Electricians’ Licensing Board — Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety administers electrician licensing in Vermont. 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
Vermont licenses individual electricians — the state electrician license is issued by the Electricians’ Licensing Board — Vermont Department of Public Safety 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 | Must have been licensed as, and working as, a Vermont journeyman electrician for at least 2 years, OR have comparable experience and training acceptable to the Board. | Required — must pass the master electrician examination (includes questions on all Type-S specialty fields) | $150.00 for a 3-year license |
| Journeyman Electrician | Verification by the Vermont Apprenticeship Council of completion of an apprenticeship in electrical wiring (instruction + practice), OR comparable experience/training acceptable to the Board (Board Rule 3.2(a)). | Required — must pass the journeyman examination | $115.00 for a 3-year license |
| Type-S Journeyman Electrician (Specialist) | Complete an accredited training and experience program recognized by the Board. Per the application: proof of completion of a recognized training program PLUS one year (2,000 hours) of experience via signed affidavits, per specialty field. | Required — must pass an examination in one or more specialty fields (e.g., A1 automatic gas/oil heating, D4 appliance/motor repairs) | $115.00 per field for a 3-year license |
Who does NOT need this license — exemptions
Vermont’s electrician licensing law (26 V.S.A. Chapter 15, covering the Master, Journeyman, and Type-S Journeyman licenses issued by the Electricians’ Licensing Board) contains two exemption sections. Chapter-level exceptions (26 V.S.A. § 882): the chapter does not apply to electrical installations used by a public utility in rendering its authorized service, nor to installation, operation, repair, and wiring associated with telecommunication services and equipment; to electrical installations in ships, pipeline systems, railway rolling stock, automotive equipment, or portable sound equipment; to the manufacture, testing, or repair of electrical equipment in the manufacturer’s own plant; or to construction, repairs, or maintenance of buildings used exclusively for agricultural purposes on owner-occupied farms. License-not-required work (26 V.S.A. § 910): no license is required for (1) electrical work on equipment or premises owned or leased by the operator of an industrial or manufacturing plant, if done under the supervision of an electrical engineer or master electrician employed by the operator (in-plant maintenance); (2) installation in laboratories of exposed wiring for experimental purposes; (3) electrical work by an owner or the owner’s regular employees in the owner’s freestanding single-unit residence, its accessory outbuildings, or any structure on owner-occupied farms; (4) electrical installations that are part of a vocational school or other educational institution training project (inspection still required if the building will be used as a ‘complex structure’); (5) electrical work performed by an electrician’s helper under the direct supervision of a person holding an appropriate license under the chapter; (6) any electrical work in a building used for dwelling or residential purposes that contains no more than two dwelling units — Vermont’s licensing requirement in practice reaches ‘complex structures,’ not one- and two-unit dwellings; and (7) installation of solar electric modules and racking on complex structures up to the point of connection to field-fabricated wiring, and erection of net-metered wind turbines. These exemptions apply to all three license types the chapter creates, since they remove the underlying license requirement itself.
Fees
Master: $150.00 (3-year license). Journeyman: $115.00 (3-year license). Type-S/Specialist: $115.00 per field (3-year license). Examination fee: $80 (paid to the testing agency). Late renewal fee: $25.00 (within 1 year of expiration). Note: license fees are established by the Vermont Legislature (26 V.S.A. §905).
Exam
Required for all classifications. Written or computer-based, and includes a practical skills examination; covers theoretical and practical aspects of electrical work plus pertinent laws and rules. Currently based on the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC). Exam fee is $80 (standard or computer-based), paid directly to the contracted testing agency. Approval to take the exam is valid for three years. An applicant may retake the exam twice more after a failure; after a third failure, must reapply and complete a minimum of 8 hours of NEC/National Fire Alarm Code/exam-prep education before retaking.
Renewal & continuing education
3 years — licenses are valid for three years and expire on the last day of a Board-designated month. Renewal requires the signed renewal application, certification of continuing education, child support and tax certifications, and the required fee before expiration. A lapsed license may be renewed within 1 year of expiration with a $25 late fee; after 1 year, a new-license application is required. Journeyman and Master electricians: 15 hours of Board-approved instruction on the National Electrical Code per 36-month period. Type-S Journeyman: 8 hours of Board-approved instruction in the license holder’s specialty per 36-month period (a person licensed in more than two specialty fields still completes no more than 15 hours total; a person licensed only as Type-S A1 and C3 needs no more than 8 hours). All licensees must also complete the Vermont Energy Goals Module.
How to apply
Applications are handled by Electricians’ Licensing Board — Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety. Start at the official application page .