How to Get an Idaho DOPL Electrical License (2026 Guide)

An Idaho electrical license is issued by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) on behalf of the Idaho Electrical Board, and it is good statewide. Individuals climb from apprentice registration to residential, journeyman or master electrician, and any business that contracts for electrical work needs its own Electrical Contractor license backed by a designated supervising electrician. This guide walks every rung, the PSI exam, the DOPL fees, and the rule that ties an electrical company to a licensed person.

At a glance Who issues it: Idaho DOPL for the Idaho Electrical Board, one license good in every city and county. Journeyman: 8,000 apprentice hours plus a four year approved program, or 16,000 hours of experience. Master: at least four years working as a licensed journeyman, plus the master exam. Exam: a NASCLA electrical exam delivered by PSI, $75 per exam under Idaho Code 67-2604(4)(b). Company: an Electrical Contractor license issued for two years, $300,000 liability insurance, and a full time journeyman or master behind it.

This is a walkthrough of the licensing process, not exam preparation. For the company side in Idaho, including contractor registration, start with our Idaho contractor license guide. For the rules in every other state, see how to get a contractor license in each state.

Who Issues Electrical Licenses in Idaho

Electrician licensing runs through the Idaho Electrical Board, which operates inside DOPL. The Board writes the rules, approves apprenticeship programs and designates the exams, while DOPL issues the licenses through its eDOPL portal. Utah's licensing division also goes by DOPL, which is why Utah pages show up in the same search.

The system is statewide by law. Idaho Code 54-1002(5) puts electrical licensure within the exclusive jurisdiction of the state, and 54-1010(5) preempts cities, counties and every other local body from adopting requirements that differ from or are more extensive than the state's. Idaho does the same on the HVAC side at 54-5015(2).

Idaho Code 54-1001 adopts the 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), and the Board's amendments in IDAPA 24.39.10 section 600 complete what the statute calls the Idaho electrical code.

Idaho Electrical License Types at a Glance

Idaho Code 54-1003A defines each credential, 54-1007 sets the qualifications, 54-1008 sets the terms, and IDAPA 24.39.10 section 100 adds the Board's detail.

Apprentice Registration With Idaho DOPL

Idaho Code 54-1010(3) makes it unlawful to work as an apprentice electrician without a current registration certificate, and 54-1007(2) says every hour you claim toward the journeyman exam must have been worked while registered with DOPL. DOPL's FAQ puts it plainly: hours worked while your registration was lapsed will not count toward your on the job training.

Under 54-1008(3) an apprentice registration runs two years, and no person can be issued more than five two year periods. That is a ten year ceiling on apprentice status.

The supervision ratio splits by setting. Idaho Code 54-1010(3) allows one residential, journeyman or master electrician to supervise no more than six apprentices in a residential setting, but one journeyman or master to no more than two apprentices anywhere else. A residential setting means one and two family dwellings, townhouses and multi-family structures up to three stories (54-1003A(12)).

There is no ratio at all for an apprentice with 6,000 or more hours who is enrolled in, or has completed, a board approved career technical education program.

Residential Electrician License

Under Idaho Code 54-1007(5) and IDAPA 24.39.10.100.01, you qualify for the residential license by passing the residential electrician exam, completing a two year course of related instruction approved by the Board and the state board for career technical education, and documenting 4,000 hours of electrical experience.

A residential electrician may perform and supervise work in a residential setting. Under 54-1003A(3), the same person may work in a non-residential setting only as a registered apprentice under the constant supervision of a journeyman. The hours carry forward: 54-1007(5) lets a journeyman applicant count the residential experience hours toward the journeyman requirement.

Journeyman Electrician License

IDAPA 24.39.10.100.02 gives two paths, and both end at the Board designated exam:

• School path: 8,000 hours of work experience as an apprentice making electrical installations, plus completion of a four year sequence of instruction approved by the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education.
• Experience path: 16,000 hours of electrical experience, which Idaho Code 54-1007(4) describes as eight years of work.

DOPL's journeyman application lists 13 board approved apprenticeship programs, including the state colleges, IEC Idaho and the Southwest and Eastern Idaho Electrical JATCs. You may sit for the exam once the four year program is complete, but the application states the license will not issue until you prove the 8,000 supervised hours.

