Virginia Electrician License Requirements: Journeyman, Master and the ELE Contractor License

Virginia licenses electricians at the state level, and one agency handles both sides of the trade. The Virginia Board for Contractors, part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), issues the individual journeyman and master electrician licenses under 18VAC50-30 and the business contractor license with the Electrical (ELE) classification under 18VAC50-22. A card in your wallet and a license for your company are two different things, and most electrical businesses need both.

For the full picture of Virginia contracting, see the Virginia contractor license guide, and for every other state, see how to get a contractor license in each state.

At a glance

Issuer: the Virginia Board for Contractors at DPOR, for both the electrician licenses and the ELE contractor license.

Journeyman: four years of practical experience plus 240 hours of formal vocational training is the standard route, one of seven.

Exams: given by PSI; journeyman 70 items in 210 minutes, master 90 items in 270 minutes, open book on the 2020 NEC.

Fees: $150 license fee under the rule, plus $100 (journeyman) or $125 (master) paid to PSI for the exam.

Renewal: every three years, with three hours of board approved code update education.

Two Licenses, One Board

The tradesman license belongs to a person. Virginia law defines a tradesman as anyone who works for the public for pay in the electrical, plumbing or HVAC trades, and since July 1, 1995 no one may do that work without a license under Code of Virginia § 54.1-1129. The Board issues it at two levels for electricians: journeyman and master.

The contractor license belongs to a business. Contractor licenses are issued to firms and are not transferable under 18VAC50-22-210, and the class (A, B or C) sets the dollar size of the jobs while the classification sets the kind of work. For electrical work that classification is ELE, which covers all work under the electrical provisions of the Uniform Statewide Building Code, including the electronic and communication (ESC) and fire alarm (FAS) specialties. Virginia has no BLD classification; building work is licensed as CBC (commercial) or RBC (residential) under 18VAC50-22-20.

Three exceptions in § 54.1-1129 and § 54.1-1131 shape who needs the individual card. A worker needs no tradesman license while working under the supervision of a tradesman licensed in that specialty. A tradesman licensed in one specialty needs no second license for work incidental to his own specialty. And the tradesman article does not apply to work on a single family residence worth less than $250 by someone who does not hold himself out to the public as a tradesman.

One more distinction matters in 2026. Since April 1, 2025, Virginia has offered residential tradesman licenses with lighter experience rules, but only for HVAC and plumbing. There is no residential electrician license, so every electrician in Virginia follows the journeyman and master track below. Our Virginia HVAC license guide and Virginia plumbing license guide cover the residential tier.

Journeyman Electrician Experience Routes

Virginia counts experience in years, paired with formal vocational training or a degree. Under 18VAC50-30-39 B, a journeyman electrician applicant must meet one of these standards, and must be at least 18 under 18VAC50-30-30.

Notes on the routes

• Proof of experience. Reference letters from building officials, inspectors, current or former employers, contractors, engineers, architects or clients who can attest to your work, under 18VAC50-30-47. Education is proved with a transcript or diploma.
• Continuing education as training. Up to 40 hours of board approved continuing education can count toward the formal vocational training hours, under 18VAC50-30-48.
• Apprenticeship. Completing an apprenticeship program approved by the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement exempts you from the journeyman exam, under 18VAC50-30-50 B and § 54.1-1131.
• Out of state holders. The current application lets a person licensed as a journeyman or master by a governing body outside Virginia apply on that basis, with a letter of good standing from the other board.

"Formal vocational training" means courses in the trade at an accredited school, or board approved training run by trade associations, businesses, the military, correspondence schools or similar organizations.

Master Electrician Requirements

Under 18VAC50-30-10, a master can plan and lay out the details of an installation and supervise the work. Under 18VAC50-30-39 D, a master applicant must show one of these:

• One year holding a valid journeyman license in the trade, or
• Nine years of practical experience in the trade, verified by people who observed the work.

The rule's third master route, three years holding a residential tradesman license, exists only for HVAC and plumbing. The current application also accepts a journeyman or master license from another jurisdiction, with a letter of good standing.

The master license is the one a business needs. Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100 directs the Board to require a master tradesman license as a condition of licensure for electrical contractors, and 18VAC50-22-61 names the master electrician tradesman license as the prerequisite for the person who qualifies a company for ELE. For how the two levels compare nationally, see journeyman vs master electrician.

The PSI Electrician Exams

DPOR contracts with PSI to run its exams, and you need Board approval before you can schedule. The July 23, 2026 PSI bulletin for Virginia individual licenses sets the format.

What to know before you book

• Open book. Bring your own bound references. Highlighting, underlining and permanent tabs are allowed; removable tabs and any writing are not.
• References. The 2020 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), NFPA 70E, and the Board's Individual License and Certification Regulations.
• Content. Both exams cover the Board's regulations (standards of practice and conduct, renewal, qualifications) and code topics. Grounding and bonding carry 6 items on the journeyman exam and 8 on the master exam.
• Format. Test center or remote proctored, and the application asks whether you prefer English or Spanish where the exam is offered in both.
• Retakes. No new appointment on the same day; depending on space, you may retest within two business days.
• Fees. The PSI exam fee is valid for one year from payment and is not refundable.

