Michigan licenses electricians through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes, apprentice through contractor, with Detroit and Grand Rapids running their own boards. Here is who needs which license, the exam, the steps, fees, and renewal.
To get an electrician license in Michigan, you register as an apprentice with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, or LARA, through its Bureau of Construction Codes, log verifiable hours under a licensed journeyman or master, pass a PSI exam for the license you want, and pay the fees set out in the Skilled Trades Regulation Act. Detroit and Grand Rapids are the exception: both cities run their own electrical boards and issue their own apprentice, journeyman, master and contractor credentials instead of LARA's.
For the business side of Michigan licensing, see our Michigan contractor license guide, and for every other state and trade see how to get a contractor license.
At a glance
- Who issues it: LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes statewide; Detroit and Grand Rapids run their own separate electrical boards
- Journeyman: age 20, 8,000 hours over at least 4 years, PSI exam, $40 license fee
- Master electrician: age 22, 12,000 hours over at least 6 years including 2 years holding a journeyman license, $50 license fee
- Electrical contractor: needs an associated master electrician; no exam under current LARA practice; $300 every 3 years
- Code: Michigan tests and permits to the 2023 National Electrical Code
Who Needs an Electrical License in Michigan
Michigan's Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, says a person may not engage in the business of electrical contracting without a license from the board or from the appropriate municipality. Under MCL 339.5737, several categories of work fall outside that requirement: minor repair work valued at $100 or less, defined in MCL 339.5703; a homeowner working on their own single family home and its attached structures; electrical utilities working within their own generation, transmission, distribution and metering systems; telephone and telegraph companies on their own equipment; elevator, dumbwaiter and escalator work performed under a separate inspection permit; manufacturing of electrical equipment; certain theatrical and motion picture equipment that is not permanently wired; licensed mechanical or plumbing contractors maintaining control wiring already part of a system they service; registered well pump installers wiring to the first connection point in a single family home; security alarm, irrigation and landscape lighting work within set voltage limits; and unlicensed workers under a licensed sign specialist at no more than 2 to 1.
Outside those carve-outs, there is no statewide dollar threshold the way some states exempt small jobs by contract value. Anyone doing electrical work for pay who is not covered by one of the exemptions above needs to hold a license or work directly under someone who does.
Two Local Exceptions: Detroit and Grand Rapids
Most of Michigan runs through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes. Detroit and Grand Rapids are different. Detroit's Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department licenses its own apprentices, journeymen and masters, and its journeyman applicants must be Detroit residents who show proof of residency alongside the same 8,000 hour, 4 year experience standard the state uses. Grand Rapids runs a parallel local board that licenses electricians and registers apprentices through its Building Inspections Office, separate from LARA.
A state licensed electrical contractor doing a job inside Grand Rapids still registers that state license with the city's Building Inspections Office before pulling permits there. That city registration is paperwork tied to the state license's own expiration date, not a second exam or a separate credential. If you live in Detroit or Grand Rapids, follow that city's own instructions instead of LARA's; if you only work there occasionally, confirm with the city whether your state license needs local registration before you bid the job.
The Michigan License Types
| Credential | Issued by | Eligibility | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice registration | LARA, Detroit, or Grand Rapids | Employed under a licensed journeyman or master | None |
| Journeyman electrician | LARA, Detroit, or Grand Rapids | Age 20, 8,000 hours over 4+ years | PSI, 75% passing |
| Master electrician | LARA, Detroit, or Grand Rapids | Age 22, 12,000 hours over 6+ years | PSI, 75% passing |
| Electrical contractor | LARA, Detroit, or Grand Rapids | Individual master or full time master employee | None currently |
A few details the table leaves out: an apprentice must register within 30 days of starting work and be enrolled in a board approved apprenticeship program under MCL 339.5717, and the supervision ratio is 1 journeyman or master to no more than 3 registered apprentices on a jobsite. The master electrician's 12,000 hours and 6 years must include at least 2 years actually holding a journeyman license, not just working toward one, under MCL 339.5713. A single master electrician's license cannot qualify more than one electrical contractor's license at the same time.
