Minnesota Electrician License Requirements

Last verified: October 2, 2026, against Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) pages, DLI's electrical license examination guide and fee schedule, Minn. Stat. §326B.33 and Minn. R. 3800.3520.

To become a licensed Class A journeyworker electrician in Minnesota, register with DLI as a registered unlicensed electrician before you perform electrical work that Minnesota requires a licensed individual to perform. Then log 48 months (8,000 hours) of verified experience, with at least 24 of those months spent wiring and installing. After that, pass DLI's open-book journeyworker exam ($50 to apply) and pay the $48 license fee. A Class A master license takes a separate exam plus one of three routes: an electrical engineering degree, a year of qualifying experience as a licensed journeyworker, or five years of qualifying experience. Minnesota's NEC-based electrical licensing exams transitioned to the 2026 NEC on September 8, 2026; the lineman exam instead uses the 2023 NESC. (DLI licensing basics; DLI work experience form; DLI codes and standards) DLI independently states these figures; see the hour/month clarification.

Minnesota electrical licenses at a glance

All electrical exams carry a $50 application and exam fee, and you get 5½ hours for any of them. Fees come from DLI's fee schedule updated July 1, 2025. Minnesota stopped issuing new Class B journeyworker and Class B master licenses on August 1, 1985, though people who held them then can still renew. Elevator constructor licenses have their own requirements on DLI's elevator pages. (DLI fee schedule; DLI examination guide, pp. 1, 6; Minn. Stat. §326B.33; Minn. R. 3800.3520, subp. 5; DLI continuing education)

Which step are you on?

• Starting out? If you're 17 or older and will perform electrical work that requires a licensed individual, register as an RE before doing that work and make sure you meet DLI's employment and supervision rules. → Register before licensed electrical work
• Getting close to journeyworker? Check two things: whether your hours are documented the way DLI counts them, and whether at least 24 months were installation work. → How Minnesota counts your hours
• A journeyworker aiming for master? Check DLI's master eligibility routes and its separate 60-month experience schedule before you apply. → Becoming a master electrician
• Licensed in another state? You may be able to skip the Minnesota exam. → Coming from another state
• Want to contract directly with customers? A personal license isn't enough by itself. → Running your own electrical business

Register before licensed electrical work

Minnesota electrical work performed after January 1, 2009, does not earn license-experience credit if you were not registered or licensed as required at the time. (Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subd. 13)

Registering is quick:

• Apply online in DLI's iMS system and pay $14. You'll get a registration number starting with "RE." It's good for one year from the end of the month you registered.
• Work only within the rules. For the ordinary registered-unlicensed route, you must be a W-2 employee of a licensed electrical contractor or registered employer. A licensed journeyworker or master who works for the same employer must supervise you directly at all times. Except for technology-circuit work, a licensed individual may supervise no more than two unlicensed individuals at once.
• Carry your registration card on the job. DLI staff or inspectors may ask to see it.
• Renew every year. Renewal takes 2 hours of approved NEC continuing education, a $19 fee ($24 if late), and a Work Experience Verification Form signed by your employer's responsible licensed person.

Filing the experience form at each renewal pays off later. DLI says verifying hours year by year lets it qualify you gradually, so your exam approval goes faster. If your registration lapses for more than 12 months, you'll have to file a new initial application. (DLI licensing basics; Minn. R. 3800.3525; Work experience form instructions)

How Minnesota counts your hours

DLI measures experience month by month, sorted by the type of work you did. Its experience form caps credit at 160 hours a month and 2,000 hours a year, so overtime won't get you to the exam faster. DLI's form describes the journeyworker requirement as 48 months (8,000 hours). (Work experience form, p. 1)

What counts

• Work for a DLI-licensed electrical contractor.
• Work for an employer that isn't a contractor, as long as the work is inspected and supervised by a properly licensed electrician.
• Out-of-state work that DLI finds substantially equivalent, certified by your employer. If you were self-employed, you need two written statements from electrical or building inspectors or electrical contractors in the same area.
• Electrical work in the U.S. armed forces, certified by the military. Include your DD214 with the application.

(Minn. R. 3800.3520, subp. 4; Work experience form, p. 2; DLI examination guide, p. 34)

What doesn't count, or is capped

• Anything you did before age 17.
• Minnesota work after January 1, 2009, while you weren't registered.
• Work in a foreign country beyond 12 months.
• Time spent during the school term of a full-time approved program. The program itself earns the credit instead, so you can't count both.

