Minnesota Electrician License Requirements, Hours and Fees (2026)

Minnesota's registered unlicensed electrician credential lets you perform qualifying electrical work under licensed supervision. To become a licensed Class A journeyworker or master electrician, you must meet the applicable experience or education route and pass the state examination, unless you qualify for reciprocity. DLI Registered Unlicensed Electricians and Minnesota Statutes Section 326B.33 explain the distinction.

At a glance Issuer: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. DLI Entry: register before supervised electrical work; minimum age 17. Registration Journeyworker: 48 months, shown as 8,000 hours on DLI's form. Application Exam: 70% passing score for Class A journeyworker and master. Exam guide Business: a separate contractor license and responsible master. Contractor requirements

For the broader business picture, read our Minnesota contractor license guide and national contractor license guide. This page separates the worker's credential from the company's application so you can identify the next step for your situation.

Which Credential Do You Need?

Start with the work you will perform and whether you will contract with customers. An individual license establishes the electrician's qualifications; the contractor license authorizes the business activity described in the electrical licensing law. Holding one does not automatically supply the other. Minnesota Statutes Section 326B.33

Scope notes. Class B installer authority covers specified center pivot irrigation installations and other equipment the commissioner approves. It is not a general license for work in smaller cities. Maintenance and power limited credentials also have defined limits; match the actual work to the correct classification under Section 326B.33.

Register Before You Start Electrical Work

Apply through DLI's registration process before doing work that requires registration. You must be at least 17, work within your employer's authority, and have direct supervision from someone licensed for that work. The supervisor and registered worker must work for the same contractor or employer. DLI Registered Unlicensed Electricians

For ordinary electrical work, one licensed individual can supervise no more than two unlicensed workers. The statute allows three for technology circuits or systems work. An unlicensed worker cannot supervise or assign electrical work to other unlicensed workers. Section 326B.33, subdivision 12

Registration requires no examination. It lasts one year through the end of the original registration month, and annual renewal requires electrical work verification and two hours of approved electrical code education. Minnesota electrical work performed after January 1, 2009, without the required registration or license does not earn license experience credit. DLI Registered Unlicensed Electricians

Carry your registration card while working and present it when an authorized inspector requests it. Update DLI within 30 days when required registration information changes, including employment information. These are continuing duties under Part 3800.3525, so keep the registration current when you change jobs.

How Much Experience Does a Journeyworker Need?

The Class A journeyworker requirement is four years of acceptable experience. DLI's examination application expresses this as 48 months and 8,000 hours, including two years of electrical installation work. Completion of an approved two-year postsecondary electrical course can receive one year of experience credit. DLI application and current experience rule

Experience notes. The DLI experience schedule assigns different maximum credits to maintenance, line work, elevators, technology systems and process controls. A total of hours alone does not establish that the required mix is present. Have the employer report the work in its correct category.

The work verification form requires actual hours by work category, exact employment dates, the employer's identifying information and the responsible person's certification. Both the responsible person and applicant sign. Keep copies of each annual form so a later application does not depend on reconstructing years of employment.

Do not assume an apprenticeship classroom total is a separate statewide prerequisite for every journeyworker applicant. The licensing route is governed by the statute and current experience rule, including approved education credit. Ask DLI to assess your records if your training combines school, military service or work outside Minnesota. Minnesota Rules Part 3800.3520

What Qualifies You for the Master Examination?

Class A master eligibility has alternative routes. One route is acceptable experience as a licensed journeyworker; another is the statutory experience route; another is an accredited electrical engineering degree. The DLI licensing overview and degree definition explain those choices.

