Massachusetts Electrician License Requirements
A Massachusetts journeyman electrician license (Class B) requires 8,000 hours of supervised work over at least four years, 600 hours of Board-approved classroom education, a 15-hour code-update course, a high school diploma or equivalent, and a score of at least 70% on each part of the state exam. A master license (Class A) requires at least one year as a licensed Massachusetts journeyman, 150 more classroom hours, and its own two-part exam.
Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified October 2, 2026, against the Board's current regulations, application, renewal, reciprocity, education, code, and policy pages.
| License | You must already hold | Classroom education | Work experience | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician (Class B) | No license | 600 Board-approved hours, plus a 15-hour code-update course | 8,000 hours over at least 4 years, under a Massachusetts-licensed journeyman | Two parts; 70% required on each |
| Master Electrician (Class A) | Massachusetts journeyman license | 150 Board-approved hours | At least 1 year as a licensed Massachusetts journeyman, actively engaged in electrical work | Two parts; 70% required on each |
| Systems Technician (Class D) | No license | 300 Board-approved hours, plus a 15-hour code-update course | 4,000 hours over at least 2 years, under a Massachusetts Systems Technician or journeyman | Two parts; 70% required on each |
| Systems Contractor (Class C) | Massachusetts Systems Technician license | 75 Board-approved hours | At least 1 year as a licensed Massachusetts Systems Technician, actively engaged in systems work | Two parts; 70% required on each |
Sources: 237 CMR 13.00, 237 CMR 14.00, and the Board's application page. Journeyman and Systems Technician applicants also need a high school diploma or equivalent.
You apply online in the state's eLIPSE portal. After the Board approves your application, you schedule and pay for the exam with PSI, the Board's testing vendor. → Open the Board's application page
Find your starting point
Most people searching for an "electrician license" mean the journeyman license. Find the row that matches you.
| You are… | What you need | Your next step | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| An apprentice working toward your first license | Journeyman requirements in the table above | Keep your hour records and school certificates; file in eLIPSE when every item on the checklist below is done | 237 CMR 13.03 |
| A licensed Massachusetts journeyman | 1 year licensed and actively working, plus 150 hours | Finish a Board-approved master program, then apply in eLIPSE | 237 CMR 13.01 |
| Working on fire alarm, security or other power-limited systems | Systems Technician, then Systems Contractor. Security-system work also has a separate S-License requirement | See Systems licenses | M.G.L. c. 141, § 1A |
| Licensed in New Hampshire by passing New Hampshire's exam | Reciprocity may be available without the Massachusetts exam | Apply for reciprocity | 237 CMR 15.00 |
| Licensed in any other state | Documented equivalent education and experience, the 15-hour course, and the Massachusetts exam | See Licensed somewhere else? | 237 CMR 13.09 |
| Trained or worked outside the U.S. without a Massachusetts-recognized reciprocal license | Board evaluation of documented education and experience, plus the Massachusetts requirements that apply to your route | See Licensed somewhere else? | 237 CMR 13.07–13.08 |
| A veteran with qualifying military electrical training | Capped credit for qualifying military education/work, plus a 5% exam credit on each part | See Military credit | 237 CMR 13.10–13.12 and 237 CMR 14.02 |
| Holding a Massachusetts license that lapsed | Requirements depend on how long it has been expired and whether CE was completed | See Renewal | 237 CMR 17.00 |
Journeyman requirements, explained
You need the required work experience, education, code-update course, and supporting credentials before the Board can approve you for examination. The rules treat education and work experience as separate prerequisites; they do not require you to finish the classroom program before you begin accumulating qualifying work hours.
The 8,000 work hours
- Supervision. Your apprentice hours must be under the direct supervision of a Massachusetts-licensed journeyman. Massachusetts law generally limits a journeyman to one apprentice under that journeyman's supervision (237 CMR 13.03; M.G.L. c. 141, §§ 1 and 8).
