Electrician Licensing in Colorado
Colorado licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the Journeyman Electrician, issued by the Colorado State Electrical Board. Its standard route requires 8,000 hours of experience; other routes can differ.
Source: Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations, checked 2026-10-07 · Standard-route hours: Colorado State Electrical Board
Before you start: In Colorado, registration is due after you are hired rather than before you start. Deadline: within 30 days of starting work.
- Credential
- Electrical Apprentice Registration
- Issued by
- Colorado State Electrical Board
- Fee
- Not confirmed in our records.
- How to apply
- Once you begin working for an electrical contractor, your employer completes the application to register you with the State Electrical Board.
Official source · Checked 2026-10-07
Page last reviewed 2026-10-01 against official sources; credential requirements checked 2026-09-06. Confirm with the issuing authority before applying.
Licensed in another state? See reviewed routes into Colorado.
How electrical licensing works in Colorado
Colorado’s State Electrical Board registers apprentices and licenses residential wiremen, journeyman electricians and master electricians. Choose the individual route that matches the work you will perform and the experience you can document. Operating an electrical contracting business requires a separate contractor registration and a responsible master electrician.
This page covers those five worker and business routes. Job-site permits and inspections still apply. Photovoltaic installer registration and temporary work permits have separate conditions and are outside this five-credential guide.
Credential-specific requirements
Requirements differ by credential. Expand any credential for the work or business activity you plan to perform. Issued by Colorado State Electrical Board unless noted.
Electrical Apprentice Registration Individual registration
- Issuing authority
- Colorado State Electrical Board →
- Scope of work
- Work in the electrical trade for a registered electrical contractor under direct supervision of a licensed electrician. One electrician may directly supervise no more than three apprentices at a job site. Carry your registration card while working.
- Experience or qualification
- Create an individual apprentice account and registration, then give your APE number to your electrical contractor employer so it can attach you to its registration and activate yours. The employer must register a newly employed apprentice within 30 days. Keep your experience records; the employer must provide verification on request and within 30 days of leaving.
- Examination
- No examination is listed for initial apprentice registration. Under the statutory six-year provisions, apprentices must attempt the journeyman examination at least every three years until passing; exemptions and the law’s resource contingency apply. Passing does not issue a journeyman license without meeting its other requirements.
- Fees
- —
- Renewal
- —
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Journeyman Electrician Individual license
- Issuing authority
- Colorado State Electrical Board →
- Scope of work
- Wire for, install and repair electrical apparatus and equipment for electric light, heat and power within governing standards. A journeyman may not serve as a company’s signatory authority.
- Experience or qualification
- 8,000 hours over at least four years of apprenticeship or practical electrical experience, including 2,000 hours over at least two years in commercial, industrial or substantially similar work. Complete 288 hours of electrical training during the last eight years; older training may qualify with proof of at least four additional hours on the current or immediately previous NEC or Board-adopted standards. Specified education, military and photovoltaic training credits may reduce required practical experience.
- Examination
- Pass the Board-approved Journeyman Wireman examination on the ordinary examination pathway. PSI lists 90 scored questions, 240 minutes and 70% to pass, plus up to 10 unscored questions with 30 additional minutes. See the exam-code transition guidance below. Endorsement and qualifying reciprocity into Colorado are pathways to this license.
- Fees
- $78 PSI examination fee; $73 for a retest. Board application and license fees are separate; confirm those amounts in DPO Online Services before paying.
- Renewal
- Expires September 30 every three years. Active licenses ordinarily require 24 hours of continuing education per cycle, including at least four hours on National Electrical Code changes. The first renewal or reinstatement after an initial license issued by examination has the statutory CE exception. Check the expiration on your DPO record; a license issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal date receives the next expiration date.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Master Electrician Individual license
- Issuing authority
- Colorado State Electrical Board →
- Scope of work
- Plan, lay out, supervise, install and repair wiring apparatus and equipment for electric light, heat and power. To serve as a contractor’s responsible individual, be actively engaged full time with that business; a master may qualify only one contractor.
- Experience or qualification
- Qualify through an accredited electrical-engineering degree plus one year of practical construction experience; electrical trade-school or community-college graduation plus four years of practical electrical experience; or at least one year of planning, layout, supervision and installation experience beyond the journeyman requirements. The Board lists 2,000 hours for the one-year routes, 8,000 for the four-year route and 10,000 over at least five years for the experience route. Supervisory experience means supervising registered apprentices while licensed as a journeyman; supervision hours are not added twice to the total.
