In the six states we read, no state rule lets a journeyman electrician pull a permit as a journeyman. Here is who can, with the rule and citation for Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Washington, Colorado and Oregon.
In the six states we read, no state rule lets a journeyman electrician pull an electrical permit as a journeyman. Where a state rule says who may apply, it lists the licensed electrical contractor, a master electrician tied to one, or the owner doing the work on their own home, and in Texas the state leaves the question to each city. A journeyman installs the work under the contractor's license and permit.
Permit authority follows the contractor license, not the trade card in your wallet. Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, our founders, are licensed general contractors and master electricians, so this page is written from the contractor side of the counter. For the full picture of how each state licenses companies, start with our contractor license guide.
At a glance
- Texas: a journeyman works under the general supervision of a master electrician (TDLR), an electrical contractor must have a master electrician of record (TDLR FAQ 3.6), and the state sources do not set a statewide rule for who signs a permit, so the city decides (TDLR).
- Washington: electrical permits must be purchased by the electrical contractor or by the owner who will do the work (L&I; WAC 296-46B-901).
- Oregon: the permit rule lists electrical contractors and registered telecommunications service providers as the buyers (OAR 918-309-0000(2)).
- Colorado: only a qualified applicant may apply for an electrical permit: a master electrician who is a registered electrical contractor, a master electrician directly employed by one, or a homeowner working on their own home (C.R.S. 12-115-120).
- North Carolina and Florida: the license that matters is the contractor license, and an employee working within a licensee's license is covered by the employer (G.S. 87-43.1(3); Fla. Stat. 489.503(1)).
Why the journeyman card and the permit are different things
A journeyman license says you are qualified to do the work. A permit is a request to the local building department to do the work, and it is tied to whoever is responsible for the job: the contractor who contracts it, or the owner who does it. That is why the same person can hold a journeyman license and still not be the right name on the application.
What the rules say in six states
The table gives the short version. The notes under it carry the citations and the details. Cities add their own layers, so confirm the final answer with the board and the local building department.
| State | Who the sources name for permits | Journeyman position |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | No statewide rule found; city decides | General supervision of a master |
| Florida | Certified or registered contractor; owner | Local license; cannot contract alone |
| North Carolina | Licensed contractor; exempt owner | Board licenses firms (G.S. 87-43; FAQ) |
| Washington | Electrical contractor; owner doing work | Certified; works under a contractor |
| Colorado | Qualified applicant (C.R.S. 12-115-120) | Not named as a qualified applicant |
| Oregon | Electrical contractors; registered TSPs | Not named in the permit rule |
Texas
Texas licenses the individual and the company separately. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) says a journeyman electrician is licensed to perform electrical work under the general supervision of a master electrician. An electrical contractor must either assign its own master electrician license to the company or employ a licensed master electrician as the master electrician of record (TDLR FAQ 3.6), and when that person leaves the company must name a replacement within thirty business days (FAQ 3.8).
The state sources do not set a statewide rule for who signs a permit. TDLR says cities have their own authority under state law to set local ordinances and fee schedules. Section 1305.201 limits the fees a city may collect from a state licensed electrician, and TDLR notes that a building permit fee is still allowed. Check with the city that will issue the permit, and remember that a journeyman who wants to run jobs needs a contractor company with a master behind it. Our Texas electrician license guide and Texas qualifying agent guide walk through that structure.
For homeowners, TDLR's exemptions page lists a person who performs electrical work on a dwelling they own and reside in, citing Section 1305.003(a)(6), and notes that local rules can still apply.
Florida
In Florida, the statute forbids practicing contracting unless the person is certified or registered (Fla. Stat. 489.531(1)(a)). A journeyman license is a different thing: Section 489.5335 authorizes counties and municipalities to issue journeyman licenses in the electrical and alarm system trades. The state's electrical contractor certificate or registration is what lets a business contract the work, and permit officials are required to ascertain certification or registration before they issue permits (Section 489.537).
Employees of a certificate holder or registrant are exempt while they act within the scope of the employer's license and with the employer's knowledge and permission (Section 489.503(1)). Owners have their own exemption under Section 489.503(6): an owner who applies for the permit, supervises and does the work on a single-family or duplex residence for the owner's own use is exempt, and the owner must personally appear and sign the permit application. See our Florida electrician license guide for the EC and ER categories.
