Michigan Electrician License Requirements
Michigan's state electrician licensing system runs through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes, while the City of Detroit issues its own local licenses and registrations. A journeyman license takes age 20, 8,000 hours of supervised experience spread over at least 4 years, and a passing PSI exam score of 75%; a master license takes age 22, 12,000 hours over 6+ years, and 2 years holding a journeyman license.
Live in Detroit? The city issues its own licenses; see Detroit. Last verified October 1, 2026.
| Row label | Apprentice (registration) | Journeyman Electrician | Master Electrician | Electrical Contractor (business) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | No separate Michigan licensing age; approved apprenticeship programs set entry rules, and the federal standards Michigan uses for program equivalence require an eligible starting age of at least 16 | 20 | 22 | — |
| Experience | Employed by a master electrician and an electrical contractor; enrolled in an approved related technical instruction program | 8,000 hours and at least 4 years, under the direct supervision of a licensed journeyman or master | 12,000 hours over at least 6 years under a master, plus a journeyman license held at least 2 years (with at least 4,000 of the hours earned after it was issued) | Hold a master license, or employ a full-time master who lives in Michigan |
| Exam | None | PSI: 80 questions, 150 minutes, 75% to pass | PSI: 76 questions, 180 minutes, 75% to pass | None |
| State fee | $15 a year | $40 a year | $50 a year | $300 per 3-year cycle |
| Exam fee (paid to PSI) | — | $100 per attempt | $100 per attempt | — |
| Renew by | August 31 each year | December 31 each year | December 31 each year | December 31 every third year |
| Next official step | Register within 30 days of being hired | Collect notarized employer statements, then apply to LARA for exam approval | Same as journeyman, with your journeyman license number | Apply for the contractor license with your qualifying master |
Michigan has no reciprocity with any other state. Every row is sourced in the sections below and listed at the end.
Check when you'll meet the age, years and hours thresholds
Michigan's numeric requirements run on several clocks, and all of them have to be met. These clocks do not by themselves decide eligibility: registration, approved training, qualifying supervision, documentation, jurisdiction and other application requirements still apply. Plenty of apprentices reach 8,000 hours early with overtime and still can't apply, because the 4-year clock hasn't run out.
Journeyman: your earliest eligible date is the latest of these three.
- Your 20th birthday.
- Four years after the first day of your documented experience.
- The day your documented hours reach 8,000.
Master: your earliest eligible date is the latest of these five.
- Your 22nd birthday.
- Six years after the first day of your documented experience.
- The day your total documented hours reach 12,000.
- Two years after your journeyman license was issued.
- The day your hours since that license reach 4,000.
Optional Michigan numeric threshold-date planner
This standard numeric-clock planner estimates dates for numeric age, time, and hour thresholds. It does not evaluate alternative military experience or education credits discussed below.
Enter dates and documented hours, choose a license level, and calculate a planning estimate. This form is disabled until the planner loads. Inputs stay in this browser and are not saved or sent.
This is a planning estimate of Michigan's age, time and hour thresholds, not an eligibility decision. It assumes future hours are qualifying hours LARA will accept. It does not check apprentice registration, approved training, supervision, documentation, Detroit/local licensing, discipline, or other application requirements.
Worked examples (projections assume 40 hours a week starting October 1, 2026)
| Situation | Clock that decides it | Earliest date |
|---|---|---|
| Journeyman: born March 15, 2004; experience started June 5, 2023; 6,200 hours logged | Hours: 1,800 more ÷ 40 a week = 45 weeks | August 12, 2027 |
| Journeyman: born July 1, 2001; started January 9, 2023; 8,400 hours already | The 4-year clock (hours are done) | January 9, 2027 |
| Journeyman: born November 30, 2006; started September 1, 2022; 8,100 hours | Age 20 | November 30, 2026 |
| Master: born April 2, 1998; experience since August 1, 2019; 11,200 total hours; journeyman license issued March 1, 2024; 4,600 hours since | Total hours: 800 more ÷ 40 = 20 weeks | February 18, 2027 |
| Master: born September 9, 1997; experience since January 7, 2019; 13,000 total hours; journeyman license issued January 15, 2025; 3,000 hours since | Hours since the license: 1,000 more ÷ 40 = 25 weeks | March 25, 2027 |
This is a planning estimate of the age, time and hour thresholds, not an eligibility decision. It assumes future hours are qualifying hours LARA will accept. LARA decides eligibility from your registration, training, supervision, documents, dates and hours.
