Home › Electrician license by state › New Jersey

How to get an electrician license in New Jersey

Hours, exam, fees, renewal and continuing education for New Jersey, pulled from official NJ sources and checked .

Quick answer
  • Licensing body: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs)
  • State journeyman license: Yes (The Board licenses Class A journeyman electricians (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.1, as amended by P.L.2021, c.479).)
  • Class A Journeyman Electrician: 8,000 hours of hands-on practical experience installing, altering or repairing wiring (not supervising, estimating or managing), at least 4,000 of them within 5 years of applying, plus 576 classroom hours of related instruction. A licensed NJ electrical contractor also qualifies, and the Board may accept equivalent experience gained through other means.
  • Exam: No state exam (see below)
  • Code edition: Electrical contractor exam (PSI bulletin updated 3/5/2026): NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2023 Edition, provided at the test center.

Requirements by license

Class A Journeyman Electrician

Experience8,000 hours of hands-on practical experience installing, altering or repairing wiring (not supervising, estimating or managing), at least 4,000 of them within 5 years of applying, plus 576 classroom hours of related instruction. A licensed NJ electrical contractor also qualifies, and the Board may accept equivalent experience gained through other means.Source: njconsumeraffairs.gov · as of · Hour counts are from the Board's journeyman application (quoting N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.1); The Board site blocks automated checks, so we read this from a search-engine copy of the official page. Statute: pub.njleg.state.nj.us
ExamNo state exam. The statute licenses Class A journeymen on experience and classroom hours (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.1); it sets no journeyman exam.Source: pub.njleg.state.nj.us · as of
Fees
  • Application, initial license and triennial renewal fees: not listed
Source: pub.njleg.state.nj.us · as of · The statute says the Board sets these fees (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.2). The fee schedule is in N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6, which we could not load from an official site; see "What we couldn't confirm yet".
RenewalEvery 3 years. Class A journeyman licenses are issued for 3 years and renewed triennially, on the same renewal cycle as electrical contractor licenses (N.J.S.A. 45:1-7 and 45:5A-11.6).Source: pub.njleg.state.nj.us · as of
CE to renew15 hours per 3-year renewal
  • 15-hour course on the most recent edition of the National Electrical Code
Applies to Class A journeymen who are not also licensed NJ electrical contractors (contractors follow the contractor rule). The Board approves the courses and instructors.
Source: pub.njleg.state.nj.us · as of · N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.4.

Electrical Contractor

Experience5 years in electrical construction and installation before applying: 1 year as a Class A journeyman electrician plus 4 years in a U.S. Department of Labor-approved electrical apprenticeship (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9(b)). After a failed exam, wait 6 months to retest.Source: pub.njleg.state.nj.us · as of · The Board's applicant instructions also accept a 4-year approved apprenticeship plus 1 year of hands-on experience, and an electrical engineering bachelor's degree plus 2 years of practical experience: njconsumeraffairs.gov
ExamPSI. Open book. Three exams, all needed: Electrical Contractor (100 questions, 255 minutes, 70% to pass; NEC 2023 provided at the site), Business and Law (50 questions, 130 minutes, 70%; bring the NASCLA NJ guide) and Alarm Systems (50 questions, 165 minutes, 70%). First attempt: all three on the same day, within 2 years of eligibility; pass all three within 3 attempts and 5 years.Source: test-takers.psiexams.com · as of
Fees
  • Board application fee (non-refundable): $100
  • PSI Electrical Contracting exam: $84
  • PSI Business and Law exam: $47
  • PSI Alarm Systems exam: $49
  • License and triennial renewal fees: not listed
Source: test-takers.psiexams.com · as of · Application fee: Board applicant instructions njconsumeraffairs.gov (The Board site blocks automated checks, so we read this from a search-engine copy of the official page.) The 1962 statute text still lists a $25 exam application fee; we use the Board's current $100.
RenewalEvery 3 years. Electrical contractor licenses and business permits are issued for 3 years and renewed triennially (N.J.S.A. 45:1-7).Source: pub.njleg.state.nj.us · as of
CE to renew34 hours per 3-year renewal
  • 9 hours on the Code (NEC)
  • 1 hour on New Jersey laws, rules and regulations
Not required for the triennial period in which you were first licensed.
Source: njconsumeraffairs.gov · as of · Board FAQ. The Board site blocks automated checks, so we read this from a search-engine copy of the official page.

License types in New Jersey

  • Electrical Contractor (plus a business permit to run the business)
  • Class A Journeyman Electrician
  • Class A Electrical Apprentice (in a U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship)
  • Class B Wireman (works under a contractor or Class A journeyman)
Source: pub.njleg.state.nj.us · as of · Since the 13th month after P.L.2021, c.479 (approved Jan. 18, 2022), anyone doing electrical work must hold one of these licenses (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.9).

Reciprocity (licensed in another state?)

No published list of reciprocal states. The Board may license, without an exam, contractors, Class A journeymen, apprentices and Class B wiremen licensed in another state that gives New Jersey licensees equal reciprocity (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.8). Out-of-state journeymen, apprentices and wiremen can get one temporary license per triennial period for work of up to 30 days; a temporary journeyman must work under a licensed NJ contractor and cannot supervise.Source: pub.njleg.state.nj.us · as of

What we couldn't confirm yet

We only publish what we can tie to an official source. These items aren't published anywhere we could verify, so ask the office listed:

FAQ

Does New Jersey have a state journeyman electrician license?

Yes. New Jersey's Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors licenses Class A journeyman electricians; you need 8,000 hours of hands-on wiring experience (at least 4,000 within the last 5 years) and 576 classroom hours, or an NJ electrical contractor license.

Is there an exam for the New Jersey journeyman electrician license?

No. The statute licenses Class A journeymen on experience and classroom hours and sets no journeyman exam. The electrical contractor license does require three PSI exams.

Is the New Jersey electrical contractor exam open book?

Yes. The PSI Electrical Contractor exam is open book with the 2023 NEC provided at the test center; it has 100 questions in 255 minutes and takes 70% to pass.

Does New Jersey have electrician license reciprocity?

New Jersey publishes no list of reciprocal states. The Board may license someone from another state without an exam only if that state gives New Jersey licensees equal reciprocity, and out-of-state journeymen can get one temporary license for up to 30 days of work.

Already licensed? See New Jersey electrician license renewal & CE requirements.

Other states

Compare every state side by side: license requirements by state · renewal & CE by state.