Electrical Contractor Qualifying Agent: Titles, Duties and Replacement Rules by State

An electrical contractor's qualifying agent is the licensed individual whose credential makes the company eligible to contract for electrical work: a master electrician of record in Texas, a listed qualified individual in North Carolina, a qualified individual in Virginia, a primary qualifying agent in Florida, a supervising electrician in Chicago. Whatever the title, that person holds the master or contractor level credential, supervises the work, and the company's license stands or falls with that person's connection to the business.

This guide covers the role in eight large electrical markets, what happens to the company when the qualifier leaves, and a short answer on Florida's requirements. For every trade in every state, start with how to get a contractor license in each state. For the role itself, read what a qualifying agent is, and when you need one, hire a qualifying agent.

At a glance Texas: an electrical contractor must employ a master electrician of record, and a replacement is due within thirty business days of a separation (TDLR). Florida: the ECLB certifies or registers the qualifying agent; a sole qualifier's exit gives the business 60 days to qualify another person (Fla. Stat. 489.521(5)). Virginia: the qualified individual for the electrical (ELE) classification must hold a master electrician tradesman license; a change is reported within 60 days (18VAC50-22-220). Tennessee: the Board must hear of a qualifier's exit within 10 days, and a new qualifier must pass the exam within 3 months (Rule 0680-01-.02). Chicago: an electrical contractor license is inactivated automatically when no supervising electrician license is attached.

What the Qualifier Is Responsible For

The qualifier is not a name on a form. Florida law makes the primary qualifying agent responsible for supervising all operations of the business, all field work at all sites, and the financial matters of the organization and of each job, with approval authority over its checks, payments, drafts and contracts (Fla. Stat. 489.522).

North Carolina puts it in one line: the listed qualified individual has "the specific duty and authority to supervise and direct" the electrical contracting done in the licensee's name (G.S. 87-41.1). The statute also requires at least one listed qualified individual regularly on active duty at each separate place of business (G.S. 87-43).

Chicago's Department of Buildings says the same thing in plain words. The contractor license lets the business and its employees do electrical work under the supervision of a licensed supervising electrician, and it does not cover people paid as independent contractors.

Three duties show up everywhere. The qualifier holds the credential the board tested, supervises the work done under the company's license, and answers to the board when something goes wrong. That is why every board ties the company license to a named person.

Electrical Qualifier Titles and Boards in Eight Large Markets

State notes

• Florida: a certified license is statewide; a registered license covers only the local jurisdictions where it was issued. The certificate issued to a business is in the qualifying agent's name with the business noted on it (Fla. Stat. 489.521). See the Florida ECLB.
• Texas: the company must employ a licensed Master Electrician, who may also be the owner, and a master may be assigned to only one Electrical Contractor unless the master owns more than 50 percent of it (TDLR). More in our Texas electrician license guide.
• Georgia: since July 1, 2026, electrical licenses come from the Division of Electrical Contractors of the State Construction Industry Licensing Board, which SB 553 created when it reenacted Chapter 14 of Title 43. A partnership, LLC or corporation may do electrical contracting only if a person holding a valid license is regularly connected with it and works in the business full time (O.C.G.A. 43-14-8(d)). Class I is limited to certain single phase residential work and Class II is without restriction (O.C.G.A. 43-14-1).
• North Carolina: the license names every listed qualified individual the company employs, and the Board issues licenses in limited, intermediate and unlimited classes plus special restricted classes (G.S. 87-43.2 and 87-43.3).
• Virginia: electrical contracting (ELE) is a license classification (18VAC50-22-20), and its qualified individual must hold a master electrician tradesman license issued by the Board for Contractors (18VAC50-22-61).
• Tennessee: the qualifying agent is the owner, a partner, a stockholder owning at least 20 percent, an LLC manager or member, or a full time employee with written power of attorney to bind the firm (Rule 0680-01-.02(4)). More in our Tennessee electrician license guide.
• New York City: the license applicant must be an officer, partner or sole proprietor of the business, which needs a place of business in the city and "Electric" or "Electrical" in its name (NYC DOB). Since Local Law 128 of 2024 took effect on December 21, 2025, the master electrician license sits in NYC Administrative Code Article 28-429. A partnership or corporation designates one master electrician who is a partner or officer as its responsible representative, who files for, supervises and is fully responsible for the work (28-429.7.1).
• Chicago, Illinois: the Illinois Municipal Code lets each municipality require registration of electrical contractors (65 ILCS 5/11-33-1). Chicago licenses the business and requires it to employ at least one supervising electrician (Municipal Code of Chicago, Chapter 4-290).

Florida Electricians License Requirements, in Brief

Florida's Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board, part of DBPR, licenses electrical contracting businesses under Part II of Chapter 489. You choose between a certified license, good anywhere in Florida, and a registered license, good only in the local jurisdictions that issued the competency card behind it.