- Examination
- Pass the Board-approved Master Electrician examination on the ordinary examination pathway. PSI lists 90 scored questions, 240 minutes and 70% to pass, plus up to 10 unscored questions with 30 additional minutes. See the exam-code transition guidance below. Endorsement may be available; Colorado does not grant master licenses by reciprocity.
- Fees
- $78 PSI examination fee; $73 for a retest. Board application and license fees are separate; confirm those amounts in DPO Online Services before paying.
- Renewal
- Expires September 30 every three years. Active licenses ordinarily require 24 hours of continuing education per cycle, including at least four hours on National Electrical Code changes. The first renewal or reinstatement after an initial license issued by examination has the statutory CE exception. Check the expiration on your DPO record; a license issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal date receives the next expiration date.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Electrical Contractor Registration Business registration
- Issuing authority
- Colorado State Electrical Board →
- Scope of work
- Business registration to undertake or offer electrical contracting for another. An owner or part-owner who is a licensed master electrician must supervise all electrical work, or the business must employ a licensed master electrician as its responsible individual.
- Experience or qualification
- Hold or employ a Colorado-licensed master electrician actively engaged full time with the business. A master may qualify only one contractor. The owner and responsible master, if different people, must sign the Acknowledgment of Responsibility; submit evidence of compliance with workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation laws.
- Examination
- No separate contractor-business examination is listed for registration. The business must instead hold or employ a licensed master electrician; that individual must meet the master license’s qualifications and applicable examination or endorsement requirements.
- Fees
- —
- Renewal
- Expires September 30 every three years; renew the registration and pay the applicable renewal fee. Confirm the amount in DPO Online Services. If the responsible master leaves, the business has 20 days to hire a replacement; otherwise its registration becomes inactive until compliant.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Residential Wireman Individual license
- Issuing authority
- Colorado State Electrical Board →
- Scope of work
- Wire for and install electrical apparatus and equipment in one-, two-, three- and four-family dwellings. For commercial/industrial work or residential buildings with more than four units, register as an apprentice and work under a licensed journeyman or master electrician.
- Experience or qualification
- At least two years of accredited training, or 4,000 hours over at least two years of practical experience wiring one-, two-, three- and four-family dwellings. The statute also allows specified academic, military and photovoltaic training credits; have the Board assess the applicable credit before relying on it.
- Examination
- Pass the Board-approved Residential Wireman examination on the ordinary examination pathway. PSI lists 90 scored questions, 240 minutes and 70% to pass, plus up to 7 unscored questions with 30 additional minutes. See the exam-code transition guidance below. Endorsement may be available for qualifying out-of-state license holders.
- Fees
- $78 PSI examination fee; $73 for a retest. Board application and license fees are separate; confirm those amounts in DPO Online Services before paying.
- Renewal
- Expires September 30 every three years. Active licenses ordinarily require 24 hours of continuing education per cycle, including at least four hours on National Electrical Code changes. The first renewal or reinstatement after an initial license issued by examination has the statutory CE exception. Check the expiration on your DPO record; a license issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal date receives the next expiration date.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Licensed in another state?
Colorado has a reviewed application route for some licenses from 13 states. A route can waive an exam or some experience; you still need the Colorado credential before you work. Expand a state for the routes and their requirements.
Alaska Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Alaska general journeyman electrician certificate (Alaska DOLWD Mechanical Inspection Section), exam-tested under AS 08.40 / 8 AAC 90
- You can apply for
- Colorado journeyman electrician certificate by reciprocity (NERA) (Colorado State Electrical Board, DPO/DORA)
To apply:
- hold a Journeyman certificate or a Master Electrician certificate that is current, active and in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state (Alaska)
- have gained that certificate through a state administered examination with a passing score from the licensing state
- have held the certificate for at least 1 year in the licensing state
- apply online (Electrical - Initial License by Examination, Endorsement or Reciprocity Method, DPO Online Services) and pay the appropriate fees; submit the Electrician - Verification of Licensure form completed by the Alaska DOLWD Mechanical Inspection Section
Limits:
- no grandfathered certificates are eligible; the Colorado certificate is issued without written examination only after verification and fees
- the Alaska residential wireman credential has no Colorado residential reciprocity (only an endorsement-only, exam-tested path on the current NEC is possible, outside the NERA agreement)
- the Alaska electrical administrator certificate is not a journeyman or master electrician certificate and does not qualify
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the examination waiver is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-19.