(Minn. R. 3800.3520, subp. 3)

The journeyworker schedule in plain English

You need 48 months in total. Each type of work has its own limits:

(Minn. R. 3800.3520, subp. 5B)

Here's what that means in practice. Someone who spent three years on maintenance and one year installing can't qualify yet, even with 48 months on paper. Only 24 months of maintenance count, and installation work needs at least 24 months.

The school credit applies only to programs DLI approved before you finished them. DLI doesn't approve programs for individual applicants after the fact. See DLI's list of approved two-year programs. (DLI examination guide, p. 34)

How long it really takes

With a maximum of 2,000 credited hours a year, 8,000 hours takes at least four years of full-time qualifying work. If you finish an approved two-year program, it can cover up to 12 of the 48 months, so you'd need about three years of work after graduating. Part-time or non-qualifying work stretches the timeline. Treat this as a planning estimate. DLI decides what counts when it reviews your application.

Your paperwork checklist

• My RE registration was active the whole time I worked
• I have one Work Experience Verification Form per employer, per year
• Hours are broken out by class of work (installing, maintaining, technology, process control and so on)
• Each form is signed by the employer's designated responsible person and by me
• Hours come from payroll records, or the form notes what other documentation was used
• Out-of-state hours are verified by someone licensed for that work in that state
• I kept a copy of every form

Reporting false hours on purpose can lead to discipline and a penalty of up to $10,000 per violation. (Work experience form)

Applying for the exam

1. Apply in iMS once you qualify. Pay the $50 application and exam fee. Upload any experience forms you haven't submitted yet. The fee isn't refunded if DLI finds you don't qualify yet, so check your months by category first.
2. Wait for approval. No one can schedule an exam without DLI's written approval. DLI emails the approval along with scheduling instructions.
3. Schedule in iMS. DLI gives exams at its St. Paul office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, except during weeks with a state holiday. It also uses regional sites including Bemidji, Detroit Lakes, Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, St. Cloud, Virginia, Willmar and Winona. Not every exam runs every day, and iMS shows the dates for yours. Walk-ins aren't allowed. You can reschedule once.
4. Take the exam, get results, pay for the license. DLI usually emails results within two weeks. If you passed, the letter explains how to get your license. A first Class A journeyworker license costs $48.

(DLI exam schedule; DLI examination guide, pp. 6, 33–34; DLI fee schedule)

Open DLI's iMS (apply or renew)

The licensing exam

DLI writes and gives its own exams. There's no PSI, ICC or other vendor registration. Both the journeyworker and master exams have 80 multiple-choice questions. You get 5½ hours and need 70% to pass. Each question is worth one point, with no partial credit. (Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subd. 18; DLI examination guide, p. 6)

What you can use

The exam is open book, but DLI supplies everything and you can't bring your own references:

• A soft-cover copy of the NEC edition adopted at the time of your exam, with no tabs or other aids. Since September 8, 2026, that's the 2026 NEC.
• DLI's Laws and Rules Booklet.
• A basic desk calculator with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square root and percentage functions.

No other materials or electronic devices, including phones, are allowed in the building. If you take notes on questions or copy them, DLI automatically fails you, and you'll need to file a new application and pay the fee again. (DLI examination guide, pp. 1, 4–5; DLI codes and standards)

Two things in DLI's guide should shape how you study:

• Most questions are meant to be answered without the book. The code is there for confirming answers, not for learning the material on exam day.
• Practice on an untabbed book. Tabs help while you study, but on test day you'll work from DLI's clean copy. Get used to the index and table of contents.

How the questions work

DLI's guide describes single-correct-answer, "which does NOT apply" and calculation formats. Wrong answers are written to look plausible, and questions may include extra information. Unless a question says otherwise, assume unity power factor. DLI rates journeyworker exams at an average difficulty of 1.5–2.5 on its 5-point scale. Master, maintenance and power limited exams average 2.5–3.5. The guide also covers sample questions, worked formulas and a knowledge-area table by license type. NEC-based exams now use the 2026 NEC; the lineman exam uses the 2023 NESC. It's free and worth reading in full. (DLI examination guide, pp. 5–6, 19–31)

If you study with materials built on the 2023 NEC, check what changed. For example, the 2026 NEC moved dwelling load calculations from Article 220 to Article 120. DLI links to free access to the 2026 NEC from its electrical codes and standards page. DLI–Board 2026 NEC adoption review minutes, p. 3.

Exam day

• Bring a photo ID and arrive at least 30 minutes early. St. Paul exams run from 8:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
• Food, drinks and restroom breaks are allowed, but you can't leave the building once the exam starts.
• You can't ask the proctor questions about the exam.
• Need an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act? Tell DLI what alternative examination arrangements you need and submit the request with your examination application. DLI's current guide describes reasonable accommodations but does not promise a particular accommodation for every applicant.