Experience route. The rule's Class A master schedule totals 60 months, and DLI's application identifies 10,000 hours. It includes minimum experience in planning, layout, supervision and installation. The journeyworker route should be supported by actual licensed work experience, not merely a card held without relevant work. Application and Part 3800.3520

Degree route. Minnesota's definition of a four-year electrical course means a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from an accredited college or university. A general construction qualification is not that degree. Follow the application instructions for education documentation. Part 3800.3500 and application instructions

These routes lead to the master examination, not directly to permission for a company to contract. If your immediate goal is opening an electrical business, review the responsible-master requirements below while assessing the individual's eligibility.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Choose the credential. Decide whether you are applying for supervised entry, a personal electrician license or the company license. DLI provides separate forms for registration, examination and renewal. DLI forms
2. Keep experience records current. Collect signed verification for each employer and reporting period. Record installation work separately from other electrical tasks so DLI can evaluate the correct categories. Verification form
3. Submit the examination application. Supply the experience and education documentation required for your route and pay the application and examination fee. This payment is separate from the license issuance fee. Fee statute
4. Wait for approval to schedule. DLI sends an approval email with instructions for booking through its system. Available locations and dates depend on the examination; approval is the point to choose an appointment. Exam scheduling
5. Pass and complete issuance. Follow DLI's instructions after passing and pay the required license fee before the credential is issued. Passing the examination alone does not complete that payment step. Section 326B.092
6. Complete the business application if needed. Assemble the responsible-master designation, bond, insurance and business disclosures before applying as an electrical contractor. Employees of a licensed contractor do not need their own contractor license simply to work for that employer. Business application

Before submitting, compare your form against the checklist for the exact credential. Keep the application, experience forms and school documentation together; they answer different questions in DLI's review.

What Is on the Electrical Examination?

DLI administers the Class A journeyworker and Class A master examinations. Both have the format below in the current official guide. The examination uses the 2026 National Electrical Code following the September 8, 2026, transition. Examination guide and code adoption notice

Exam notes. DLI supplies the code book, laws and rules booklet, and calculator. This is an open-book format with department-provided materials, rather than permission to bring personal reference material. Read the official guide's rules before exam day. DLI examination guide

Use the guide's knowledge areas to identify what you need to study. For scheduling, follow your approval email and choose from the dates shown in DLI's application system. A work-experience milestone does not itself reserve an exam appointment. DLI exam scheduling

What Does It Cost?

These are state charges, separate from training, insurance, bond premiums and project permits. The application and examination payment is due before testing; the license issuance payment follows approval and passing where an examination is required. Minnesota fee law

Registration. DLI lists the initial and on-time renewal amounts on its registration page. Expired registrations follow the reinstatement instructions.

Personal licenses. The initial two-year journeyworker amount follows the base fee plus electrical board fee in Section 326B.092. The DLI renewal form confirms the journeyworker and master renewal amounts.

Master issuance. The first master license fee depends on the initial license duration. Follow DLI's issuance instructions for the applicable amount instead of treating the renewal fee as an initial fee.

Contractor. DLI lists one amount for the initial business application and for renewal in its contractor instructions. Confirm it on the application screen when you file.

What Does an Electrical Contractor Need?

A company performing electrical contracting needs its own credential, even when its owner holds a personal electrician license. DLI requires an active master electrician as the responsible licensed individual for the electrical contractor license. The company also submits business disclosures, insurance documentation and a surety bond. DLI Electrical Contractor Licensing Basics

Coverage notes. These are the separate coverage minimums in Section 326B.33, subdivisions 15 and 16. The statute also permits a combined bodily injury and property damage policy meeting its single-limit requirements. The bond's face amount is not a quoted premium.

Use DLI's approved bond form and identify DLI as the insurance certificate holder. The business name on insurance documents must match its filing, and the company must document compliance with workers' compensation requirements. Prepare these records together with the ownership disclosures before submission. DLI contractor checklist

How Does a Responsible Master Qualify the Company?

The responsible individual must fit the business structure specified in Section 326B.33, subdivision 17. For example, a corporation uses an officer or managing employee; an LLC uses a chief manager or managing employee. A managing employee must actively perform electrical work for the contractor and cannot work as an electrician, installer or technician for another covered contractor or employer. Minnesota Statutes Section 326B.33

Minnesota's employee definition includes compensation reported on a W-2, together with employee status under applicable law. That definition establishes a real employment relationship; the designation also carries responsibility for the company's electrical work. The employee rule and responsible-person rule should be reviewed together.