To sit for the certification exam you must be at least 18 and meet one of the experience routes in Fla. Stat. 489.511. These include 3 years of management experience in the trade within the last 6 years, 4 years as a supervisor or contractor within the last 8 years, or 6 years of training, technical education or supervisory experience within the last 12 years.

The exam has two parts, both computer based at Pearson VUE: a Business section of 50 scored questions in 2.5 hours and a Technical and Safety section of 100 scored questions in 5 hours (DBPR candidate booklet, effective February 2026). The business itself must show financial responsibility, credit and business reputation, and carry public liability and property damage insurance set by board rule (Fla. Stat. 489.521).

For the full walk through of experience, the exam and renewal, read our Florida electrician license guide.

What Happens When the Qualifier Leaves

Every board below sets a notice rule or a clock for the day the qualifier walks out.

Notes on the clock

• Florida: if no other qualifier is named within 60 days, the board finds the business no longer qualified to contract. The departing agent separately has 60 days to move the license to another business, qualify as an individual, or go inactive (Fla. Stat. 489.522(1)(b)).
• Texas: the change is filed on the Electrical Contractor Notice of Change form, and only the company owner of record can authorize changes to the license (TDLR FAQ).
• North Carolina: the owner agrees in writing to report any loss of a listed qualified individual within five days. Work begun before a cancellation may be finished as the Board directs, but nothing new may be bid or started until the license is reinstated.
• Virginia: the same rule gives 120 days to report a change of designated employee, a separate role for Class A and B firms.
• Tennessee: if no new qualifying agent is appointed within 3 months, the license becomes inactive until one is.
• Georgia: the business must notify the Division of Electrical Contractors within seven days when the person its qualification rested on leaves (O.C.G.A. 43-14-8(d)). The statute sets no fixed window to replace a qualifier who leaves. If the licensee dies, partners, officers and employees may keep working under that license for 90 days, and the division may grant one more 90 day period. Plan the handover before the exit.
• New York City: approval of a master electrician business lasts only while its responsible representative actively takes part and stays an officer, partner or proprietor, unless DOB approves a change (28-429.7). Loss of that person's license by revocation, surrender, death, retirement or non renewal automatically revokes the business's approval until DOB approves a new responsible representative (28-429.7.4), and a corporation or partnership reports the representative's death within 30 days (28-429.5.1).

Can One Qualifier Serve More Than One Company?

It depends on the market. Florida allows it with board approval: the qualifier pays an amount equal to the original certification or registration fee for each added business and shows the capacity and intent to supervise each one (Fla. Stat. 489.521(8)).

Texas allows a master electrician to be assigned to only one Electrical Contractor, unless the master owns more than 50 percent of the business. Chicago says a supervising electrician may not be the primary supervising electrician for more than one licensed electrical contractor. New York City is the strictest: no licensee may represent more than one business at a time (NYC Admin. Code 28-429.7.1).

Plan for one qualifier per company. Where a second company is allowed, the board still expects real supervision of each one, and it can revoke an added qualification when that supervision is missing.

Why Electrical Work Is Licensed This Tightly

Electrical mistakes start fires and injure people, which is why the boards tie the license to a tested individual rather than to the company alone. The qualifier is the person who knows the National Electrical Code and the local amendments, and North Carolina's exam, for example, covers the Code as adopted in the state building code (G.S. 87-42).

Permit authority. In Florida, every building permit application must carry the contractor's registration or certification number, and the building department checks it before issuing the permit (Fla. Stat. 489.521(7)). Without a qualified license behind the company, there is no permit.

Bid qualification. North Carolina scales the license to the job: the Board issues limited and intermediate classes, each capped on the value of a single project, and an unlimited class with no project cap (G.S. 87-43.3). In Tennessee a subcontractor must be licensed for electrical work of $25,000 or more, including materials and labor (Rule 0680-01-.24).

Classifications. Most markets split electrical work by scope. Georgia issues a residential Class I and an unrestricted Class II. Florida adds specialty licenses such as low voltage systems. Chicago issues a general license and a low voltage license, based on the exam the supervising electrician passed. Virginia licenses alternative energy system contracting (AES), which covers generation systems from the customer's meter, as its own specialty.

Licensing Electrical Work in More Than One State

Expanding across state lines means a new qualifier file in each place, because each board tests and approves its own people.

• Exams differ. Florida's ECLB exams run at Pearson VUE, NYC takes written and practical exam applications and fees through its DOB NOW portal before an exam administrator schedules the tests, and Chicago's supervising electrician exam is given by Continental Testing Services.
• Company licenses rarely transfer. TDLR says Texas has no path for transferring an out of state electrical contracting business license; the company applies new.
• Insurance varies. Texas requires business liability coverage of at least $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate and $300,000 for products and completed operations. New York City requires general liability, workers' compensation and disability insurance.
• Continuing education differs. North Carolina may require up to 10 hours per 12 months for each listed qualified individual (G.S. 87-44.1).