(DLI examination guide, pp. 4–5, 31–33; Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subd. 18)

If you don't pass

You can submit a new application 30 days after DLI notifies you that you failed. Each attempt takes a new application and a new $50 fee. DLI doesn't offer written or oral reviews of your exam, but you can send written comments about specific questions. Failing a Minnesota exam also matters if you ever try reciprocity: it permanently bars you from getting that same license class, or a lower one, through reciprocity. (DLI examination guide, pp. 6, 33; DLI reciprocity)

Becoming a master electrician

You qualify for the Class A master exam through any one of these routes:

• A bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from an accredited college or university. DLI says engineering graduates qualify without any practical installation experience. Include a copy of your diploma with the application.
• One year of experience as a licensed journeyworker.
• Five years of experience planning, laying out, supervising and installing wiring and equipment for electric light, heat and power.

(DLI licensing basics; Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subd. 1; DLI examination guide, p. 33)

Minnesota's rule and DLI's experience form describe the master experience schedule as 60 months (10,000 hours). That includes at least 12 months of installing and at least 2 months each of planning, laying out and supervising. (Minn. R. 3800.3520, subp. 5A; Work experience form, p. 2)

That last part can catch people off guard. DLI separately publishes the statutory master routes and a detailed master experience schedule of 60 months (10,000 hours), including minimum planning, layout and supervision experience. If you are relying on an experience-based route, compare your records with both DLI's licensing-basics page and the current experience schedule before you pay to apply.

Why go for master? Only a master electrician (or a power limited technician, for technology systems) may plan and lay out electrical work. And every electrical contractor has to name a responsible master. (Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subds. 12(b), 17)

What it costs

State fees for the full journeyworker path come to about $169. That assumes four years of RE registration, on-time renewals and passing on the first try.

That's our arithmetic from DLI's published fees, not a state-published package price. If you already have the hours, the exam plus license comes to $98 for journeyworker and $138 for master ($50 + $88). The total doesn't include CE course tuition, school tuition, study materials or travel. Late renewals add $5 for RE, $20 for journeyworker and $40 for master. (DLI fee schedule; DLI licensing basics)

Keeping your license

Renew before your expiration date with the required continuing education (CE). If you work on an expired license, you're working unlicensed.

• CE hours: Journeyworkers, masters, maintenance electricians and Class B installers need 16 hours per renewal, with at least 12 on the NEC. The other 4 can cover technical topics or Minnesota's electrical laws and rules. Power limited technicians need 16 hours with at least 4 on the NEC. Linemen have no CE requirement.
• Timing: You must finish CE within the license term before it expires. Extra hours don't carry over. One set of hours can count for more than one license you hold. Masters don't need CE in their first prorated term.
• Renewing without CE can lead to suspension and a $1,000 fine.
• If your license lapses: Within two years, you can renew by paying the missed renewal fees plus a late fee. After two years, you have to pass the exam again.

(DLI continuing education; DLI examination guide, p. 35; Minn. Stat. §326B.092, subd. 4; DLI reciprocity)

Find DLI-approved CE courses

Coming from another state

Minnesota may issue the equivalent license without a Minnesota exam when you hold a qualifying license from a reciprocal state and meet DLI's reciprocity conditions.

• Journeyworker: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. A master's license from one of these states can also get you a Minnesota journeyworker license.
• Master: Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

You also need to meet all of these conditions:

• You met Minnesota's experience requirements to take the exam.
• Your exam score in the other state was at least what Minnesota requires.
• Your license is current and in good standing.
• You got it directly by state exam, not through a city license, another reciprocity deal or a grandfather clause.
• You have not failed the same or a greater class of Minnesota electrical license examination.
• You're not under a Minnesota order denying, suspending or revoking any electrical license.

You pay the $50 application fee first, then the license fee once DLI approves you. After that, Minnesota's CE and renewal rules apply. (DLI reciprocity; DLI examination guide, pp. 34–35; Reciprocity application (PDF))

Not from a partner state? Your out-of-state experience can still qualify you to take the Minnesota exam if DLI finds it substantially equivalent. See What counts.

Running your own electrical business

A contractor license lets a business offer electrical work. It doesn't let anyone perform the work. To get one, you need:

• A responsible licensed individual who holds an active master license. That person must be an owner, officer or member, or a W-2 employee actively doing the company's electrical work. They can't work as an electrician for any other contractor or serve as the responsible person for another contractor or employer.
• Liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence, $300,000 aggregate and $50,000 for property damage, plus proof of workers' compensation compliance.
• A $25,000 surety bond on DLI's form.
• A disclosure of the business's owners, partners, officers and members.
• A $188 fee. The license expires on the last day of February in even-numbered years.