Work in appliance repair, motor winding or communications does not count toward journeyman hours (100.02.c). No more than 2,000 hours earned as a limited electrical installer or trainee can be counted (100.02.d).

Provisional journeyman. An applicant who has completed the 16,000 hours but not yet passed the exam can hold a provisional journeyman license under the constant supervision of a licensed electrician. Idaho Code 54-1008(6) issues it for six months, allows one renewal, and ends eligibility if the exam is not passed within one year of issue.

Master Electrician License

Idaho Code 54-1007(3) qualifies a person who has worked as a licensed journeyman for not less than four years, has worked the hours the Board sets by rule, and passes the master exam; the Board also takes the applicant's performance as a journeyman into account. DOPL's master application asks the same question: have you held an active journeyman license for at least four years?

Under 54-1003A(6), a master is qualified to plan, lay out and design electrical installations and to supervise that work. IDAPA 24.39.10.100.03 says a master does not need to also hold a journeyman license, and 54-1007(3) has DOPL issue the journeyman license alongside the master at no additional cost.

Worth knowing if you work more than one trade in Idaho: electrical is the only one of the three main trades with a master tier. Idaho Code 54-2611 lists six plumbing classifications and 54-5009 lists four HVAC classifications, and none of the ten is a master. See our Idaho plumbing license guide and Idaho HVAC license guide.

Our national explainer on the journeyman vs. master electrician ladder covers the split in the terms most states use. Working across state lines? See our Utah electrician license, Oregon electrician license and Washington electrician license guides.

Limited Electrical Licenses

A limited electrical installer works only inside one restricted category and must show 4,000 hours of experience in that same category (IDAPA 24.39.10.100.04). A limited electrical contractor is the matching business license, and it carries the same $300,000 liability insurance requirement as a full contractor under 54-1003A(8).

The Board's categories in IDAPA 24.39.10.200.05 cover elevators, signs, manufacturing equipment, limited energy systems such as fire alarm and nurse call, irrigation, well and water pump work, packaged HVAC units, outside wireman work and solar photovoltaic. A limited installer trainee registers with DOPL and works under a limited installer; Idaho Code 54-1010(4) sets no supervision ratio for trainees.

The Idaho Electrical Exam

DOPL's journeyman and master applications both ask whether you have "taken and passed the applicable NASCLA examination through PSI," and both require a passing score before you apply. Contractor applicants must also pass a Board designated exam under IDAPA 24.39.10.100.05.

Registration runs through PSI's Idaho portal, linked from DOPL's exam page. The exam fee is $75: Idaho Code 67-2604(4)(b) sets a fee of $75 for each examination DOPL administers for the electrical program unless law or rule sets a different one, and the Board's January 29, 2025 minutes confirm the journeyman exam fee is held to $75 even though the NASCLA exam costs the Board more.

Bring your own reference materials. DOPL's exam page requires the Contractor Reference Manual to be printed, hole punched and placed in a three ring binder before exam day. Highlighting, underlining and permanent indexing are allowed ahead of time, and writing in the book during the exam is not.

The application also sets a clock. You have one year from the date of your application to take and pass the required exam, or you file a new application.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Register as an apprentice with DOPL before your first hour of electrical work, and keep the registration active the entire time you are logging hours.
2. Enroll in a board approved program: a two year program for the residential license or a four year program for the journeyman school path.
3. Log supervised hours on DOPL's work verification form: 4,000 for residential, 8,000 for the journeyman school path, or 16,000 for the experience path. Leave out appliance repair, motor winding and communications work.
4. Schedule the exam with PSI, pay the $75 fee, and print your reference manual into a three ring binder.
5. Pass the exam, then apply on eDOPL. The journeyman application carries a $70 processing fee and asks for your score, work verification forms and your school certificate if you used the school path.
6. Renew every three years for residential, journeyman and master licenses.
7. Work toward master after at least four years as a licensed journeyman, then pass the master exam.
8. Open a company the right way: pass the contractor exam, carry $300,000 in liability insurance and workers' compensation where it applies, and designate one supervising electrician for the Electrical Contractor license.