For state by state steps, see our guides to the Nevada electrician license (C-2), the Tennessee electrician license, the Texas electrician license, the Florida electrician license, and the difference between journeyman and master electricians.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Pick the market and the license class. Match the scope you will bid (residential, commercial, low voltage, unlimited value) to the board's class before anyone tests.
2. Identify the qualifier. An owner who holds the credential, or a full time employee who does. Check the market's rules on ownership, employment and power of attorney.
3. Confirm the qualifier's individual credential. In Texas that means a Master Electrician license, which takes 12,000 hours of on the job training under a Texas master and two years holding a journeyman license. In Florida it means passing both ECLB exam parts or already holding the certificate.
4. File the company application. Name the qualifier, list the owners, and attach insurance and financial documents. Texas charges a $110 application fee for the Electrical Contractor license and needs no exam for the company.
5. Pull permits under the license. The license number goes on every permit application, and the qualifier supervises the work.
6. Keep the qualifier file current. Renew on time (Texas, North Carolina and Chicago licenses run one year) and have a succession plan that fits the replacement window above.

Where a Qualifying Agent Fits

Many electrical companies are run by owners who know the business but do not hold the master or contractor credential themselves. A qualifying agent is a licensed master or contractor level electrician who joins the company as a real, full time member of the team, supervises the work, and qualifies the company under the board's rules. Read what a qualifying agent is for how the role works.

The Licensing Company was founded by Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, two industry authorities who work with these board rules every day. We match electrical contractors with a qualifier who holds the exact class the company needs, then walk the application through the board. Start at hire a qualifying agent.

FAQ

What is an electrical contractor qualifying agent? It is the licensed individual whose credential qualifies the company to contract for electrical work. The title varies: master electrician of record in Texas, listed qualified individual in North Carolina, qualified individual in Virginia, supervising electrician in Chicago. In each case the person supervises the work and the company license depends on that person.

Does the qualifier have to own the company? Not always. Texas lets a company employ a Master Electrician who is not an owner, and Tennessee accepts a full time employee with written power of attorney to bind the firm. New York City is stricter: the master electrician must be an officer, partner or sole proprietor of the business.

What happens if our master electrician quits? A clock starts. Texas gives thirty business days to designate a new master of record, Virginia 60 days to report a new qualified individual, Florida 60 days when the departing agent was the only qualifier, and Tennessee 3 months for a new qualifier to pass the exam. In Chicago the contractor license goes inactive as soon as no supervising electrician is attached.

What are the Florida electricians license requirements? Florida's ECLB certifies electrical contractors statewide or registers them for local jurisdictions. A candidate must be at least 18, meet an experience route in Fla. Stat. 489.511, and pass a two part exam at Pearson VUE. A business is qualified through its qualifying agent; see our Florida electrician license guide.

Does the electrical contractor company take an exam? In Texas, no: TDLR says contractor licenses do not require examinations. The tested person is the master electrician of record. In most markets the tested person is the qualifier, and the company files an application, insurance and ownership details.

Can a qualifier cover two electrical companies? Florida allows it with board approval and a separate qualification for each business. Texas allows it only when the master owns more than 50 percent of the business, Chicago bars a supervising electrician from being primary for more than one contractor, and New York City bars a licensee from representing more than one business at a time.

Talk to Us About Your Electrical Qualifier

If your company needs a master electrician or electrical qualifier in one state or several, call The Licensing Company at 615-219-2110 or start at hire a qualifying agent. We will map the board's rules for each market you want to work in and match you with a qualifier who fits.

Sources

All retrieved 2026-09-29 or 2026-09-30.

• Florida Statutes 489.505, Definitions
• Florida Statutes 489.511, Certification and examinations
• Florida Statutes 489.521, Business organizations and qualifying agents
• Florida Statutes 489.522, Qualifying agents and responsibilities
• Florida DBPR, Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board
• Florida DBPR, Electrical Contractors Candidate Information Booklet (February 2026)
• TDLR, Apply for a New Electrical Contractor License
• TDLR, Apply for a New Master Electrician License
• TDLR, Electrical Safety and Licensing FAQ
• Georgia SB 553 (2026) as signed, reenacting O.C.G.A. Chapter 43-14, including 43-14-1 and 43-14-8, Office of the Governor
• North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 87, Article 4, Electrical Contractors
• Virginia 18VAC50-22-20, Definitions of license classifications
• Virginia 18VAC50-22-61, Qualifications for classifications and specialties
• Virginia 18VAC50-22-220, Change of qualified individual
• Virginia 18VAC50-22-30, Definitions of specialty services
• Tennessee Rules, Chapter 0680-01, Board for Licensing Contractors (revised November 2025)
• NYC Department of Buildings, Obtain a Master and Special Electrician License
• NYC Department of Buildings, Master Electricians and Special Electricians
• NYC Administrative Code Title 28, Chapter 4, Article 429 Master Electrician License (NYC DOB)
• Illinois Municipal Code, 65 ILCS 5/11-33-1
• City of Chicago, Electrical Contractor License
• City of Chicago, Supervising Electrician License