- Four-year minimum. The 8,000 hours must span at least four years. Logging hours faster doesn't shorten that. For scale, 8,000 hours over four years averages 2,000 hours a year, about 40 hours a week for 50 weeks.
- Systems hours count, up to a point. Systems work supervised by a Systems Technician can count for up to 4,000 hours, earned over at least two years.
- Vocational shop time. Qualifying shop experience in an approved vocational program may receive credit under the Board's rules.
- Old hours expire. Work experience is creditable only if it was obtained within 20 years of the application date. The Board's FAQ gives the example that an application dated March 1, 2020 can use work earned since March 1, 2000.
Your employer documents Massachusetts-supervised hours on the Board's employment certification form. The current application checklist requires the supervising licensee's signature and Massachusetts license number, employer information and signature, dates worked, elapsed time, and total hours.
Employers must keep apprentice employment records for at least nine years. If an employer won't complete your employment verification form, the Board's FAQ says to send the form by certified mail, return receipt requested, allow 30 days for a response, and then use the complaint process if necessary (Board FAQ).
The 600 classroom hours
- They must come from a Board-approved program. Check the Board's approved initial education providers before you enroll.
- A Massachusetts Chapter 74 vocational technical high school program may provide a maximum of 300 hours of credit toward the 600-hour Journeyman requirement.
- Education from a 300-hour systems program can count toward the Journeyman education requirement under 237 CMR 13.03.
- Education generally expires 20 years after the program begins.
- Keep your completion documentation. The Board requires evidence that the required education was successfully completed.
- An engineering degree does not automatically replace the 600-hour program. The Board's FAQ says some coursework may receive credit only if it satisfies the Board's rules for equivalent education.
The 15-hour code-update course
The 15-hour course is in addition to the required initial education. Under 237 CMR 13.05, it must be based on the Massachusetts Electrical Code in effect when you apply.
The current Massachusetts Electrical Code is based on the 2026 NEC and took effect April 24, 2026. Use a Board-approved provider and make sure the course matches the code cycle applicable when you file.
Everything else
Journeyman applicants also need:
- a high school diploma or equivalent;
- the current DOL CORI authorization form, completed as required by the Board;
- a passport-style photo; and
- any additional documentation that applies to military credit, accommodations, out-of-state education or work, or another special route.
Board staff do not pre-approve or pre-deny education or work experience before a formal application. They evaluate the documentation you submit (Board FAQ).
Journeyman application checklist
Check each item before you file. This follows the Board's current application checklist and 237 CMR 13.00.
If your application is incomplete, the current Mass.gov page says it will be held open for 180 days so you can provide missing information. After 180 days, it is treated as abandoned and you must submit a new application and payment.
How to apply, step by step
- Set up eLIPSE. Massachusetts moved the Board of State Examiners of Electricians to eLIPSE on September 28, 2026. The current Board application page—not an older PSI application workflow—controls how you file now.
- Submit your application with the required documents and application fee: $31 for Journeyman or Systems Technician, $66 for Master or Systems Contractor.
- Wait for Board review. The Board reviews the application and tells you what, if anything, is still needed.
- Schedule with PSI after approval. PSI administers the examination. The current Board page lists $135 for both portions: $80 for the Trade portion and $55 for the Business/Practical portion.
- Take and pass both exam parts. Under 237 CMR 14.02, you need at least 70% on each part.
- Pay the license fee after approval for licensure. The current fee is $104 for Journeyman or Systems Technician and $155 for Master or Systems Contractor.
- Do not begin licensed-for-hire work until the Board has actually issued your license. Use the current Board/PSI instructions for proof of issuance and any temporary-license procedure.
If you need help using eLIPSE, the Mass.gov application page lists the DOL Welcome Center at 617-701-8895.
