Electrician License in Connecticut — Requirements, Fees & Exam

How to get licensed as an electrician in Connecticut: 12,000 hours (E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor) — verified from Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP).

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) — Electrical Work Examining Board (official site) and last verified July 22, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Licensing body: Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP); the Electrical Work Examining Board sets requirements. DCP licenses individuals, not electrical companies.
General/unlimited electrician license types: E-1 (Unlimited Electrical Contractor) and E-2 (Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson). Odd-numbered licenses are contractors; even-numbered are journeymen/employees. Only contractors can obtain permits and sign contracts; journeymen and apprentices cannot work directly for consumers unless employed by (or employing) a licensed contractor of record.
E-1 qualification: Two years as an unlimited (E-2) journeyperson, OR at least six years of equivalent experience and training (720 classroom hours + 12,000 OJT hours).
E-2 qualification: Completion of a registered apprenticeship, OR at least four years of equivalent experience and training (720 classroom hours + 8,000 OJT hours).
Classroom hours: 720 classroom hours required for both E-1 and E-2 under the equivalent-experience path; must match courses in the DCP Exhibit A curriculum. On-the-job training/work experience cannot substitute for the classroom requirement.
Examination: Every individual applicant must pass the applicable licensing exam. Separate fees are paid to the exam vendor at registration.
Scope of work defined by statute: E-1 and E-2 holders may perform all electrical work as defined in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-330.
Other license classes (not detailed here): CT also issues limited classes read on the DCP scope page — L-1/L-2 (electrical lines), L-5/L-6 (low-voltage/alarm/signal/audio, ≤25V or 5A), and C-7/C-8 (electric signs). These are outside the general-electrician (E-1/E-2) focus of this record; their specific hour charts have not yet been re-verified.

Legal basis

Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) — Electrical Work Examining Board administers electrician licensing in Connecticut. 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

Connecticut licenses individual electricians — the state electrician license is issued by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection 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
E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor	Two (2) years as an unlimited licensed journeyperson (E-2), OR at least six (6) years of equivalent experience and training. Under the equivalent-experience path: 720 classroom hours AND 12,000 hours of on-the-job training.	Required (every individual applicant must take the exam; administered by a third-party exam vendor, with separate fees due to the vendor at registration).	$150.00 application fee (non-refundable)
E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson	Completion of a registered apprenticeship program, OR at least four (4) years of equivalent experience and training. Under the equivalent-experience path: 720 classroom hours AND 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. May work only while employed by a properly licensed contractor.	Required (every individual applicant must take the exam; administered by a third-party exam vendor, with separate fees due to the vendor at registration).	$90.00 application fee (non-refundable)

Who does NOT need this license — exemptions

Connecticut’s exemptions live in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-340, and the section exempts people from Chapter 393 as a whole — the chapter that requires the E-1 unlimited electrical contractor and E-2 unlimited electrical journeyperson licenses this page covers (the same list also serves the chapter’s plumbing, HVAC, and other trade licenses; the items below are those that reach electrical work). Connecticut exempts: (1) persons employed by any federal, state, or municipal agency; (2) employees of any public service company regulated by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or of a corporate affiliate working on the company’s behalf, when the work is in connection with rendering public utility service — including installing or maintaining wire for community antenna television and inside wire or telephone sets for single-line telephone service; (3) employees of municipal corporations specially chartered by the state; (4) employees of contractors performing electrical-line or emergency work for a public service company; (5) persons installing, maintaining, repairing, and servicing domestic-scale electrical appliances, where the installation commences at an outlet receptacle previously installed by licensed persons and repair is confined to the appliance itself and its internal operation; (6) employees of industrial firms whose main duties concern maintenance of the firm’s electrical work (among other listed trades) on its own or leased premises — the in-plant maintenance exemption; (7) employees of industrial firms mainly fabricating electrical and other listed production equipment used to produce the firm’s goods, except products and systems used directly in producing a product for human consumption; (8) persons performing work necessary to manufacture or repair apparatus, appliances, fixtures, equipment, or devices produced for sale or lease; (9) employees of stage and theatrical companies operating, installing, and maintaining electrical equipment, if installation commences at an outlet previously installed by licensed persons; (10) employees of carnivals, circuses, or similar transient amusement shows installing electrical work, subject to State Fire Marshal approval and municipal ordinances; (11) homeowners: persons doing electrical work (and other listed trades) in and about single-family residences owned and occupied or to be occupied by them — the work remains subject to inspection and approval by the municipal building official and must conform to the State Building Code; (17) employees of, or contractors employed by and under the direction of, a properly licensed solar contractor, for work limited to hoisting, placement, and anchoring of solar collectors, photovoltaic panels, towers, or turbines; and (19) Connecticut Airport Authority employees covered by a state collective bargaining agreement (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-340(1)-(19); items (12)-(16) and (18) concern glass, sheet metal, and pool work, not electrical). Separately, § 20-340b lets a ‘public service technician’ — an employee of a public service company or certified telecommunications provider engaged in telecommunications electrical work (T-1 scope) — hold an employer-certified registration issued by the Department of Consumer Protection in lieu of a license; the registration is valid only while directly employed by that company (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-340b(b), (f)). Chapter 393 has no minor-work dollar threshold and no casual-work exemption; apprentices are not exempt but must register with the department.

Fees

Application: Contractor (E-1) $150.00, Journeyperson (E-2) $90.00 — both non-refundable. Renewal: Contractor $150.00, Journeyperson $120.00. Exam fees are separate and paid to the exam vendor.

Exam

Required for every individual applicant. The written licensing examination is administered by a third-party exam vendor; separate exam fees are due to the vendor at time of exam registration (vendor and dollar amount not published on the DCP pages reviewed).

Renewal & continuing education

Annual — all electrical licenses expire September 30 each year. 4 continuing-education credit hours per year (courses must be approved by the CT Electrical Board). Not required before a licensee’s first renewal. CE must be completed by June 30 each year (3 months before the September 30 renewal deadline). Records retained at least 4 years for possible DCP audit.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) — Electrical Work Examining Board. Start at the official application page .

Frequently asked questions

Who issues electrician licenses in Connecticut?

Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) — Electrical Work Examining Board issues electrician licenses in Connecticut. You apply through the board’s official application page (linked above).

How much does an electrician license cost in Connecticut?

Application: Contractor (E-1) $150.00, Journeyperson (E-2) $90.00 — both non-refundable. Renewal: Contractor $150.00, Journeyperson $120.00. Exam fees are separate and paid to the exam vendor.

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

How often do you renew an electrician license in Connecticut?

Annual — all electrical licenses expire September 30 each year.

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

4 continuing-education credit hours per year (courses must be approved by the CT Electrical Board). Not required before a licensee’s first renewal. CE must be completed by June 30 each year (3 months before the September 30 renewal deadline). Records retained at least 4 years for possible DCP audit.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Connecticut.

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.