How to Get an Electrician License in Massachusetts (2026 Guide)

If you want to work as an electrician in Massachusetts, there is one board that controls the whole path: the Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Unlike states that leave electricians to individual cities, Massachusetts runs a single, statewide licensing ladder, apprentice, journeyman, master, and it ties the right to run an electrical business to a licensed master. That structure is clean, but it also creates a very specific bottleneck for companies, which is where this guide ends up.

Here is how electrician licensing actually works in Massachusetts in 2026, what each rung requires, and where the qualifier who has to stand behind an electrical contracting business fits in.

Massachusetts licenses electricians at the state level

Massachusetts is a statewide-license state. One board writes the rules, and one credential is recognized everywhere in the Commonwealth, you do not re-license city by city the way electricians do in Illinois or New York. The ladder runs:

1. Apprentice electrician, the entry-level registration, working under supervision while you log hours.
2. Journeyman electrician (Class B), the licensed tradesperson credential.
3. Master electrician (Class A), the license that lets you run the business and stand behind other electricians' work.

There is also a parallel systems track (Class C journeyman / Class D master) for low-voltage and systems work such as fire alarm, security, and data. For the core power-wiring trade, the apprentice → journeyman → master ladder is the path. For the national picture of how these tiers compare, see our journeyman vs master electrician explainer.

Step 1: Register as an apprentice

Before any hours count toward a license, an apprentice must be registered with the Massachusetts Division of Apprentice Standards through their employer. This is the step people skip and regret, work performed before you are properly registered generally will not be credited toward the journeyman experience requirement. Register first, then start logging supervised hours.

Step 2: Journeyman electrician (Class B)

The journeyman license is where you become a licensed electrician who can perform wiring work. To qualify, the Board generally requires:

• 8,000 hours of work experience over at least four years, under the supervision of a licensed Massachusetts journeyman or master electrician, and
• 600 hours of Board-approved classroom education.

You then pass the journeyman examination, administered by PSI on the Board's behalf. The exam is delivered in two parts, a larger technical section (reported at 80 questions in three hours) and a shorter code/rules section (reported at 30 questions in one hour), with a 70% passing score. This guide covers the licensing process only and is not exam preparation.

Fee note: The journeyman application/exam fee is reported in the ~$226 range. Application, exam, and license fees are set by the Board and PSI and change, verify the current schedule with the Board of State Examiners of Electricians and PSI before you apply.

Step 3: Master electrician (Class A)

The master license is the top individual credential and the one that unlocks running a business. To qualify, an applicant generally must:

• Hold a Massachusetts journeyman (Class B) license,
• Have at least one year of work experience as a licensed journeyman, and
• Complete 150 hours of Board-approved education.

You then pass the master examination through PSI (reported as an 80-question, four-hour technical part plus a 50-question, two-hour part). The master (Class A) license entitles the holder to conduct business as a master electrician, to work independently, own an electrical business, and employ other licensed electricians.

Fee note: The master application/exam fee is reported in the ~$276 range, again set by the Board/PSI and subject to change, verify before applying.

Step 4: The electrical/systems business license (and the qualifier hook)

Here is the part that matters most for anyone running or opening a company. In Massachusetts, an individual master license is not the same thing as the business license. To operate as an electrical contracting company, the business must hold an electrical/systems business license, and the Board grants that license only to a business entity that:

• has, or is contracted with, a Massachusetts-licensed Master (or Systems Contractor) designated as the Licensee of Record (LOR) for the company, and
• is registered as an entity with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division.

Read that first bullet again, because it is the qualifying-agent structure written directly into Massachusetts law. The company cannot hold its electrical business license without a licensed master serving as Licensee of Record. That master is the person who stands behind the company's work, the qualifier. No LOR, no business license.

License renewal and continuing education

Massachusetts electrician licenses are valid for three years. Renewal requires 21 hours of continuing education, of which 15 hours must cover the Massachusetts Electrical Code (the state amendments to the NEC), plus the renewal fee. As with all fees here, confirm the current CE and renewal requirements with the Board, since code cycles and rules change.

How the ladder becomes a business

Put together, Massachusetts produces a predictable path:

1. Register as an apprentice with the Division of Apprentice Standards.
2. Log 8,000 hours over four-plus years and complete 600 hours of education.
3. Pass the PSI journeyman exam and hold your Class B license.
4. Add a year of journeyman experience plus 150 education hours, pass the PSI master exam, and earn your Class A master license.
5. Register the business and designate a licensed master as Licensee of Record to hold the electrical/systems business license.

Step 5 is where the qualifier requirement becomes concrete. The business license does not attach to the company until a licensed master stands behind it. For the national view of how the individual credential and the business license connect, see our electrical contractor license guide.

"Licensee of Record" is not just an electrical term

One thing worth knowing if you run a mechanical or multi-trade shop: Massachusetts uses the same architecture, and largely the same vocabulary, across its other licensed trades.

The Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters also issues its business license to an individual it calls the licensee of record, and in one place, 248 CMR 3.03(1)(e)1.c, the regulation calls that person the qualifying officer. On the plumbing side the requirement is written even more tightly than it is for electricians: the master plumber behind a plumbing corporation must be a listed officer of the corporation, and behind an LLC a listed manager; in a partnership, every partner must hold a current master license.