Experience, Education and the Military Route
Journeyman electrician. MCL 339.5715 requires at least 8,000 hours of experience over a period of at least 4 years, related to electrical construction, building maintenance, or electrical wiring or equipment, performed under the direct supervision of a Michigan licensed journeyman or master. Both numbers are separate conditions. Compressing the hours into fewer than 4 years does not satisfy the statute, and spreading 8,000 hours over more than 4 years is fine as long as the hours are documented.
Military route. An applicant honorably discharged within the year before filing may qualify with a commanding officer's affidavit documenting 8,000 hours of entry level electrical experience covering ten listed knowledge areas, from grounding and circuit classifications to load calculations and lighting. If the record falls short on hours or on one of the listed areas, LARA may grant partial credit rather than rejecting the application outright.
Master electrician. The applicant must be at least 22, hold an electrical journeyman's license for at least 2 years, and document 12,000 hours over at least 6 years under a licensed master's supervision. Michigan journey licensees do not need to resubmit experience that predates the journeyman license itself; that rule reduces paperwork, it does not shorten the overall 6 year, 12,000 hour standard.
Exam retakes. Failing either the journeyman or master exam twice within a 2 year period makes an applicant ineligible to sit again for at least 1 year. After that year, the applicant may try again only after completing a board approved course on Michigan electrical code, electrical fundamentals, or electrical theory.
The PSI Exam
PSI administers the journeyman and master examinations for LARA. Michigan's electrical exams are currently based on the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted effective March 12, 2024, together with the Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8, 1972 PA 230, and 2016 PA 407. The exam is open book on those four bound references only, with factory markings, factory highlights and factory tabs permitted; the NEC Handbook is not an allowed reference. The passing standard is at least 75% for both the journeyman and master exams.
No examination is currently required for the electrical contractor, fire alarm contractor, or sign contractor license under LARA's present instructions. An older LARA contractor map once described an examination step for the contractor license, and the fee statute itself still lists a $100 examination fee for "electrical contractor" alongside the journeyman and master fee. The current licensing page controls the process described here, so this guide does not resolve that older reference beyond noting it exists.
How to Apply: The Steps in Order
- Confirm your issuing authority. Detroit and Grand Rapids residents follow their own city's instructions; everyone else applies through LARA.
- Register as an apprentice if you are starting from zero, within 30 days of starting work, with an approved apprenticeship program.
- Track your hours. Keep employer records of your supervised hours, since LARA's application and experience statement rely on documented, verifiable time, not an estimate.
- Collect your qualification documents. Use the application and experience statement from LARA's Licensing Section forms page, along with any education or military affidavit that applies to your route.
- Submit your application and exam fee. File by mail or through the Licensing Section's Accela based online system, and pay the $100 exam fee for the journeyman or master exam you are seeking.
- Schedule and pass the PSI exam once LARA approves your application.
- Pay the license fee once you pass, and keep the resulting license record with your renewal information.
Want the Application Done for You?
Steps 3 through 6 are where applications stall: an experience statement a supervisor will not sign off on exactly as written, a form filed to the wrong issuing authority because the applicant lives in Detroit or Grand Rapids, or a renewal window missed by a few days.
The Licensing Company's License Application Processing prepares and submits your Michigan electrical license application. The service opens with an eligibility audit before anything is filed, builds a document checklist and works the pieces with you, prepares and reviews every state form line by line, submits it the way the board requires, and answers the board's paperwork questions and resubmits until the board decides.
It is a flat $999 per state application, paid up front. State fees, exam fees, background checks and fingerprinting are paid to the state, not to us.
Call 615-219-2110 or start at License Application Processing. The service does not promise approval, does not promise a timeline, and does not sit the exam for you.
If you cannot yet qualify for the credential your company needs on your own work history, a qualifying agent can hold that license for the business while you build toward your own. See the qualifying agent section below for how that works.