Journeyman electrician requirements
You need all of the following (MCL 339.5715; LARA):
- Age 20 or older.
- At least 8,000 hours of experience over at least 4 years. The work has to relate to electrical construction, building maintenance, or electrical wiring or equipment.
- Direct supervision by a licensed electrician. LARA says that means someone with a Michigan journeyman or master license.
- Notarized proof from current and past employers used to establish your experience, giving exact start and end dates, hours, the type of electrical work, and your supervisor (MCL 339.5709; form BCC-3923).
- A PSI exam score of at least 75%.
LARA's journeyperson license map adds one more condition worth taking seriously: apprentices must keep their registration active and renewed to qualify to apply for the journeyman license (LARA journeyperson license map).
LARA also says you may be able to earn some credit for completing a recognized training or educational program. It doesn't publish a fixed amount, so ask the Licensing Section before you count on it.
Military route. If you served on active duty as an interior electrician (or in an equivalent job) and were honorably discharged in the year before you apply, an affidavit from a commanding officer or supervisor documenting 8,000 hours across ten listed knowledge areas can stand in for the civilian experience. If the affidavit shows fewer hours, LARA may grant partial credit toward the 8,000 (MCL 339.5715(1)(b) and (2); LARA veterans page).
What about the "576 classroom hours"?
Lots of sites list 576 classroom hours as a Michigan requirement. That number isn't in the statute or on LARA's requirements page. Michigan requires apprentices to be enrolled in an approved related technical instruction program, and the board approves programs that meet or exceed federal Office of Apprenticeship standards (MCL 339.5717(4)). The federal standard recommends at least 144 hours of related instruction per year of apprenticeship (29 CFR 29.5(b)(4)). Four years of that is 576, which is likely where the figure comes from. What you actually have to finish is your own program's requirement.
Apprentice registration
Register with the state within 30 days after you're hired as an apprentice electrician (MCL 339.5717(1)). LARA's conditions:
- You're employed by a master electrician and an electrical contractor. Sometimes one person holds both licenses.
- You're enrolled in a related technical instruction program and keep taking coursework. LARA asks about your classes and employers each time you renew.
- Your registration stays active. LARA says you can't be on a job site without an active apprentice registration.
The registration costs $15 and expires August 31 every year. You can start renewing 90 days early. LARA charges a $100 late fee after it expires. MCL 339.5707(5) describes a 30-day post-expiration renewal window, while LARA's current renewal page tells apprentices with long-expired registrations to renew rather than submit a new registration (MCL 339.5707(5); LARA renewals). Each registration needs proof of a sponsoring employer.
On the job, one journeyman or master can supervise no more than 3 registered apprentices. The ratio is enforced site by site (MCL 339.5717(3)).
Keep your own hours log from day one. The apprentice application makes you responsible for keeping a chronological record of your employment (form BCC-0704). Employers change and companies close. Your notarized statements are what get you into the exam.
Register through LARA's online licensing portal (Accela) or with form BCC-0704.
Master electrician requirements
You need all of the following (MCL 339.5713):
- Age 22 or older.
- At least 12,000 hours of experience over 6 years or more, performed under the supervision of a master electrician.
- A journeyman license held at least 2 years.
- A PSI master exam score of at least 75%.
Do you need 4,000 hours as a journeyman, or just 2 years? Both. LARA's experience form says master applicants must attest to at least 4,000 hours since their journeyman license was issued (form BCC-3923), and LARA's requirements page says the same. Say you finished your apprenticeship with 10,000 hours and logged 2,000 more in your first year as a journeyman. You'd have 12,000 total, but you'd still need 2,000 more post-license hours and a second year on the license.
If you hold a Michigan journeyman license, LARA doesn't ask you to prove experience from before that license was issued.
