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How to get an electrician license in Ohio

Hours, exam, fees, renewal and continuing education for Ohio, pulled from official OH sources and checked .

Quick answer
  • Licensing body: Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Division of Industrial Compliance
  • State journeyman license: No (Ohio licenses electrical contractors for commercial work (Ohio Revised Code ch. 4740); it has no state journeyman license. Some cities, such as Toledo, license journeymen (see the local table below).)
  • Electrical Contractor (OCILB): 5 years as a tradesperson in electrical work immediately before applying, shown with 5 years of tax records plus permits, a journeyman card, an approved apprenticeship certificate or 40 hours of live code courses. An Ohio-registered engineer with 3 years of construction business experience in the trade also qualifies. You must be 18+ and a U.S. citizen or legal alien.
  • Exam: open book, via PSI
  • Code edition: Ohio adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code as of March 1, 2024 (per the City of Toledo). The OCILB electrical exam allows the 2023 NEC.

Requirements by license

Electrical Contractor (OCILB)

Experience5 years as a tradesperson in electrical work immediately before applying, shown with 5 years of tax records plus permits, a journeyman card, an approved apprenticeship certificate or 40 hours of live code courses. An Ohio-registered engineer with 3 years of construction business experience in the trade also qualifies. You must be 18+ and a U.S. citizen or legal alien.Source: dam.assets.ohio.gov · as of · Statute: codes.ohio.gov (division (B)).
ExamPSI. Open book. After Board approval and BCI/FBI background checks: Electrical Contractor exam (100 scored questions plus 10 unscored, 4 hours, 70% to pass; NEC 2023 and Ugly's allowed) and the Business and Law exam (50 scored questions plus 5 unscored, 2 hours, 70%). Board approval is good for 1 year.Source: test-takers.psiexams.com · as of · PSI bulletin updated 2/7/2024. Process: dam.assets.ohio.gov
Fees
  • Exam application: $25
  • License issuance: $25
  • PSI exam (each exam, each attempt): $69
  • Annual renewal: $60
  • Triennial renewal (Compliant Contractor Program): $180
  • Late fee (up to): $120
Source: codes.ohio.gov · as of · PSI fee: test-takers.psiexams.com You also need at least $500,000 of contractor liability insurance.
RenewalEvery year. All of your OCILB licenses expire on the date of your original license. Renew up to 90 days before with the fee, CE proof and insurance; members of the Compliant Contractor Program may renew every 3 years instead.Source: codes.ohio.gov · as of · Division (H). Triennial option: codes.ohio.gov
CE to renew10 hours per year
  • At least 5 hours of electrical code (electrical-only licensees)
  • The other 5 hours in health and safety, business or technology courses approved by the electrical section
Compliant Contractor Program members need 8 hours a year, or 24 hours for a 3-year renewal. A classroom hour is at least 50 minutes; no more than 10 hours count per day, and extra hours do not carry over.
Source: codes.ohio.gov · as of · Program rule: codes.ohio.gov

License types in Ohio

  • No state journeyman license
  • Electrical Contractor (OCILB, commercial work)
  • Toledo: Electrical Journeyman, Apprentice and Contractor licenses
  • Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland: city contractor registration on top of the state license
  • Other cities: check the local building department
Source: dam.assets.ohio.gov · as of · Toledo: toledo.oh.gov

Local electrician licenses (by city)

Ohio has no state journeyman license. OCILB licenses electrical contractors for commercial work, big cities register those contractors, and a few cities license journeymen. We checked Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland below; anywhere else, ask the city building department.

Toledo

Office: City of Toledo, Division of Building Inspection
Licenses journeymen?Yes. Toledo issues Electrical Journeyman and Apprentice licenses (exam application required) and Electrical Contractor licenses
ExperienceA completed DOL-registered electrical apprenticeship approved by the Electrical Board of Control (or equivalent training), or documented work as a journeyman electrician for the same length of time, or an approved electrical engineering degree or school training (Toledo Municipal Code 1311.05)
ExamCity of Toledo (Electrical Journeyman exam and apprentice application). Written exam; 70 is the minimum passing score (TMC 1311.07)
FeesJourneyman renewal (per year): $50
Journeyman late fee: $50
Apprentice renewal: $25
Contractor renewal: $140
RenewalEvery year. 2027 licenses must be renewed by December 31, 2026; a late fee applies after January 31, 2027. Contractors also need a current State of Ohio license
CE10 hours · Journeymen need 10 hours of Board-approved CE within 12 months after Toledo adopts an updated NEC (TMC 1311.05(b)(3)D), so a class is due only after a new code is adopted. 2026 renewals needed the 10-hour NEC 2023 class.
ContactDivision of Building Inspection · 419-245-1220 (source)
Source: cdn.toledo.oh.gov · as of · License types: toledo.oh.gov · 2026 code update: toledo.oh.gov · Code: codelibrary.amlegal.com · Code: codelibrary.amlegal.com