What it costs
These are the current government and exam-administration fees shown on Mass.gov, checked October 2, 2026.
| Fee | Journeyman / Systems Technician | Master / Systems Contractor | Paid to, and when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application | $31 | $66 | Massachusetts through eLIPSE, when you apply |
| Exam, both portions | $135 ($80 + $55) | $135 ($80 + $55) | PSI, when you schedule |
| License | $104 | $155 | Massachusetts, after approval for licensure |
| Current application + both exam portions + original license | $270 | $356 | Derived total |
| Retake | $80 or $55, depending on the portion | Same | PSI |
| Reciprocity application (eligible New Hampshire licensees) | $208 | $310 | Massachusetts through eLIPSE |
| Renewal, every 3 years | $78 | $117 | Massachusetts through eLIPSE |
Sources: application page, renewal page, and reciprocity page.
The $270 and $356 figures are simple sums of the current application fee, both exam-portion fees, and original license fee. They do not include tuition, the 15-hour course, code/reference books, travel, notary costs, or retakes.
Use the live fee pages before paying. State and vendor fee schedules can change independently.
The Massachusetts electrician exam
Massachusetts electrician and systems licensing exams are given in two parts. Under 237 CMR 14.02, each part stands on its own and you need at least 70% on each part to obtain licensure. The regulation also grants qualifying veterans a 5% credit on each part.
The Board's current policy page describes the examinations as computerized and open book. It also lists the types of reference materials and calculator that may be permitted in the exam room. Because test-day rules can change, use the Board's current candidate bulletin immediately before your exam rather than relying on a saved copy.
If you fail a part
The current regulation gives you a 12-month window from the Board's application approval date to pass both parts. If you pass one part but not the other, you may retake the failed part within that window.
Other current rules include:
- You must wait at least 24 hours after a failed attempt before rescheduling.
- After three unsuccessful attempts, you must satisfy the Board's additional-education requirement before continuing.
- After a total of six unsuccessful attempts, the regulation requires you to repeat the full education hours required for licensure.
- If you do not pass both parts within 12 months of the application approval date, you must submit a new application and take both parts again.
For the exact exam question counts, time limits, topic distributions, current reference list, identification rules, and permitted annotations, use the candidate bulletin linked from the Board's licensing hub for your actual test date.
Which NEC edition is the exam on?
The Massachusetts Electrical Code (527 CMR 12.00) has been based on the 2026 NEC since April 24, 2026 (Massachusetts Electrical Code).
That does not mean every examination item switched on April 24. Under 237 CMR 14.02(2)(b), new exam items reflecting a newly enforced code, regulation, or law may be added seven months after its enforcing date. Seven months after April 24, 2026 is November 24, 2026.
Because the rule says new items may be added from that point and does not itself publish a single guaranteed switch date for every test item, check the current candidate bulletin and PSI instructions for the references that apply on your exam date.
Master electrician license
To qualify for the master exam, you need:
- at least one year of experience as the holder of a Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician license while actively engaged in electrical work; and
- 150 hours from a Board-approved Master program.
Because the standard Journeyman route itself requires at least four years of qualifying work experience, the standard progression to Master takes at least that Journeyman period plus the required year as a Massachusetts Journeyman. Application, education, and exam scheduling can add more time.
Under Massachusetts law, a Master Electrician is a person, firm, or corporation with a regular place of business that performs electrical work by employing journeymen or apprentices (M.G.L. c. 141, § 1).
A company doing electrical business may also need a separate electrical/systems business license. The Board's FAQ explains that a business license must be tied to the appropriate Massachusetts-licensed individual as Licensee of Record.
Systems Technician and Systems Contractor
Fire warning, security, and other inherently power-limited systems have their own license track.
- Systems Technician (Class D): 4,000 hours over at least 2 years under a Systems Technician or Journeyman, 300 hours of Board-approved education, the 15-hour code-update course, and a high school diploma or equivalent. Up to 2,000 hours of qualifying electrical work may be credited toward the 4,000-hour requirement, and up to 75 hours of qualifying electrical education may be credited toward the 300 hours under 237 CMR 13.04.
- Systems Contractor (Class C): at least 1 year of experience as the holder of a Massachusetts Systems Technician license while actively engaged in systems work, plus 75 hours of Board-approved education.