Electrical contractor license
A master license doesn't let you run an electrical business. To do business as an electrician, you need a separate Electrical Contractor license. There's no exam for it (LARA; MCL 339.5711).
- You either hold a master license yourself, or you employ at least one full-time master electrician who lives in Michigan and is in charge of Michigan electrical code compliance on all installations.
- One master can qualify only one contractor license at a time (MCL 339.5713(3)). If the business loses its master, LARA puts the contractor license on hold.
- The license costs $300 and expires December 31 of every third year. If you start partway through a cycle, the fee is prorated by year (MCL 339.5707(7)–(8)). Qualifying veterans can have the initial license fee waived with a DD-214 or DD-215 (form BCC-974).
Apply on form BCC-974 or through Accela. The form's title still says "Examination and License," but LARA's current requirements say no contractor exam is required.
The Michigan electrical exam
PSI gives the exams at computer test centers after LARA approves you. These details come from PSI's Michigan bulletin effective August 20, 2026 (PSI bulletin):
| Row label | Journeyman | Master |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 80 | 76 |
| Time | 150 minutes | 180 minutes |
| Passing score | 75% | 75% |
| Code edition | 2023 NEC | 2023 NEC |
| Fee | $100 per attempt, paid to PSI | $100 per attempt, paid to PSI |
It's open book, with strict rules. You may bring:
- The National Electrical Code, with factory markings, factory highlights and factory tabs only.
- 2016 PA 407 (the Skilled Trades Regulation Act).
- 1972 PA 230 (the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act).
- Michigan Electrical Code Rules, Part 8.
Anything you print from the state's website has to be bound with three staples on the left edge, each document separately, with no highlighting, marks or tabs. Loose papers aren't allowed. The NEC Handbook isn't allowed. A straight edge with no calculations on it is fine. You can bring an older NEC, but the questions are written to the 2023 edition.
Don't add your own tabs or notes to any book. PSI reports anyone caught writing, highlighting, underlining or indexing before or during the exam to the Bureau of Construction Codes. For a side-by-side look at reference rules in other states, see is the journeyman electrician exam open book?
Calculators. PSI's security list puts calculators, along with phones and other electronics, among the personal items you store before entering the testing room. Check with PSI about what's available at your seat before you plan your math around it.
What's covered. Both exams test the Skilled Trades Regulation Act and its rules, the Part 8 rules, the construction code act and the codes adopted under it, and electrical theory. Installation topics include grounding and bonding, overcurrent protection, wiring methods, boxes and cabinets, services, feeders, motors and controls, special occupancies, load calculations, lighting, appliances, box and raceway fill, power-limited circuits, and general trade knowledge. The master exam adds the knowledge you need to plan and supervise installations.
Test day. Centers are in Dearborn, Holt (Lansing), Southfield (two), Grand Rapids, Gaylord and Marquette. Arrive 15 minutes early with one current government-issued photo ID. To cancel or reschedule without losing the fee, PSI must hear from you at least 2 days ahead, online or by phone. Voicemail and email don't count. Your score shows on screen when you finish. If you fail, the report shows your strengths and weaknesses by area.
How long your approval lasts, and what happens if you fail
- Your approval is good for one year from LARA's first review. If you haven't passed by then, you reapply (LARA PSI examinations).
- PSI allows journeyman and master candidates 2 attempts within that year. Each attempt costs $100. The fee is nonrefundable and valid for one year from payment.
- Fail twice within 2 years and Michigan law makes you wait. You can't test again until at least 1 year after the second failure. Then you must show the board you completed an approved course on the Michigan electrical code, electrical fundamentals or electrical theory (MCL 339.5715(3); MCL 339.5713(2)).
Want practice first? Our free journeyman electrician practice test has 50 original questions with explanations and uses the 2023 NEC as its code baseline. Its final question is a labeled 2026 NEC example, and Michigan's exam is on 2023.
How to apply
Before you start, gather:
Then:
- Apply to LARA through Accela or on paper with form BCC-341. Submit one application; fees are nonrefundable. LARA says processing can take up to 3–5 weeks, in the order received (LARA Licensing Section).
- Wait for PSI. Once you're approved, LARA sends your information to PSI, which should contact you within 10 business days to pay and schedule (LARA PSI examinations).