Idaho Electrical License Fees and Renewal

The fees come from the Idaho Electrical Board fee table on dopl.idaho.gov/ele, updated August 28, 2026. Every license also carries a $15 application fee on top of the license fee. The terms are the ones Idaho Code 54-1008 sets.

The contractor term is two years. Idaho Code 54-1008(2) issues electrical contractor and limited electrical contractor licenses for two years, expiring two years from the licensee's birthday, and 54-1008(3) does the same for apprentice registrations. DOPL's contractor application states the $125 license fee is paid before the license issues.

Reinstatement fees on the same DOPL table: apprentice $15, journeyman $55, master $55, limited installer $55, limited trainee $30, contractor $125 and limited contractor $125. There is no reinstatement for a provisional journeyman license.

All in, a journeyman costs $70 ($15 application plus $55 license), which matches the $70 processing fee on DOPL's journeyman form. A master costs $80 ($15 plus $65), which matches the $80 processing fee on DOPL's master form. An Electrical Contractor costs $215 ($15 application, the $125 license fee and the $75 exam fee), before insurance.

Continuing education. Idaho Code 54-1013(1) conditions journeyman and master renewals on any continuing education "as established by the electrical board," but the current rule chapter, IDAPA 24.39.10, sets no continuing education hours. DOPL's plumbing and HVAC FAQs state outright that those trades have no continuing education requirement. Because the Board can set CE by rule, check the renewal notice before you renew.

Contractor renewals under 54-1013(1) also require proof of $300,000 in liability insurance and workers' compensation where it applies. An expired license can be revived within one year, and a contractor who is not working in Idaho can hold an inactive license for a fee of up to $150 a year, then convert it back to active for $30.

Fees are set by the Idaho Electrical Board and by statute and can change. Verify current amounts with DOPL before budgeting.

New in 2026: the 48 Business Hour Inspection Rule

House Bill 585, signed by the Governor on March 31, 2026 and in force since July 1, 2026 as Session Law Chapter 232, added Idaho Code 54-1004A:

"If an inspection requested by a permit holder is not performed within forty-eight (48) business hours, such permit holder shall be authorized to hire a third-party inspector to perform such inspection."

You notify the division or local government, provide a copy of the results, and get the inspection fee refunded. The third party inspector must meet the qualifications in Idaho Code 54-1019 and inspect "in substantial accord with the applicable jurisdiction's standards."

If an inspector or electrical code administrator fails your work and does not give you the reason within three business days, the division or local government must refund ten percent of the inspection fee.

The same bill added parallel sections for plumbing (54-2626A) and HVAC (54-5020A). The ordinary permit rules still apply: IDAPA 24.39.10 section 500 voids a permit 365 days after purchase unless renewed, and DOPL may charge a $65 reinspection fee.

The Electrical Contractor License and the Supervising Electrician

A journeyman or master license lets an individual do electrical work. Idaho Code 54-1002(1) makes it unlawful for any person or company to act as an electrical contractor without an Electrical Contractor license, and IDAPA 24.39.10 section 300 treats advertising electrical contracting without a license, or without the license number in the ad, as a civil penalty offense of up to $1,000 per count.

Here is the requirement in the statute's own words, Idaho Code 54-1010(2):

"The individual owner of an electrical contracting business shall employ a full-time journeyman electrician with over two thousand (2,000) hours of documented experience as a licensed journeyman electrician or a master electrician; however, an individual owner of an electrical contracting business may act as his own journeyman electrician or master electrician provided that he has complied with the provisions of this section and section 54-1002, Idaho Code, pertaining to journeyman electricians. Each electrical contractor in this state shall, upon request of the administrator or his authorized agent, furnish a list of journeyman electricians in said electrical contractor's employ."

"Shall employ" and "full-time" put the employment standard into the statute itself. And the 2,000 hours must be documented experience as a licensed journeyman, so a brand new journeyman cannot carry a company's contractor license unless the owner is the licensee. DOPL's contractor application applies the same bar: an entity must employ an active Idaho journeyman with 2,000 hours or a master, and the designee must be a supervisory employee.

Section 54-1010(1) closes the loop on the work itself: "All installations of electrical wiring, equipment or apparatus made by an electrical contractor shall be done by or under the direct supervision of a licensed residential electrician, licensed journeyman electrician, or licensed master electrician."