- Security systems: Massachusetts separately requires the applicable S-License / security clearance credential for security-system work. See the state's general electrician FAQ.
Licensed in another state or country?
Massachusetts currently has a reciprocity agreement with New Hampshire for Journeyman and Master licenses that meet the agreement's conditions. Reciprocity is different from asking Massachusetts to evaluate education and experience from another jurisdiction.
New Hampshire licensees
The Board's current reciprocity page says the New Hampshire Journeyman or Master license must have been obtained by passing an examination in New Hampshire. A New Hampshire license obtained through reciprocity or endorsement does not qualify for Massachusetts reciprocity.
Current reciprocity application fees are:
- Journeyman: $208
- Master: $310
Master reciprocity applicants also need the documentation listed by the Board, including the Massachusetts Journeyman prerequisite or a qualifying Journeyman reciprocity application filed with the Master application, and proof of the required Master education.
→ Apply for Massachusetts reciprocity
Licensed in another state besides New Hampshire
You do not get automatic reciprocity. The Board's FAQ says an out-of-state licensee seeking the Massachusetts Journeyman license must apply for and pass the Massachusetts exam and document equivalent education and experience under 237 CMR 13.09, along with the required 15-hour code-update course.
The Board may award full or partial credit depending on the documentation. Its FAQ notes that some applicants ask a Board-approved initial education provider to evaluate prior education and identify any missing parts of the 600-hour Massachusetts program.
Out-of-state Master Electricians
If you hold a Master license from a state other than New Hampshire, the Board's FAQ says you still begin with the Massachusetts Journeyman route. After you obtain the Massachusetts Journeyman license, the one-year Journeyman requirement for the Master exam may be waived if you document the qualifying out-of-state Master license. You still must meet the Master education requirement.
Trained or worked outside the U.S., or unlicensed out of state
237 CMR 13.07 and 13.08 govern how the Board evaluates education and work experience from outside Massachusetts when the applicant does not hold a license in another U.S. jurisdiction. The documentation must be detailed enough for the Board to decide whether it is substantially equivalent to the Massachusetts requirements.
The Board's FAQ also states that it will not pre-review or pre-approve this education or work experience before the formal application.
Companies
The Board does not offer business-license reciprocity. A company seeking a Massachusetts electrical business license must meet the state's business-license requirements and have the appropriate Massachusetts licensee of record.
Military education and experience
Veterans seeking credit must document qualifying military education and experience under 237 CMR 13.10–13.12.
| Military role | Maximum work credit | Maximum education credit |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft or shipboard electrician, Merchant Marine striker | 2,000 hours | 150 hours |
| Military construction or base maintenance electrician | 50% of required work, up to 2 years or 4,000 hours | 300 hours |
Qualifying veterans also receive a 5% credit on each exam part under 237 CMR 14.02.
Renewing your license
- When: Massachusetts electrician and systems licenses renew on a three-year cycle tied to the July 31 expiration date. The current renewal page opens eLIPSE renewal 90 days before expiration and says renewal notices are not mailed.
- Fee: $78 for Journeymen and Systems Technicians; $117 for Masters and Systems Contractors.
- Continuing education: 21 hours in the three years before renewal under 237 CMR 17.00:
- 15 hours through a Board-approved provider on the Massachusetts Electrical Code, business, law, and related topics applicable to the license; and
- 6 hours of professional development in qualifying subjects such as electrical code, business, law, first aid, safety, building code, and related topics. Those six hours do not have to be offered by a Board-approved provider.
- New-license exemption: A Journeyman or Systems Technician license issued during the 90 days before the renewal date is exempt from the CE requirement for that renewal cycle under 237 CMR 17.01.
- Long-expired licenses: Reinstatement rules depend on how long the license has been expired and the CE/exam requirements that apply at that point. Use the current Board reinstatement and renewal instructions rather than assuming an ordinary renewal is enough.
Keep your CE certificates and follow the Board's record-retention rules.