The rest of the mechanical trades follow the same logic through a different agency. If your company touches more than one trade, these are the parallel ladders:

• Massachusetts plumbing license guide, the 6,800-hour / 550-education-hour ladder, the master plumber requirement, and the regulation's exclusion of hydronic and steam heating hours from qualifying experience.
• Massachusetts HVAC licensing guide, why there is no Massachusetts HVAC license, which credential covers what, and the November 9, 2026 cutover that eliminates two of the three routes to a refrigeration technician license.
• Massachusetts qualifying officer requirements, what the Commonwealth demands of the licensed person behind a business license, the 60-day replacement clock, and the provision that makes an IRS 1099 sufficient evidence of a violation on its face.

One useful contrast for anyone comparing the two boards: the electrical business license contemplates a master who "has, or is contracted with" the company, while the plumbing regulation requires the master to hold a named governance seat. Same state, two boards, two different tests, which is exactly why the structure has to be checked trade by trade rather than assumed.

"How much does it cost to get licensed in Massachusetts?"

There is no single number, because your total depends on where you are on the ladder and what you are trying to license. A journeyman candidate is looking at exam and license fees plus the cost of the required 600 education hours; a master adds another round of education, exam, and license fees; and a company licensing an electrical business also carries insurance, any required bonding, and the cost of keeping a licensed master on as Licensee of Record.

That last piece, standing up and keeping a licensed business compliant, is the situation-specific one, and it is where the real cost question usually lives. We don't publish a flat figure because it would be wrong for most readers. If your question is really "how do I get my company licensed and keep it that way," our consultation packages are the right place to start.

Where a qualifying agent fits in Massachusetts

Massachusetts makes the qualifier requirement unusually explicit: no licensed master as Licensee of Record, no electrical business license. And a master electrician is not quick to grow. It takes 8,000 journeyman hours, 600 education hours, the journeyman exam, a year of licensed experience, 150 more education hours, and the master exam. Companies get stuck at exactly this point, you have electricians and a full book of work, but the one person the Commonwealth requires, a licensed master willing to serve as Licensee of Record, is the piece you're missing.

That is the gap a qualifying agent fills. At The Licensing Company, a qualifying agent, here, a licensed master electrician who serves as your Licensee of Record, is placed as a W-2, full-time employee of your company. Never a percentage-of-revenue deal, never a flat fee to "use" a license, never a per-project handshake, never a 1099 arrangement. That employment structure is the compliance line. Boards scrutinize arrangements where a licensed person merely lends a credential with no genuine role in the business, see is it legal to rent a contractor license for why that distinction is the whole point, and can a qualifying agent be a 1099 contractor for the state-by-state language on the tax question. A master who is a real, employed member of your team is the legal, durable way to hold your license.

If you have the experience but not the license yet, our guide on getting licensed without the years of experience walks through the legal routes.

Frequently asked questions

Does Massachusetts have a statewide electrician license? Yes. The Board of State Examiners of Electricians licenses electricians statewide, apprentice, journeyman (Class B), and master (Class A), plus a parallel systems track. A Massachusetts license is recognized across the Commonwealth; you do not re-license city by city.

How long does it take to become a journeyman electrician in Massachusetts? Generally at least four years, the Board requires 8,000 hours of supervised work experience plus 600 hours of Board-approved education before you can sit for the PSI journeyman exam.

What is the difference between a Class A and Class B electrician license? Class B is the journeyman license (a licensed electrician who performs wiring work). Class A is the master license, which lets the holder run an electrical business, work independently, and employ other electricians. A Class A master is also who can serve as a company's Licensee of Record.

Do I need a master electrician to run an electrical business in Massachusetts? Yes. An electrical/systems business license is issued only to an entity that has a Massachusetts-licensed Master (or Systems Contractor) designated as its Licensee of Record and is registered with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Without that licensed master, the business cannot hold its license.

Does the same rule apply to plumbing and HVAC companies in Massachusetts? The same architecture applies, but through different boards and with different tests. The plumbing and gas fitting business license is issued to a master plumber who must be a listed officer of the corporation or manager of the LLC, a governance seat, not just an employment relationship. Mechanical work runs through a third agency entirely. See the Massachusetts qualifying officer guide and the Massachusetts HVAC licensing guide.

Who administers the Massachusetts electrician exam? PSI administers the journeyman and master examinations on behalf of the Board of State Examiners of Electricians. This guide explains the licensing process only and is not exam preparation.

Your next step

Massachusetts's statewide ladder is clean, but the master-as-Licensee-of-Record requirement is exactly where growing electrical companies get stuck. That scarcity, a licensed master willing to hold your business license, is why the right person is so valuable.

If your Massachusetts company needs a licensed master on the books to hold or keep its electrical business license, The Licensing Company places qualifying agents as W-2 employees to keep you compliant and operating. Start with what a qualifying agent is, review the national electrical contractor license guide, see how the qualifier role works in our electrical contractor qualifying agent explainer, or reach out through our consultation packages.

This article explains the Massachusetts electrician licensing process only. It is not exam preparation and does not cover reciprocity strategy. Licensing requirements, exam content, education hours, and fees are set by the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians and its testing vendor (PSI) and are subject to change, so verify current requirements with the Board before applying.