The Board's rule decides who can qualify a company. IDAPA 24.39.10.100.05 requires each contractor to pass the exam and "designate one supervising electrician who shall be responsible for the activities of the license." That supervising electrician may not represent any other applicant for a contractor license, and a person holding more than one electrician license may not use them to represent more than one contractor.

If the working relationship ends, the contractor must notify the Division in writing within ten business days, and it may not buy permits or make installations until another qualified supervising electrician is designated (100.05.a). The supervising electrician must be available during working hours to supervise (200.03.a), and the company's allowable scope of work is the same as the scope of its licensed employee (200.02).

Insurance is part of the license itself. Idaho Code 54-1003A(1) requires proof of $300,000 in liability insurance and workers' compensation where it applies before the contractor license issues, the same $300,000 single limit figure Idaho Code 54-5210(1)(e) sets for general contractor registration. Our national guide on how to get an electrical contractor license covers this business layer across states.

How Idaho's Other Trades Tie a Company to a Licensed Person

• Plumbing, 54-2610: the firm's "responsible person representing" it must hold a certificate "which shall not be transferable." IDAPA 24.39.20.100.03.a limits that person to one entity and calls failure to give immediate written notice when the representation ends "improper transferring of a license."
• HVAC, 54-5008: a state certificate held by the person or the responsible person representing the firm is the prerequisite to HVAC work.
• Public works, 54-1910(a): the qualifying person may be a "responsible managing employee" or "member of the personnel," but you get ten days to give written notice if that person leaves, and the license is automatically suspended at the end of that period. See the Idaho public works qualified individual guide.

Idaho has no statewide general contractor license. Chapter 52 of Title 54 requires contractor registration, a filing built around insurance and ownership disclosures under 54-5210; the construction credential with a licensing exam is the public works license, for publicly funded projects.

Where a Qualifying Agent Fits in Idaho

If you own or want to start an electrical business in Idaho but you are not a licensed Idaho journeyman or master electrician, or you are expanding an out of state company into Idaho without a licensed Idaho electrician on the team, you have two honest paths. Earn the credential yourself, with the years in the field and the exams above, or bring a licensed Idaho journeyman or master electrician onto your team as the supervising electrician your Electrical Contractor license is built on.

That second path is what a qualifying agent is. A qualifying agent is a properly licensed professional, in Idaho a journeyman with over 2,000 documented journeyman hours or a master electrician, who qualifies the company as its designated supervising electrician. The Licensing Company, led by industry authorities Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, places these qualifiers as full time W-2 employees of the company they qualify, people who actually supervise the work, never as a name on a form, a per project arrangement or a name-only 1099.

In Idaho that is not a house preference. It is what 54-1010(2) says: "shall employ a full-time journeyman electrician." DOPL draws the same line in its public works fact sheet, which tells a licensed contractor that takes on another contractor's crew that "you must pay the employees directly and provide them with a form W-2." A compliant structure means that electrician is employed by and accountable to the business, and the one company limit in IDAPA 24.39.10.100.05 means that person is yours alone.

Hire a qualifying agent, read what a qualifying agent is, or see how the electrical contractor qualifying agent relationship works. If your electrician has given notice, the contractor qualifier contingency plan covers replacement deadlines; Idaho's is ten business days. Already licensed in Idaho? You can become a qualifying agent.

What It Costs to Get an Idaho Electrical Company Licensed

The government side is knowable: the application, license and exam fees above, plus $300,000 in liability insurance and any required workers' compensation coverage.

The harder question is a company with no licensed Idaho electrician to serve as its supervising electrician. If that is where you are, start with hire a qualifying agent and we will map your Idaho plan with you.

Idaho Electrician License FAQ

Is the Idaho DOPL electrical license good statewide? Yes. Idaho Code 54-1002(5) and 54-1010(5) bar cities and counties from adding their own licensing requirements.

How long does it take to become a journeyman electrician in Idaho? The school path is 8,000 hours as a registered apprentice plus a four year approved program, then the journeyman exam. The experience path is 16,000 hours, which the statute describes as eight years of work, then the exam.

How do I become a master electrician in Idaho? Work at least four years as a licensed journeyman, meet the hours the Board sets by rule, and pass the master exam. DOPL issues a journeyman license with the master at no added cost.