What changed in 2025–2026
- November 21, 2025: Updated 237 CMR 14.00 and 15.00 became effective.
- April 24, 2026: The Massachusetts Electrical Code based on the 2026 NEC took effect.
- September 28, 2026: The Board of State Examiners of Electricians moved its licensing functions to eLIPSE.
- Current fees: The application, PSI examination, original license, reciprocity, and renewal fees are split as shown above. Use the live Board pages before paying.
Quick answers
Do apprentices need a Massachusetts electrician license? State law exempts an apprentice employed by a properly licensed person, firm, corporation, or entity from the individual electrician-license requirement while the apprentice works within that supervised role (M.G.L. c. 141, § 1A). The Board's FAQ also says the Board itself does not register apprentices. A separate registered-apprenticeship program may have its own Division of Apprentice Standards requirements.
Do cities or towns issue their own electrician licenses? The individual electrician licenses covered on this page are issued by the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Local authorities still handle permits and inspections within their jurisdictions.
Can I go straight to the Master license? Not through the standard Massachusetts route. The ordinary Master eligibility rule requires a Massachusetts Journeyman license plus the required experience and education. Out-of-state and New Hampshire reciprocity situations have their own rules.
Next steps
- Ready to file? Apply through the Board's current eLIPSE application page.
- Still finishing school? Find a Board-approved initial education provider.
- Need the current exam bulletin? Start at the Board's electrician licensing hub and open the candidate-information link for your test date.
- Studying for the exam? Use Castleport's free journeyman electrician exam prep guide or master electrician exam prep guide. These are general multi-state study resources, not substitutes for the Massachusetts candidate bulletin.
- Moving between states? Use the official Massachusetts reciprocity page for the licensing decision that controls your application.
Questions about your own application go to the Board of State Examiners of Electricians at (617) 701-8786 or electricians.board@mass.gov.
Sources
Checked October 2, 2026.
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians, Apply for an individual electrical or systems license: current eligibility summary, forms, fees, eLIPSE process, checklist
- 237 CMR 13.00, Eligibility Criteria for Initial Licensure: education, experience, high-school-equivalency, 15-hour update, out-of-state and military-credit rules
- 237 CMR 14.00, Examinations for Licensure: two-part exam structure, 70% passing rule, seven-month code-change rule, veteran credit, retake rules
- 237 CMR 15.00, Licensure Without Examination: reciprocity framework
- 237 CMR 17.00, Mandatory Continuing Education: 21-hour continuing-education rule and exemptions
- Board, Electricians FAQs for applications: reciprocity, out-of-state applicants, military documentation, pre-review policy, record retention, education/work expiration
- Board, Approved initial education providers: current 600/150/300/75-hour program categories and Chapter 74 credit
- Board, Continuing education providers: current CE provider list and 21-hour renewal requirement
- Board, Apply for reciprocity: current New Hampshire reciprocity conditions and fees
- Board, Renew your license: current eLIPSE renewal process and fees
- Division of Occupational Licensure, eLIPSE move announcement: September 28, 2026 migration
- Department of Fire Services, Massachusetts Electrical Code: 2026 NEC basis and April 24, 2026 effective date
- Massachusetts General Laws, c. 141, § 1, § 1A, and § 8
- Board, Policies and Guidelines: exam-room policy and licensing policy guidance
- Board, Electrician licensing hub: current candidate-information entry point
How we checked this page: We rechecked the current Board application, renewal, reciprocity, FAQ, education, code, statutes, and regulations. We also inspected the current PSI candidate-bulletin URL, including rendered PDF pages. Because the bulletin's machine-readable text and rendered pages did not agree on its effective date and application workflow during this check, this page does not publish PSI-dependent question counts, time limits, or detailed reference-list claims as verified facts. We did not contact the Board or PSI. We use AI tools in research and drafting, as described in our editorial standards.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, the Division of Occupational Licensure, PSI, or the National Fire Protection Association. License, exam, and code names identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page summarizes published licensing rules and is not legal advice. The Board decides each application.