What It Costs
| License | Exam fee | License fee | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice registration | None | $15 | $15 annually, August 31 |
| Journeyman electrician | $100 | $40 | $40 annually, December 31 |
| Master electrician | $100 | $50 | $50 annually, December 31 |
| Electrical contractor | None currently | $300 | $300 every 3 years, December 31 |
These figures come from MCL 339.5707, which sets the exam fee, the initial license fee, and the renewal fee as the same amount for each credential. A veteran with an honorable or general-under-honorable-conditions discharge is exempt from the initial license fee on LARA's electrical contractor application. Journeyman, master and contractor licenses may be renewed within 60 days after the December 31 expiration date without reapplying; apprentice registrations have a shorter window, renewable within 30 days after the August 31 expiration date.
Beyond those windows, Michigan Administrative Code R 339.5116 adds a $100 late renewal fee on top of the regular fee; this guide corrects an earlier $50 figure that no source supports. Fees are set by statute and rule and do change, so verify the current amount before you apply.
What it costs to bring on a qualifying agent instead of earning the license yourself depends on your situation and is not a number we quote without knowing it; call to discuss.
Insurance and Bonding
Michigan does not set a statewide minimum general liability insurance dollar amount or require a surety bond as a condition of the electrical contractor license itself; no such figure appears in the Skilled Trades Regulation Act's electrical contractor provisions. LARA's contractor application does ask for evidence of liability insurance. A city, a property owner, or a specific public project may still set its own bond or coverage requirement on top of the state license, so confirm what a given job or jurisdiction requires before you bid it. See contractor bond requirements by state for how other states handle this question.
How Long It Takes
The journeyman license takes a minimum of 4 years and 8,000 verifiable hours under direct supervision, plus the time to schedule and pass the PSI exam once LARA approves the application. The master license adds at least 2 more years holding that journeyman license, inside an overall 6 year, 12,000 hour window, so the fastest realistic path from a standing start to master electrician runs at least 6 years. The electrical contractor license itself does not add time on top of that if you personally hold the master license, since no separate exam is currently required; a business that instead hires a full time master electrician can open as soon as that person is in place and the application is approved.
LARA does not publish a statutory deadline for how long its own application review takes, so build in time for that review when you plan a start date.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Journeyman and master licenses renew annually by December 31; apprentice registrations renew annually by August 31; the electrical contractor license renews every 3 years by December 31. Michigan does not run an annual hour based continuing education schedule for these licenses. Instead, under MCL 339.5715 and MCL 339.5713, a journeyman or master must complete a board approved course on any code update within 12 months after that update is adopted. Confirm the current approved course list through LARA's renewal instructions before a code change triggers that requirement.
What Changes for a Business: The Contractor License and the Qualifying Agent
Under MCL 339.5711, an electrical contractor's license goes to an individual who personally holds a master electrician's license, or to a business with at least 1 full time master electrician employee who resides in Michigan and is actively in charge of and responsible for code compliance on the company's electrical work. A journeyman can absolutely start and own an electrical company, but the company cannot hold the contractor license on the journeyman's license alone; it needs a master, either the owner personally or a full time employee, before it can legally contract electrical work.
That structural gap, a capable journeyman ready to run a business years before reaching master eligibility, is exactly what a qualifying agent solves. A qualifying agent is a licensed master electrician who qualifies the company to hold its contractor license, as the owner or as a full time W-2 employee with real responsibility for the electrical work performed under that license. It is not a license number handed off with no oversight, and the statute's one-master-per-one-contractor rule means that person's association with your company is exclusive while it lasts.
Learn more in what is a qualifying agent, and if your company needs that licensed role filled now, see Hire a Qualifying Agent. Losing the associated master puts the contractor license on hold, so review a prospective qualifier's existing affiliations before assuming they can cover a second company; plan for the day a qualifier leaves rather than discovering the gap after they do.
If You Work in Other Trades
If your company also performs plumbing or HVAC work alongside electrical, each trade carries its own Michigan licensing path with its own agency and its own rules; one trade's credential does not extend to another. See our Michigan plumbing license guide and Michigan HVAC license guide for those requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get an electrician license in Michigan? Register as an apprentice, build 8,000 verifiable hours over at least 4 years under a licensed journeyman or master, pass the PSI exam, and pay LARA's exam and license fees. Detroit and Grand Rapids residents apply through their own city board instead of LARA.