- Schedule and pay the $100 exam fee at PSI's Michigan registration site or by calling 855-579-4635.
- Pass with 75% or better.
Questions go to LARA's Licensing Section at 517-241-9316 (9 a.m.–4 p.m. weekdays) or lara-bcc-licensing@michigan.gov.
Fees
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice registration | $15 | LARA | At registration and each yearly renewal |
| Journeyman license | $40 | LARA | With your application, then each year |
| Master license | $50 | LARA | With your application, then each year |
| Exam (journeyman or master) | $100 per attempt | PSI | When you schedule |
| Electrical contractor | $300 | LARA | Each 3-year cycle (prorated if you start mid-cycle) |
| Late renewal | $100 apprentice; $50 journeyman, master or contractor | LARA | After the expiration date |
The journeyman step costs $140 ($100 exam + $40 license) if you pass on the first try, plus your $15 yearly apprentice registration along the way. The master step is $150 ($100 + $50). Sources: MCL 339.5707, PSI bulletin, LARA renewals.
Eligible active service members, veterans, and qualifying dependents can have the initial journeyman or master license/application fee waived when they meet LARA's military-family fee-waiver rules and provide the required proof (form BCC-341).
Keeping your license
| License | Renew by | Fee | Late fee | Code update course? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | August 31, yearly | $15 | $100 | No |
| Journeyman | December 31, yearly | $40 | $50 | Only after the code changes |
| Master | December 31, yearly | $50 | $50 | Only after the code changes |
| Electrical Contractor | December 31, every third year | $300 | $50 | No |
You can start renewing 90 days before the expiration date (LARA renewals). A journeyman or master license that isn't renewed within 60 days after December 31 becomes void after March 1, and you'd have to apply all over again (MCL 339.5707(6)).
Michigan doesn't require yearly continuing education for electricians. Instead, when the state code changes, journeymen and masters must finish a board-approved code update course within 12 months to keep renewing (MCL 339.5715(4); MCL 339.5713(4)). LARA puts it plainly: this doesn't happen every year. The latest change was the 2023 NEC with Michigan's 2023 Part 8 rules, effective March 12, 2024 (LARA code books; Part 8 rule set).
Course length isn't fixed. Approved courses for the 2023 update are listed on CE Broker in different lengths, and LARA directs licensees there to find approved courses.
Detroit and local permits
Detroit. LARA says the City of Detroit issues its own electrical licenses and registrations. Its contractor application states that if you live in Detroit, you must have a license issued by the city (LARA; form BCC-974). Start with Detroit's Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department licensing page.
A Detroit-licensed contractor who wants permits for jobs where the state enforces the code has to register that local license with the Bureau of Construction Codes (LARA transfer/registration application).
Permits are a separate question from licenses. Depending on the job's location, the state, the county or the local government enforces the electrical code. Check LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List on its electrical permit page before you apply for a permit. Only a licensed electrical contractor (state or municipal) or a qualifying homeowner can pull an electrical permit.
Permit scope correction (October 1, 2026): The preceding “only” sentence omits specialty contractors. LARA's current electrical permit instructions also allow specialty contractors licensed by a municipality or the State Electrical Administrative Board to apply, alongside licensed electrical contractors and qualifying homeowners. Licensing scope and the applicable permit jurisdiction still matter.
Other common questions
Does Michigan have reciprocity with other states? No. LARA states that Michigan doesn't hold reciprocity with any other state or country. You can still apply: send a copy of your out-of-state license and that jurisdiction's licensing requirements, showing the hours and schooling it required. LARA's application says you may receive credit for experience earned in other states (LARA; form BCC-341). To see other states' routes, use electrical license reciprocity by state.
Can a veteran skip the exam? Possibly. If you're a service member, a veteran, or a dependent of either, and you hold an active electrical license in at least one other state, you can ask for licensure without the exam using LARA's military/uniformed services examination waiver form (form BCC-341).
Can I wire my own house without a license? Yes, within limits. Michigan law exempts a homeowner doing electrical work in a single-family home and its outbuildings that the homeowner owns and lives in, or will live in (MCL 339.5737(3)(g)). That exempts you from the license, not from the permit. A qualifying homeowner can get the permit, and inspection rules still apply (MCL 339.5731(1); LARA electrical permit information).
