year of approved electrical education/apprenticeship may substitute for 1,000 hours, up to a maximum of 2,000 hours. (Source: AECB Electrical Contractor Examination Application PDF.) Statute §34-36-3(4) states a contractor must possess either four years of practical experience as a journeyman electrician in charge of jobs, OR four years of experience in the design and construction of electrical systems.	NASCLA Electrical Contractors Exam OR the Alabama Electrical Contractor Exam, administered by Prov (provexam.com); currently references the 2023 NFPA 70 NEC (2026 NEC beginning January 1, 2027).	Examination $165.00 + License $150.00 (annual renewal $150.00; late renewal $50.00/yr up to 5 years; inactive certificate $75.00)

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Alabama’s electrical licensing chapter (Ala. Code Title 34, Chapter 36) opens its license requirement with an exemption list: the chapter ‘shall not apply’ to nine classes of work or workers, and the exemptions cover both credentials on this page — the electrical contracting business and work as a master or journeyman electrician (Ala. Code § 34-36-13(a)). Alabama exempts: (1) utility power systems for generation and secondary distribution built under the National Electrical Safety Code; (2) telephone or signal systems installed by or for public utilities or their corporate affiliates when the work pertains to the utility’s services; (3) technicians employed by a municipal-franchised CATV system; (4) any master or journeyman electrician employed by a state licensee of the board, or by a licensee of the county or municipality where the contract work is performed; (5) the owner of any premises, and the owner’s employees, performing electrical work on that premises — this single clause covers both homeowners working on their own property and in-house maintenance staff of a business working on the employer-owner’s premises; (6) electric-utility employees installing or repairing electric appliances and equipment for a customer; (7) retail merchants and their employees installing, repairing, or maintaining an appliance the merchant sold, and modular or manufactured-housing manufacturers regulated by state and federal governments; (8) systems operating on 25 volts or less; and (9) direct broadcast satellite service (Ala. Code § 34-36-13(a)(1)-(9)). Two limits frame these exemptions. First, the state license requirement itself can alternatively be satisfied by a license ‘from the county or municipality where the electrical contracting work is being performed’ — Alabama’s chapter preserves county and municipal licensing and examination authority, so work exempt from the state license may still require a local license or permit (Ala. Code § 34-36-13(a), (b)(2)). Second, all persons working under a board license must still follow state and local laws and ordinances (Ala. Code § 34-36-13(c)). Alabama has no minor-work dollar threshold and no agriculture-specific exemption in this chapter.

Fees

electrical_contractor_examination: $165.00; journeyman_electrician_examination: $115.00; electrical_contractor_license: $150.00; journeyman_electrician_license: $35.00; electrical_contractor_renewal: $150.00; journeyman_electrician_renewal: $35.00; electrical_contractor_late_renewal: $50.00 per year up to 5 years; inactive_electrical_contractor_certificate: $75.00; inactive_journeyman_electrician_certificate: $15.00; reissuance_or_replacement_card: $25.00; provisional_license_renewal: $75.00; reciprocal_license_application: $315.00 (effective February 14, 2026)

Exam

Administered by Prov (provexam.com). Electrical Contractor: NASCLA Electrical Contractors Exam or the Alabama Electrical Contractor Exam. Journeyman: statewide Journeyman Electrician examination. All exams currently reference the 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code; beginning January 1, 2027 the board tests on the 2026 NFPA 70 NEC. A separate Alabama Business and Law Exam is required for reciprocal licensure. No examination is required for annual renewal.

Renewal & continuing education

Statute §34-36-8(a) states all licenses expire annually (or at other times designated by the board) and are renewed by filing before the expiration date with the renewal fee. In practice the board ties continuing education to a two-year cycle: the AECB Continuing Education page states 14 CEU are required every odd-numbered year to renew (Electrical Contractors). An expired license may be restored within five years of expiration with accrued renewal fees; a license not restored within five years may not be renewed, restored, or reissued (§34-36-9). 14 continuing-education hours per cycle for Electrical Contractors (AECB CE page: required every odd year to renew; statute §34-36-8 sets CE at 14 hours every two years). Licensed Journeymen are currently NOT required to submit continuing-education hours to renew.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors (AECB). Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Who issues electrician licenses in Alabama?

Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors (AECB) issues electrician licenses in Alabama. You apply through the board’s official application page (linked above).

How much does an electrician license cost in Alabama?

Electrical contractor examination: $165.00; journeyman electrician examination: $115.00; electrical contractor license: $150.00; journeyman electrician license: $35.00; electrical contractor renewal: $150.00; journeyman electrician renewal: $35.00; electrical contractor late renewal: $50.00 per year up to 5 years; inactive electrical contractor certificate: $75.00; inactive journeyman electrician certificate: $15.00; reissuance or replacement card: $25.00; provisional license renewal: $75.00; reciprocal license application: $315.00 (effective February 14, 2026).

What exam do you need to pass for an electrician license in Alabama?

How often do you renew an electrician license in Alabama?

Is continuing education required to renew an electrician license in Alabama?

14 continuing-education hours per cycle for Electrical Contractors (AECB CE page: required every odd year to renew; statute §34-36-8 sets CE at 14 hours every two years). Licensed Journeymen are currently NOT required to submit continuing-education hours to renew.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Alabama.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 22, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.