North Carolina
The licenses issued by the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors are contractor licenses. No person, firm or corporation may engage or offer to engage in electrical contracting without a license, whether or not a qualified individual performed the work (G.S. 87-43). The Board's FAQ says not every person in a firm must hold a license, and that each place of business needs at least one listed qualified individual regularly on active duty to supervise and direct the electrical work.
The exceptions in G.S. 87-43.1 include a person working as a bona fide employee of a licensee and a person working on their own property for their own benefit when it is not intended for sale or for tenants. On the permit side, G.S. 160D-1110(a)(4) requires a permit for the installation, extension, alteration or general repair of electrical wiring, devices, appliances or equipment. Under G.S. 160D-1110(b), where a statute requires a licensed contractor, no building permit is issued unless a licensed contractor performs the work, and under G.S. 160D-1113, when an owner exempt from licensure under G.S. 87-1(b)(2) obtains a building permit, no inspection is conducted without the owner present, unless the plans were drawn and sealed by a licensed architect. Our North Carolina electrician license guide covers the license classes.
Washington
Washington has the clearest published rule. L&I says electrical permits must be purchased by the electrical contractor, and the property owner or homeowner may buy one only when they will actually do the work. WAC 296-46B-901 requires each person, firm or other entity to furnish its own valid permit for the work it performs, and says two or more entities may never work under the same permit.
The individual credential is separate. RCW 19.28.161 says no person may engage in the electrical construction trade without a valid certificate of competency, and RCW 19.28.041 makes it unlawful to offer electrical work without an electrical contractor license, which requires the applicant to designate an individual holding a master journey level or administrator certificate. RCW 19.28.261 exempts an owner doing electrical work at their own residence, farm or place of business. Our Washington electrical contractor license guide and Washington electrician license guide go deeper.
Colorado
Colorado's statute is the most specific of the six. Only a qualified applicant may apply for an electrical permit, and a licensed master electrician who is not a registered electrical contractor and who is operating as an independent contractor for another business may not apply (C.R.S. 12-115-120(1)(a)(III)(A)). A qualified applicant is a licensed master electrician who is also a registered electrical contractor, including a sole proprietor, a licensed master electrician directly employed by a registered electrical contractor, or a homeowner performing work on the homeowner's home. The issuing authority, the State Electrical Board or the local building department, must verify that the applicant qualifies before it issues the permit.
A journeyman electrician is not on that list. The list does reach a master electrician on a registered contractor's payroll, which is why the permit authority follows the contractor relationship and not the card alone.
We read this in the 2022 session law that enacted it (House Bill 22-1346, Chapter 483, effective January 1, 2023), which added the definition to Section 12-115-120. Confirm the current text with the State Electrical Board. Our Colorado electrician license guide explains the license ladder, and our electrical contractor qualifying agent guide covers the company side.
Oregon
Oregon requires an electrical contractor license to engage in the business of making electrical installations, subject to the owner exemption (ORS 479.620(1)). OAR 918-309-0000(2), the Building Codes Division rule on electrical permits, states that electrical contractors and registered telecommunications service providers may purchase electrical permits. A journeyman is not on that list.
ORS 479.540(1) says a person is not required to obtain a license to make an electrical installation on residential or farm property owned by the person or a member of the person's immediate family, if the property is not intended for sale, exchange or tenants. OAR 918-261-0040 defines the owner as a natural person and lists which relatives count. See our Oregon electrical license guide.
What this means for a journeyman or a growing electrical company
If you are a journeyman who wants to take jobs on your own, the rules above point to the same next step: a contractor license behind the company. That license needs a person who meets the state's qualifying standard, which is usually a master electrician or the state's equivalent. Our journeyman vs master electrician guide shows where each state draws that line, and how to get an electrical contractor license covers the company steps.
If you run a company with journeymen on the crew, the permit belongs in the company's name under a license held by a qualifier who supervises the work. A few habits keep a job clean:
- Pull the permit in the name of the licensed entity that holds the contract, never in a worker's name or in a homeowner's name for a job the company is performing.
- Check the building department's own rules before the first job in a new city, because in Texas the cities set their own ordinances and fee schedules.