How many hours do you need for a journeyman electrician license in Michigan? 8,000 hours of experience over a period of at least 4 years, under the direct supervision of a Michigan licensed journeyman or master, per MCL 339.5715. An honorably discharged service member may qualify through a documented military experience route instead.
What is required for a master electrician in Michigan? At least 22 years old, 12,000 hours of experience over at least 6 years, including at least 2 years actually holding a journeyman's license, plus a PSI exam with a 75% passing score, per MCL 339.5713.
Can a journeyman electrician start a business in Michigan? A journeyman can form and own a company, but the company cannot hold an electrical contractor's license on the journeyman's license alone. It needs an associated master electrician, either the owner once they reach that license or a full time employee, before it can legally contract electrical work. A qualifying agent can fill that role while the owner works toward a personal master license.
Does Detroit issue its own electrical licenses? Yes. Detroit's Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department runs its own apprentice, journeyman and master licensing for Detroit residents, separate from LARA, with its own exam appointments.
Does Grand Rapids issue its own electrical licenses? Yes. Grand Rapids runs its own local board for electricians and apprentices through its Building Inspections Office, separate from LARA. A state licensed contractor working a Grand Rapids job also registers that state license with the city before pulling permits.
How much does it cost to renew an electrical license in Michigan? Journeyman and master renewals are $40 and $50 a year respectively, due December 31. The electrical contractor license renews for $300 every 3 years, also by December 31. Apprentice registration renews annually for $15 by August 31. A renewal filed more than 60 days late adds a $100 late fee under Michigan Administrative Code R 339.5116.
How hard is it to get an electrical license in Michigan? The exam itself is open book, but the experience requirement is the real barrier: 4 years and 8,000 documented hours for journeyman, then 2 more years holding that license inside a 6 year, 12,000 hour window for master. Most of the difficulty is accumulating and documenting verifiable supervised hours, not the test.
Does Michigan reciprocate with another state for electrical licenses? LARA's electrical licensing information states Michigan has no reciprocal electrical licensing agreement with another state or country. Out of state applicants submit their license and the issuing jurisdiction's requirements to LARA for evaluation rather than receiving an automatic transfer.
Can I run an electrical business in Michigan without holding the license myself? Yes, if the business employs a full time Michigan resident master electrician who is actively in charge of code compliance, or brings one on as a qualifying agent. Learn how at Hire a Qualifying Agent.
Ready to Move on Your Michigan Electrical License
Whether you are starting the apprentice to journeyman climb, working toward your master license, or ready to run the business before you personally hold it, our team can map the route with you. Call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent. If you would rather have the paperwork itself handled, see License Application Processing.
Already hold an active master electrician's license? Become a qualifying agent.
The Licensing Company places licensed electrical professionals as W-2, full time qualifying agents so Michigan businesses can hold their electrical contractor license and operate legally. Compare requirements on our states overview and the Michigan contractor licensing guide.
Sources
All retrieved October 7, 2026.
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 339.5703 (Definitions)
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 339.5707 (Fees)
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 339.5709 (Examination eligibility)
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 339.5711 (Electrical contractor's license)
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 339.5713 (Master electrician's license)
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 339.5715 (Electrical journeyman's license)
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 339.5717 (Apprentice electrician registration)
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 339.5737 (License requirement and exemptions)
- Michigan Administrative Code R 339.5116, Skilled Trades Regulation Rules Part 2 (Michigan's own site did not render for this review; mirrored via Justia)
- LARA, Electrical Examination, Licensing/Registration and Application Information
- LARA, PSI Examinations
- LARA, Licensing Section forms
- City of Detroit BSEED, Contractor License Application, Registration and Renewal
- City of Grand Rapids, Register as a Licensed Contractor
- The Licensing Company, License Application Processing
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.