Maine Electricians’ Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) administers electrician licensing in Maine. 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
Maine licenses individual electricians — the state electrician license is issued by the Maine Electricians’ Examining Board 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Electrician (Senior Master Electrician for licensees over age 70) | At least 4,000 hours of service as a journeyman electrician OR at least 12,000 hours of experience in electrical installations (as defined in section 1101), plus a 576-hour program of study (45-hour courses each in Electricity I, Electricity II, Electronics I, Math I, Controls I, Controls II, Motors, Blueprint Reading/Drafting, Transformers, and a current National Electrical Code course, plus 126 hours of degree-related courses) approved by the Board or from an accredited institution. | Required (Master Electrician examination, administered by Prov after Board approval) | $150.00 license fee ($20.00 Senior Master, over age 70) + $21.00 SBI/criminal background report fee |
| Journeyman Electrician (Senior Journeyman Electrician for licensees over age 70) | One of several paths, e.g.: at least 8,000 hours of service as a licensed apprentice or helper plus a 576-hour approved program of study; OR graduate of an accredited applied-technology high school 2-year electrical program + 7,000 hours under a master (or equivalent) + a 45-hour current NEC course; OR graduate of a Maine community college electrical program (or DOC vocational-electrical program) + 4,000 hours under a master (or equivalent) + a 45-hour current NEC course. | Required (Journeyman examination, administered by Prov after Board approval) | $150.00 license fee ($20.00 Senior Journeyman, over age 70) + $21.00 SBI report fee |
| Journeyman-in-Training Electrician | Must be a graduate of an accredited Maine community college or Department of Corrections electrical program, receive a passing grade on the journeyman's examination, and complete 2,000 hours of licensed electrical installation experience (employer documentation required). | Required (must pass the journeyman's examination) | $150.00 license fee + $21.00 SBI report fee |
| Apprentice Electrician | Must be enrolled/working under a licensed master, journeyman or limited electrician in an apprenticeship program registered under 29 CFR 29.3 (2016) with the U.S. DOL Office of Apprenticeship or a recognized state apprenticeship agency; a copy of the Apprenticeship Agreement must accompany the application. | None | $25.00 license fee + $21.00 criminal background check fee |
| Helper Electrician (Senior Helper Electrician for licensees over age 70) | No experience-hour threshold; works making electrical installations while employed by and under the direct supervision of a master, journeyman or limited electrician. A Helper license variant exists for students enrolled in a Maine community college or Maine high school electrical program. | None | $25.00 license fee + $21.00 criminal background check fee |
Who does NOT need this license — exemptions
Maine’s electrician licensing law (32 M.R.S. ch. 17) states its exemptions in two live sections, and both operate chapter-wide — they excuse the work or the entity from every license class the Electricians’ Examining Board issues (master, journeyman, journeyman-in-training, apprentice, helper, limited). Under 32 M.R.S. §1102, the chapter does not apply to: entities under the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission, FERC, or the FCC, including their employees, when making electrical installations in furtherance of the authorized service — but this utility exception does NOT cover installations (other than a meter) inside a customer’s building, installations of manufactured-housing service equipment, or installations at a utility business office not physically adjacent to the utility’s plant (§1102(1-A)); electrical work on aboveground electric transmission lines capable of operating at one kilovolt or more (§1102(1-B)); contractors performing services for a public utility, to the same extent the utility itself would be exempt (§1102(1-C)); and electrical work and equipment in mines, pipeline systems, ships, railway rolling stock, and automotive equipment (§1102(3)). Under 32 M.R.S. §1201-A, the licensing provisions do not apply to thirteen enumerated classes: industrial plants and their regular employees working in or about the plant (sub. 1); other properties owned or controlled by industrial or manufacturing plant operators, when the work is supervised by an electrical engineer in the operator’s employ (sub. 2); manufacturing plants and their regular employees making installations in the manufacture, testing, or repair of electrical equipment (sub. 3); low-energy installers — individuals or employees installing telephone, cable and closed-circuit television, data transmission, and sound equipment (sub. 4); persons installing exposed wiring in a suitable laboratory for experimental purposes only (sub. 5); licensed elevator mechanics (ch. 133) within the restrictions of their license (sub. 6); licensed oil burner technicians (ch. 139) within the restrictions of their license (sub. 7); licensed propane and natural gas installers (ch. 139) installing gas utilization equipment (sub. 8); licensed plumbers (ch. 49), but only for disconnecting and connecting conductors when replacing water pumps and water heaters of the same or smaller size in residential properties (sub. 9); licensed pump installers (ch. 69-C), for the same limited replacement work plus new water pumps of 3 horsepower or smaller (sub. 10); wastewater treatment plants and their regular employees (sub. 11, amended 2025); ‘incidental electrical work’ — minor work limited to light fixtures and switches that occurs by chance and requires no electrical installation calculations — done by regular employees of a property owner or lessee, or by a person whose occupation involves miscellaneous manual-labor jobs (sub. 12, amended 2025); and, new in 2025, a person making electrical installations in an EXISTING single-family dwelling the person owns and occupies, provided the installation conforms to the National Electrical Code or other board-approved standards (sub. 13, PL 2025, c. 88). For NEWLY CONSTRUCTED single-family dwellings the homeowner path is narrower: under 32 M.R.S. §1102-D an owner-occupant may wire the new dwelling only by applying for a single-family dwelling certificate, having the work inspected before it is enclosed, and obtaining certification before the utility connects power; the combined certificate/inspection fee may not exceed $100. All exempt installations must still comply with the National Electrical Code in effect at the time of installation (§1201-A, opening paragraph).
Fees
Master Electrician: $150.00 license + $21.00 background report ($20.00 Senior Master over 70). Journeyman Electrician: $150.00 + $21.00 ($20.00 Senior Journeyman over 70). Journeyman-in-Training: $150.00 + $21.00. Apprentice Electrician: $25.00 + $21.00. Helper Electrician: $25.00 + $21.00. Late renewal fee: $50.00 (up to 90 days late). Master reinstatement after 90 days (up to 2 years): $150.00 fee + $100.00 penalty.
Exam
Licensure exams (Master and Journeyman) are administered by Prov. Candidates submit an examination application to the Electricians’ Examining Board and, upon Board approval, receive an exam approval notice with scheduling procedures. A candidate must pass the required exam(s) to demonstrate competency. Apprentice and Helper licenses require no exam.
Renewal & continuing education
Biennial — two years from the date of first licensure For Master Electrician renewal: a 15-hour current National Electrical Code (NEC) course as adopted by the Board (NEC update schedule based on an assumed 3-year code cycle). NEC coursework is the continuing-education requirement tied to renewal for licenses requiring it.
How to apply
Applications are handled by Maine Electricians’ Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation). Start at the official application page .