Does Idaho have a residential electrician license? Yes. It takes a two year approved program, 4,000 hours of experience and the residential exam, and it covers one and two family dwellings, townhouses and multi-family buildings up to three stories.

How many apprentices can one Idaho journeyman supervise? Six in a residential setting and two in any other setting, under Idaho Code 54-1010(3). An apprentice with 6,000 or more hours who is enrolled in or has completed a board approved career technical education program is not subject to a ratio.

How long is an Idaho electrical contractor license good for? Two years. Idaho Code 54-1008(2) issues electrical contractor and limited electrical contractor licenses for two years, expiring two years from the licensee's birthday.

Does Idaho accept an electrician license from another state? It can. Idaho Code 54-1007(6) lets DOPL grant a license without a written exam when the other state's qualifications are at least equal to Idaho's, and DOPL's FAQ confirms reciprocal agreements exist.

Can a company do electrical work in Idaho without a licensed electrician on staff? No. Idaho Code 54-1010(2) requires the owner to "employ a full-time journeyman electrician with over two thousand (2,000) hours of documented experience as a licensed journeyman electrician or a master electrician," unless the owner holds that credential.

Can one electrician be the supervising electrician for two companies? No. IDAPA 24.39.10.100.05 says the supervising electrician "shall not represent any other applicant for a contractor's license," and multiple licenses held by one person cannot be used to represent more than one contractor.

Does Idaho have a master plumber or master HVAC license too? No. Idaho Code 54-2611 lists six plumbing classifications and 54-5009 lists four HVAC classifications, and none of the ten is a master.

Talk to Us About Your Idaho Electrical Company

If your Idaho electrical company needs a licensed journeyman or master electrician as its supervising electrician, or you are bringing an out of state electrical company into Idaho, call The Licensing Company at 615-219-2110. We will walk through your situation, the DOPL requirements that apply, and whether a full time W-2 qualifying agent is the right fit. You can also start online at Hire a Qualifying Agent or browse licensing guides for other states.

This guide explains Idaho's electrician licensing process and is not exam preparation material. Fees, hours, code cycles and rules are set by the Idaho Electrical Board, DOPL and the legislature and change over time, so verify current requirements before applying. Statutes and rules checked September 27, 2026.

Sources

All retrieved 2026-09-27.

• Idaho Electrical Board, DOPL (license types and fee table)
• DOPL Electrical Program Info and Exams (PSI registration, reference binder)
• DOPL Electrical FAQs
• DOPL Electrical Journeyman Application, revised July 11, 2024
• DOPL Master Electrician Application, revised June 15, 2024
• DOPL Electrical Contractor Application, revised July 9, 2024
• Idaho Electrical Board minutes, January 29, 2025 (exam fee)
• IDAPA 24.39.10, Rules of the Idaho Electrical Board
• IDAPA 24.39.20, Rules Governing Plumbing
• Idaho Code 54-1001, Idaho electrical code
• Idaho Code 54-1002, license essential to engage in business
• Idaho Code 54-1003A, definitions
• Idaho Code 54-1004A, inspections and refunds
• Idaho Code 54-1007, issuance of licenses and reciprocity
• Idaho Code 54-1008, duration of license
• Idaho Code 54-1010, contractor installations and supervision
• Idaho Code 54-1013, renewal of licenses
• Idaho Code 54-1014, fees
• Idaho Code 67-2604, duties of the DOPL administrator (exam fee)
• Idaho House Bill 585 (2026)
• Idaho Code 54-2610, plumbing certificate a prerequisite
• Idaho Code 54-2611, plumbing classifications
• Idaho Code 54-2626A, plumbing inspections
• Idaho Code 54-5008, HVAC certificate a prerequisite
• Idaho Code 54-5009, HVAC classifications
• Idaho Code 54-5015, HVAC exclusive state jurisdiction
• Idaho Code 54-5020A, HVAC inspections
• Idaho Code 54-1910, public works qualifications
• Idaho Code 54-5210, contractor registration application
• DOPL Plumbing FAQs
• DOPL HVAC FAQs
• DOPL Public Works Contractor Licensing Fact Sheet, updated January 30, 2025