Columbus

Office: City of Columbus, Department of Building and Zoning Services
Licenses journeymen?No electrical journeyman license found (Columbus licenses journeyperson plumbers). Electrical contractors must hold the State of Ohio license, then register with the city
ExperienceNot confirmed
ExamNone from the city for electrical contractors (state license required)
FeesNot confirmed
RenewalNot confirmed
CENot confirmed
NotesElectrical, HVAC, refrigeration, hydronics and plumbing contractors must be licensed by the State in their trade before applying; the city does not require board approval for them.
Still openCity registration fee (see the BZS fee schedule)
ContactBuilding and Zoning Services · (614) 645-7433 (source)
Source: columbus.gov · as of

Cincinnati

Office: City of Cincinnati, Department of Buildings & Inspections (Contractor Registration)
Licenses journeymen?No journeyman license found. OCILB-licensed electrical contractors register with the city
ExperienceNot confirmed
ExamNot confirmed
FeesRegistration (per year, $125 plus surcharges): $131.25
Late renewal (within 30 days after expiration): $78.75
Renewal1, 2 or 3 years. Register for up to 3 years at $131.25 a year; the registration must end on the same date as your state license (new registrations pay $10.94 per month to line them up). Renewing within 30 days after expiration adds $78.75; after that a $131.25-a-year reactivation fee applies
CENot confirmed
NotesRegistration needs liability insurance of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, among other items.
ContactDepartment of Buildings & Inspections · 513-352-3271 (source)
Source: cincinnati-oh.gov · as of · FAQ: cincinnati-oh.gov

Cleveland

Office: City of Cleveland, Department of Building & Housing
Licenses journeymen?No journeyman license found. To register as an electrical contractor you must first be licensed by the State of Ohio, then submit the city contractor packet
ExperienceNot confirmed
ExamNot confirmed
FeesCertificate of Registration (initial): $150
Renewal: $120
Late renewal (per month, up to 3 months): $15
Renewal1, 2 or 3 years. Renew in the 30 days before expiration; a lapsed registration can be renewed for up to 3 months with $15 per month late
CENot confirmed
ContactDepartment of Building & Housing (source)
Source: clevelandohio.gov · as of · Fees, term and late renewal: Codified Ordinances 3107.12-.13, codelibrary.amlegal.com

Not listed? Call your city building department and ask whether it licenses journeymen or registers electrical contractors.

Reciprocity (licensed in another state?)

OCILB publishes electrical reciprocity applications for Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. You must hold that state's license (for example a Texas master electrician license held at least 1 year, or a Kentucky master electrician and contractor license) and have earned it by passing that state's exam; grandfathered licenses do not qualify. The fee is $25 per trade, you need $500,000 in liability insurance, and some forms also require the Ohio Business and Law exam.Source: dam.assets.ohio.gov · as of · Forms: dam.assets.ohio.gov dam.assets.ohio.gov dam.assets.ohio.gov dam.assets.ohio.gov dam.assets.ohio.gov dam.assets.ohio.gov dam.assets.ohio.gov dam.assets.ohio.gov dam.assets.ohio.gov

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 Ohio have a state journeyman electrician license?

No. Ohio has no state journeyman license; the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses electrical contractors for commercial work, and some cities such as Toledo license journeymen.

What do you need for an Ohio electrical contractor license?

You need 5 years as an electrical tradesperson immediately before applying (or an Ohio engineer registration with 3 years of business experience), Board approval, background checks, and passing PSI exams. You also need at least $500,000 of contractor liability insurance.

Is the Ohio electrical contractor exam open book?

Yes. The PSI Electrical Contractor exam is open book with the 2023 NEC; it has 100 scored questions in 4 hours and takes 70% to pass, plus a separate Business and Law exam.

Already licensed? See Ohio electrician license renewal & CE requirements.

Other states

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