What Virginia Charges

The Board's fees for individual licenses are set in 18VAC50-30-90, 18VAC50-30-120 and 18VAC50-30-130. Exam fees are set by the Board's testing contract under 18VAC50-30-100 and paid directly to PSI.

Technology fee. Since July 1, 2026, DPOR adds a separate technology fee of $7.25 per year under 2026's House Bill 30, in place through June 30, 2030. That is why the current tradesman application lists $171.75 for a license by exam: the $150 fee plus $7.25 for each of the three license years.

All Board fees are nonrefundable and are not prorated. Checks go to the Treasurer of Virginia. A fee stays active for one year from the date it is received, and the application must be completed within that year, under 18VAC50-30-90 A.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Build your experience and training toward one of the seven journeyman routes, and keep reference letters and transcripts as you go.
2. File the Tradesman Exam and License Application with DPOR, choosing Journeyman Electrical (ELE) and the examination method, with the $171.75 payment and an Individual Experience Verification Form.
3. Wait for Board approval, then schedule the journeyman exam with PSI at (855) 340-3910 or online.
4. Pass the 70 item journeyman exam at 49 correct or better. Apprenticeship graduates skip this step.
5. Work at least one year as a licensed journeyman, or document nine years of practical experience.
6. Apply for Master Electrical (ELE) and pass the 90 item master exam at 63 correct or better.
7. Stand up the business: a Class A, B or C contractor license with the ELE classification, a qualified individual who holds the master license, and the six hour pre-license course.
8. Renew every three years with three hours of code update education before the license expires.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Electrician licenses expire three years from the last day of the month they were issued, under 18VAC50-30-120 A. To renew, each electrician must complete three hours of continuing education for the electrical designation, on building code changes, from a Board approved provider. A person with more than one trade needs three hours in each.

For electricians, the course covers the current National Electrical Code. DPOR's License Lookup now shows the continuing education hours each active tradesman needs to renew, and only approved courses from approved providers count.

Late renewal. The Board allows renewal up to 30 days after expiration with the $160 fee. After that the reinstatement fee of $210 applies, and a license can be reinstated for up to 24 months after it expires. Past 24 months you must apply as new, although you remain eligible to sit for the same exam.

Work done after a license expires may be treated as unlicensed activity under 18VAC50-30-130 E. DPOR's own guidance is plain: you cannot keep practicing in Virginia on an expired license.

Reciprocity and Out of State Electricians

The Board for Contractors lists these electrical agreements. Each has its own terms, and every applicant files a complete application with verification from the other board.

• Alabama: electrical contractor license and the Virginia master electrical exam.
• District of Columbia: journeyman and master electrical.
• Kentucky: electrician and master electrician licenses and the Virginia journeyman and master exams. See our Kentucky electrician guide.
• Maryland: master electrical tradesman. See our Maryland electrician guide.
• West Virginia: journeyman and master electrical. See our West Virginia electrician guide.
• North Carolina: Unlimited and Intermediate electrical contractor licenses, tied to the Virginia master license and a Class A or B ELE contractor license. See our North Carolina electrician guide.
• Ohio: master electrical exams, plus Ohio business and law for the Virginia Advanced and General law exams.

For questions on a specific agreement, the Board's contact is 804-367-8511.

The ELE Contractor License for Electrical Businesses

The individual license lets you do the work. The contractor license lets a business bid and contract for it, and the current tradesman application says plainly that anyone performing work over $1,000 must obtain a Virginia contractor license. The class depends on job size, set by § 54.1-1100 as amended by the General Assembly in 2025.

Requirements by class

Contractor notes

• Recovery fund. A $25 Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund assessment goes with each initial application, under 18VAC50-22-100. With the technology fee, the current application totals $439.50 (A), $419.50 (B) and $274.50 (C).
• Designated employee. Class A and B firms name a designated employee who passes the business exams: General and Virginia for Class B, plus Advanced for Class A. PSI charges $40, $72 or $85 for one, two or three portions. Class C has no designated employee.
• Net worth. Class B must verify a net worth or equity of $15,000 or more and Class A $45,000, by a financial statement, a CPA reviewed statement or a CPA audit, or obtain a $50,000 surety bond on the Board's form instead, under 18VAC50-22-50 D and 18VAC50-22-60 D. Class C has no financial requirement under 18VAC50-22-40.
• Pre-license course. A six hour board approved basic business course; 18VAC50-22-300, as amended September 1, 2025, says courses must be six hours in length. A member of responsible management takes it for Class C (18VAC50-22-40 F); for Class A or B, the designated employee or a member of responsible management (18VAC50-22-50 H and 60 H).
• Renewal. Contractor licenses run two years, with renewal fees of $270 (A), $260 (B) and $220 (C) plus a $30 recovery fund assessment, under 18VAC50-22-140.
• Local rules. A building official cannot issue a permit without proof of the state license under § 54.1-1111, and localities check it before issuing a business license. The contractor application directs you to your local Commissioner of the Revenue and building official for local requirements.