One person may serve as responsible licensed individual for only one contractor or employer. Plan the role around the person's actual duties, authority and availability before submitting the designation. A qualifying agent qualifies the company through that substantive role. Minnesota Statutes Section 326B.33

If this is the missing role in your company, review what a qualifying agent does and hire a qualifying agent. Use that discussion to identify the required credential and responsibilities before moving to the business application.

What Happens If the Responsible Master Leaves?

The responsible master must give the contractor and DLI at least 15 days' notice before resigning. Termination or separation requires immediate notice to DLI from the contractor and responsible individual. The replacement certificate is due within 30 days of termination or separation. Part 3800.3540

If the company cannot secure the replacement within that period, the rule makes the contractor license invalid and requires electrical work to stop. The rule also treats expiration, suspension or revocation of the responsible person's license separately, with consequences depending on whether that person is an owner or employee. Track the individual credential as well as the company's renewal date. Minnesota Rules Part 3800.3540

When Do Licenses Renew?

Timing. The registration cycle comes from DLI registration instructions; personal license cycles come from DLI licensing basics; the contractor cycle appears in DLI contractor instructions.

Education. Use approved courses and retain completion certificates. DLI lists a first-year master education exception, and the renewal rule addresses how long the license has been held. Excess credits do not carry into a later term. DLI continuing education and Part 3800.3602

Does Minnesota Offer Reciprocity?

DLI lists the following states for personal-license reciprocity. Eligibility depends on the original examination, license class and application history. DLI reciprocity requirements

Eligibility notes. Hold the qualifying state license continuously for at least one year, with current good standing and the required state examination history. Minnesota examination failures or disciplinary orders can affect eligibility. Apply to DLI and pay its required application and issuance charges; reciprocity does not automatically authorize work. DLI Electrical License Reciprocity

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an Unlicensed Electrician Registration a License?

No. Registration allows the supervised work described in DLI's rules; it does not authorize independent contracting or unsupervised licensed work. Keep the registration active while accumulating qualifying experience. Registration rule

Do All My Electrical Hours Count?

DLI evaluates the work category and supporting records, not just the total written on a resume. The rule permits qualifying out-of-state and military experience subject to DLI's equivalency determination and certification requirements. Experience rule

Can a Journeyworker Be the Company's Responsible Master?

A journeyworker credential alone does not meet DLI's active-master requirement for an electrical contractor. Check the proposed individual's master credential and business relationship before filing. Contractor requirements

Do I Need City Licensing Too?

DLI issues the personal electrician licenses and the electrical contractor license. Permits and inspections still apply to each job, so check the inspection authority for the job location and ask the city about any local business requirements. DLI directs electrical contractors to obtain permits at or before the start of work. Contractor responsibilities

Put the Right Credential in Place

If you are entering the trade, begin with registration and an employer who can supervise and verify your work. If you already have experience, organize it by license route before applying. If you own the business, identify the responsible master and complete the company requirements alongside the individual's credential.

Call 615-219-2110 or hire a qualifying agent to discuss your company's responsible-master need. For related work, see our Minnesota plumbing license guide, Minnesota HVAC guide and electrical contractor license guide.

Sources

1. DLI Registered Unlicensed Electricians. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
2. DLI Electrical Licensing Basics. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
3. Minnesota Statutes Section 326B.33. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
4. Minnesota Rules Part 3800.3520. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
5. DLI Personal Electrical Examination Application. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
6. DLI Electrical Work Verification Form. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
7. DLI Electrical Examination Guide. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
8. DLI License Exam Schedule. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
9. Minnesota Statutes Section 326B.092. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
10. DLI Electrical Contractor Licensing Basics. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
11. Minnesota Rules Part 3800.3500. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
12. Minnesota Rules Part 3800.3540. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
13. DLI Electrical Continuing Education. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
14. DLI Electrical License Reciprocity. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
15. Minnesota Rules Part 3800.3525. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
16. DLI Personal Electrical Renewal Form. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
17. DLI Electrical Contractors and Code Adoption. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
18. DLI Electrical Experience and Education. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
19. Minnesota Rules Part 3800.3602. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
20. DLI Electrical Licensing Forms. Retrieved 2026-09-29.