Which code does Michigan use? The 2023 NEC, with Michigan's 2023 Part 8 electrical rules, effective March 12, 2024. LARA notes that requirements for homes are in the Michigan Residential Code (LARA code books). The licensing exams are based on the 2023 NEC. To compare states, see NEC adoption by state.
What about fire alarm and sign licenses? They're separate specialties, each with a matching contractor license that requires no exam (LARA; PSI bulletin):
| Row label | Fire Alarm Specialty Technician | Sign Specialist |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 20 | 18 |
| Qualification | NICET Level II or higher (installation/repair), or ESA Certified Fire Alarm Technician Level II or higher | 4,000 hours over at least 2 years under a sign specialist, plus an approved sign course |
| Exam | 36 questions, 90 minutes, 75% | 32 questions, 60 minutes, 75% |
| License fee | $50 | $40 |
Claims that don't match current sources
These show up often online. Here's what the official sources say now.
| You may read | What the current source says |
|---|---|
| Michigan requires 576 classroom hours | Not in the statute or on LARA's requirements page. You must be enrolled in an approved related technical instruction program (MCL 339.5717). |
| You can get licensed at 18 | 20 for journeyman, 22 for master (MCL 339.5715; MCL 339.5713). |
| Contractors must pass a contractor exam | LARA no longer requires an exam for the electrical contractor license. |
| Journeyman licenses renew every 3 years | Journeyman and master licenses renew every year. The 3-year cycle is for contractor licenses (LARA renewals). |
| The journeyman exam is 4 hours | 150 minutes for 80 questions (PSI bulletin). |
| Michigan reciprocates with some states | LARA says it has no reciprocity. |
| You need 15 CE hours every license cycle | Only a board-approved code update course after a code change (LARA renewals). |
| Apprentices must be Michigan residents | Not among LARA's apprentice conditions or in MCL 339.5717. Michigan residency applies to the employed master who qualifies a contractor license. |
Sources
Last verified: October 1, 2026. On that date we read the cited sections of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act on the Michigan Legislature's site; LARA's electrical licensing, Licensing Section, PSI examinations, renewals, code books and electrical permit pages; LARA forms BCC-341 (rev. 3/22), BCC-3923 (rev. 1/2025), BCC-974 (rev. 10/2025) and BCC-0704; LARA's journeyman and master license maps; the Part 8 rule-set record; and PSI's Michigan candidate bulletin effective August 20, 2026. Fees, exam details and renewal rules can change, so LARA and PSI have the final word.
- Michigan LARA: Electrical examination, licensing/registration & application information
- Michigan LARA: Licensing Section (processing times, contacts)
- Michigan LARA: PSI examinations
- Michigan LARA: License/registration renewals
- Michigan LARA: Electrical permit information
- Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407: MCL 339.5707 (fees), 339.5709 (exam eligibility), 339.5711 (contractor), 339.5713 (master), 339.5715 (journeyman), 339.5717 (apprentice), 339.5731 (who may install; permits), 339.5737 (exemptions)
- PSI: Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Candidate Information Bulletin (effective Aug. 20, 2026)
- LARA form BCC-341: journeyman/master application
- LARA form BCC-3923: electrical experience affidavit
- LARA form BCC-974: electrical contractor application
- LARA form BCC-0704: electrical apprentice application
- LARA: Journeyperson license map
- LARA: Code books (current electrical code)
- Michigan administrative rules: Part 8 Electrical Code rule set, effective March 12, 2024
- LARA: Transfer/registration of a Detroit contractor license
- 29 CFR 29.5: federal standards of apprenticeship
By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. We prepared this page with AI-assisted research under our editorial standards and checked it against the sources above. It hasn't been reviewed by a licensed electrician or an attorney.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We're not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, the Electrical Administrative Board, PSI, or NFPA. Exam, code and credential names identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page is general information, not legal advice. LARA decides your eligibility.
More for Michigan candidates: Journeyman electrician exam prep · Master electrician exam prep · Journeyman vs. master electrician · Electrician license requirements by state