Employees of a licensed contractor don't need their own contractor license, but each one must be licensed or registered as an RE. General contractors that hire licensed electrical subcontractors don't need an electrical contractor license. (DLI electrical contractor licensing basics; Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subds. 14–17)

Double-check these before you trust another guide

We checked each of these against DLI and Minnesota law because they show up wrong in other search results.

1. Minnesota doesn't require classroom hours to qualify. No apprenticeship schooling is required to sit for the exam. An approved two-year program can earn up to 12 months of credit. (Board of Electricity comparison chart, Jan. 15, 2026, row 12)The cited 2026 Board comparison chart is currently unavailable. Current Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subd. 2 and Minn. R. 3800.3520, subp. 5B set out the experience route and allow up to 12 months of credit for an approved two-year electrical program.
2. DLI runs the exam, not PSI or ICC. (DLI examination guide)
3. The NEC-based electrical licensing exams use the 2026 NEC now, not the 2023 edition. The transition began September 8, 2026; the lineman exam uses the 2023 NESC. (DLI codes and standards)
4. The exam fee is $50. The $14 figure you may see elsewhere is the RE registration fee. (DLI fee schedule)
5. The master exam is also 80 questions in 5½ hours. (DLI examination guide, p. 6)
6. There's no new "Class B" path. Class B journeyworker and master licenses haven't been issued since 1985. (Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subds. 1–2)
7. There's no commercial-hours minimum for journeyworker. The rule sorts experience by type of work, like installing versus maintaining, not by type of building. (Minn. R. 3800.3520, subp. 5B)

Common questions

Can I wire my own house without a license? Yes, if you own the single-family home and live there (or will once it's built), and it has its own electrical utility service that isn't shared with another home. That exemption covers licensing only, so check with your electrical inspector about permits and inspections. (Minn. Stat. §326B.33, subd. 21(f))

Can I take the exam before I have all my hours? Generally, no. Minnesota requires acceptable experience before examination unless a specific statutory exception applies, such as the qualifying electrical-engineering degree route for the Class A master exam. (Minn. R. 3800.3520, subp. 2)

Is "journeyman" the same as "journeyworker"? Yes. Minnesota's official title is Class A journeyworker electrician.

Do I need a separate local city license? Minnesota's personal electrician licenses are issued through DLI. Local permit and inspection requirements can still apply to individual jobs, so check the authority having jurisdiction for the work location.

Who do I contact? For licensing questions, email dli.license@state.mn.us or call 651-284-5034. For exam questions, email dli.exam@state.mn.us.

Keep going

• Studying for the exam? Start with the journeyman electrician exam prep guide or the master electrician exam prep guide.
• Want practice questions? The free journeyman electrician practice test labels every code question by NEC edition. Most use the 2023 NEC, so check changed sections against the 2026 code you'll see in Minnesota.
• Comparing states? See electrician license requirements by state and NEC adoption by state.

Sources

Checked October 2, 2026:

• DLI, Electrical licensing basics: who can do electrical work, RE rules, application steps, master routes, renewal
• DLI, Electrical license examination guide: pp. 1, 4–6 (exam rules, length, scoring, retakes), 19–31 (knowledge areas), 33–35 (scheduling, qualifications, reciprocity, CE)
• DLI, CCLD licensing fee schedule, updated July 1, 2025: electrical licenses table
• DLI, Electrical work experience verification form (rev. 6/20/2024): credit caps and minimums by license class
• DLI, Electrical codes and standards: 2026 NEC adoption and exam transition
• DLI, Experience requirements and approved programs
• DLI, License exam schedule
• DLI, Continuing education – electrical
• DLI, Electrical license reciprocity
• DLI, Electrical contractor licensing basics
• Minnesota Board of Electricity, Texas/Minnesota comparison chart (Jan. 15, 2026)
• Minn. Stat. §326B.33 (2025) and §326B.092
• Minn. R. 3800.3520 (published April 16, 2026), 3800.3525 and 3800.3602

On that date we compared DLI's pages, guide, fee schedule and experience form with the statute and rules. DLI's experience-requirements web page shows an older version of one rule subpart, so we followed the current published rule. AI-assisted research was used to prepare this page under our editorial standards. It is not a legal review, and we did not contact DLI.

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, the Minnesota Board of Electricity, or the National Fire Protection Association. NEC and credential names are used to identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page is general information, not legal advice. DLI decides your eligibility.