- Do not let a journeyman take side jobs for pay outside the company. Selling electrical work is contracting, and our guide on penalties for unlicensed contracting shows what the states can do about it.
Homeowner rules are in Can I Pull a Permit Without a Contractor License.
Frequently asked questions
Can a journeyman electrician pull a permit for a side job? A side job for pay is electrical contracting. In the states we read, that takes a contractor license (Fla. Stat. 489.531(1)(a), G.S. 87-43, RCW 19.28.041, ORS 479.620(1)), and the permit rules in Washington and Oregon name the contractor, while Colorado names a master electrician tied to a registered contractor. None of them names a journeyman. In Texas the state sources do not say who signs a permit, so the city decides, but the contractor license still needs a master electrician behind it.
Can a journeyman pull a permit for their own house? The owner status matters here, not the journeyman card. In Washington, L&I lets the owner who will actually do the work buy the permit. In Florida, an owner who applies for the permit, supervises and does the work on a single-family or duplex residence for their own use is exempt, and must personally sign the application. In North Carolina, an exempt owner may hold a building permit and must be present for inspections. In Colorado, a homeowner performing work on their own home is a qualified applicant. In Texas, the state exempts electrical work on a dwelling the person owns and lives in from licensing, and the city decides the permit. In Oregon, owners appear in the restricted energy and renewable energy permit rules (OAR 918-309-0400(2) and 0410(1)(b)), so check the Building Codes Division or the local department for other work.
Does a journeyman who works for a contractor need their own permit? No. The work sits under the employer. North Carolina exempts a bona fide employee of a licensee (G.S. 87-43.1(3)), Florida exempts employees acting within the scope of the employer's license (Section 489.503(1)), and Washington requires each entity to furnish its own permit rather than share one (WAC 296-46B-901).
Does a master electrician license let me pull permits? Not by itself. In Texas the master license is assigned to an electrical contractor company as its master electrician of record, and in Washington the contractor license needs a designated master journey level or administrator certificate holder. Colorado is closer: a master electrician qualifies to apply only as a registered contractor or as one directly employed by one. In each case the contractor relationship is what carries the permit authority.
Where do I check the final answer for my city? Start with the state board in the Sources section, then call the building department that will issue the permit.
How a company gets permit authority without a master on staff
Many electrical companies are owned by journeymen or investors who do not hold the master or administrator credential the state wants behind the license. A qualifying agent solves that: this person qualifies the company as an owner or a full time W-2 employee who supervises the work, and the company then holds the contractor license that permits attach to. Read what a qualifying agent is, see how to hire a qualifying agent, and review our contractor qualifier services for how the arrangement works. If your company works in more than one state, licensing services in all 50 states covers the multi state side.
Next step
If you are a journeyman ready to run your own jobs, or a company that needs a qualifier behind an electrical contractor license, call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent. Tell us the state and the work you do, and we will tell you plainly what the board expects.
Sources
Retrieved October 12, 2026.
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Apply for a New Journeyman Electrician License
- TDLR, Electrical Safety and Licensing Frequently Asked Questions
- TDLR, Electricians Compliance Guide
- TDLR, Exemptions to Electrician Licensing
- Florida Statutes 2025, Section 489.503, Exemptions
- Florida Statutes 2025, Section 489.505, Definitions
- Florida Statutes 2025, Section 489.531, Prohibitions
- Florida Statutes 2025, Section 489.5335, Journeyman licensure
- Florida Statutes, Section 489.537, Application of this part
- North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 87, Article 4, Electrical Contractors
- North Carolina Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, FAQ
- North Carolina Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, G.S. 87-43
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 160D-1110
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 160D-1113
- Washington L&I, Electrical Permits, Fees and Inspections
- Washington Administrative Code, WAC 296-46B-901
- Revised Code of Washington, RCW 19.28.041
- Revised Code of Washington, RCW 19.28.161
- Revised Code of Washington, RCW 19.28.261
- Colorado General Assembly, House Bill 22-1346, Session Laws Chapter 483 (2022), amending C.R.S. 12-115-120 and 12-115-122
- Oregon Administrative Rules, Division 309, Electrical Permits and Fees
- Oregon Administrative Rules, Division 261, Electrical Exemptions
- Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 479
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.