When Your Master Electrician Leaves

The ELE classification stands on one person, so a departure has a clock. Under 18VAC50-22-220, a change of qualified individual must be reported to the Board within 60 days, and the new qualifier must meet the experience rule for the firm's class. When a designated employee leaves, the contractor must give the Board the new designated employee's name within 90 days of the departure (Code of Virginia 54.1-1106).

Changing the business itself is stricter. If the entity dissolves or forms a new entity, including the death of a sole proprietor, the old license is void, must be returned within 30 days, and the firm must apply for a new one within 30 days under 18VAC50-22-210.

What This Means for an Electrical Contracting Company

Virginia ties every ELE license to a qualified individual who holds a Virginia master electrician license and has one, three or five years of experience depending on the class. The rules say who that person can be: a full-time employee, defined in 18VAC50-22-10 as someone who spends at least 30 hours a week on the firm's work and receives an IRS Form W-2, or a member of the firm's responsible management. The Board's contractor application adds that the qualifier cannot be a 1099 employee.

If you hold the master license yourself, you qualify your own company. If you do not, or you are expanding into Virginia from another state, the company needs a licensed master electrician on the payroll who actually supervises the work. The tradesman rules at 18VAC50-30-190 list allowing a license to be used by an unlicensed person as a prohibited act, so the arrangement has to be a real job.

That is the model our founders, Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, built The Licensing Company around: a licensed professional who joins your company as a full-time W-2 employee and serves as its qualifier. Read what a qualifying agent is, how the electrical contractor qualifying agent role works, and how to hire a qualifying agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Virginia have journeyman and master electrician licenses? Yes. The Board for Contractors at DPOR issues both under 18VAC50-30. To contract electrical work as a business you also need a Class A, B or C contractor license with the ELE classification.

How much is a journeyman electrician license in Virginia? The Board's license fee is $150 under 18VAC50-30-90, and the current application lists $171.75 once the $7.25 per year technology fee is added. The journeyman exam costs $100, paid to PSI. Renewal is $160 every three years.

How do I apply for a journeyman license in Virginia? File the Tradesman Exam and License Application with DPOR, select Journeyman Electrical (ELE), and attach the Individual Experience Verification Form plus training certificates or transcripts. After Board approval, schedule the exam with PSI.

Can I become a master electrician without a journeyman license? Yes. Under 18VAC50-30-39 D, nine years of practical experience in the trade, verified by people who observed the work, qualifies you to sit for the master exam. The more common route is one year holding a Virginia journeyman license.

What continuing education do Virginia electricians need? Three hours per renewal cycle on code changes, from a Board approved provider, for each trade designation you hold. Complete it before the license expires; License Lookup shows the hours you need.

Does an apprenticeship let me skip the exam? Completing an apprenticeship approved by the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement exempts you from the journeyman exam under 18VAC50-30-50 B. The master exam is still required.

Does my company need a master electrician to hold the ELE license? Yes. The qualified individual for ELE must hold a Virginia master electrician tradesman license and be a full-time W-2 employee or a member of responsible management. If that person leaves, the firm has 60 days to report a replacement.

Sources

Retrieved 2026-09-28.

• DPOR Tradesmen Program page (exam fees, CE, technology fee, residential trades)
• DPOR Board for Contractors page (contractor exams and fees, pre-license education)
• Tradesman Exam and License Application, A501-2710EXLIC v8
• Board for Contractors reciprocal agreements
• Contractor Licensing Information and Application, A501-27LIC
• PSI Virginia Individual License and Certification Candidate Information Bulletin (July 23, 2026)
• 18VAC50-30-10, definitions
• 18VAC50-30-39, tradesman qualifications
• 18VAC50-30-47, verification of experience
• 18VAC50-30-48, continuing education as training
• 18VAC50-30-50, exemptions from examination
• 18VAC50-30-90, tradesman license fees
• 18VAC50-30-100, examination fees
• 18VAC50-30-120, renewal
• 18VAC50-30-130, reinstatement
• 18VAC50-30-190, prohibited acts
• 18VAC50-22-10, definitions
• 18VAC50-22-20, license classifications
• 18VAC50-22-40, Class C requirements
• 18VAC50-22-50, Class B requirements
• 18VAC50-22-60, Class A requirements
• 18VAC50-22-61, qualifications for classifications
• 18VAC50-22-100, contractor fees
• 18VAC50-22-140, contractor renewal fees
• 18VAC50-22-210, change of business entity
• 18VAC50-22-220, change of qualified individual
• 18VAC50-22-300, pre-license education courses
• Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100, definitions and license classes
• Code of Virginia § 54.1-1111, permits and business licenses
• Code of Virginia § 54.1-1129, necessity for tradesman licensure
• Code of Virginia § 54.1-1131, exemptions

Talk to Us About Your Virginia Electrical License

Whether you are sitting for the master exam, opening an electrical contracting company, expanding into Virginia, or replacing a master electrician who left, we can help you map the next step. Call us at 615-219-2110 or start with hiring a qualifying agent. You can also compare the Tennessee electrician guide, read what a contractor license costs, or browse all state guides.