Arkansas Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners journeyman or master electrician license (original, gained by state-administered examination, current/active/in good standing, allowing work as a journeyman)
- You can apply for
- Colorado journeyman electrician certificate (Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations)
To apply:
- license held at least 1 year in Arkansas
- gained by state-administered examination (not grandfathered)
- verification of licensure completed by issuing state board
- initial license application by Reciprocity Method via DPO Online Services
- appropriate fees paid
Limits:
- journeyman certificate only; no Colorado master or residential wireman credential granted by this route
- no exam required but application and fee are; the examination waiver is not authority to work and the certificate must be issued before working
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-17.
Idaho Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Idaho journeyman electrician license (or Idaho master electrician certificate used as a journeyman-class credential) (Idaho DOPL Electrical Bureau), obtained by passing the state examination
- You can apply for
- Colorado journeyman electrician certificate by reciprocity (NERA) (Colorado State Electrical Board, DPO/DORA)
To apply:
- hold a Journeyman or Master Electrician certificate that is current, active and in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state (Idaho)
- have gained that certificate through a state administered examination with a passing score from the licensing state
- have held the certificate for at least 1 year in the licensing state
- apply online (Electrical - Initial License by Examination, Endorsement or Reciprocity Method, DPO Online Services) and pay the appropriate fees; submit the Electrician - Verification of Licensure form completed by the Idaho DOPL board
Limits:
- no grandfathered certificates are eligible; the Colorado certificate is issued without written examination only after verification and fees
- the ID master certificate qualifies only as a journeyman-class credential; Colorado publishes no reciprocal route to a Colorado master electrician certificate
- the ID apprentice and electrical contractor credentials are not covered; Colorado registers electrical contractors as business entities, not via reciprocity
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the examination waiver is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-19.
Iowa Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Iowa Class A Journeyman Electrician license (Iowa Electrical Examining Board, Iowa Code ch. 103), exam-based (PSI national exam on the 2023 NEC)
- You can apply for
- Colorado Journeyman Electrician certificate by reciprocity (Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations; NERA bylaws)
To apply:
- hold a current Iowa Electrical Examining Board (IEEB) license obtained by examination (PSI-administered, 2023 NEC; not grandfathered or waived)
- be in good standing with no disciplinary action or open complaints in Iowa
- hold the Iowa license for at least one year before applying
- hold a certificate that is current, active, in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state
- have gained the certificate through a state-administered examination with a passing score
- apply online through DPO Online Services as 'Electrical - Initial License by Examination, Endorsement or Reciprocity Method' and pay the appropriate fees
Limits:
- no reciprocal certificate is granted where the licensing-state certificate was obtained by grandfathering without passing a state-administered examination
- Colorado reciprocity covers the journeyman tier only: an Iowa master certificate does not yield a Colorado master electrician license
- Class B credentials' restricted scope is not established to 'allow the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician'; no contractor-level reciprocity is published
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the reciprocal agreement is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-22.
Minnesota Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Minnesota Class A Journeyworker Electrician license (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Minn. Stat. ch. 326B), exam-based (DLI)
- You can apply for
- Colorado Journeyman Electrician certificate by the NERA reciprocal pathway (Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations / DORA; C.R.S. Title 12, Article 115, 3 CCR 720-4)
To apply:
- hold a current Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) credential obtained by examination (DLI-administered exam; not grandfathered or waived)
- be in good standing with no disciplinary action or open complaints in Minnesota
- hold a Journeyman (or Master Electrician) certificate that is current, active and in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in Minnesota (NERA bylaws)
- have gained that certificate through a state-administered examination with a passing score in Minnesota
- have held the certificate for at least 1 year in Minnesota
- pay the appropriate fees
Limits:
- journeyman tier only: no Minnesota-named Colorado master reciprocity is published - a Colorado Master Electrician license runs through the examination or endorsement method on the same page
- certificates granted by grandfathering without a passed state-administered examination are not granted a reciprocal certificate
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the reciprocal pathway is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-26.
Montana Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Montana journeyman electrician license (Montana State Electrical Board, Montana DLI), gained through a state-administered examination
- You can apply for
- Colorado journeyman electrician certificate (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA Division of Professions and Occupations)
To apply:
- hold a Montana journeyman (or qualifying master) certificate that is current, active and in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state
- have gained that certificate through a state administered examination with a passing score from the licensing state (grandfathered certificates are not eligible)
- have held the certificate for at least 1 year in the licensing state
- file the Electrical - Initial License by Reciprocity Method application (DPO Online Services) with the appropriate fees and the Electrician Verification of Licensure completed by the issuing state board
Limits:
- no reciprocal certificate is granted where the licensing-state certificate was granted by grandfathering without a state-administered examination
- journeyman route only; the MT master is accepted as journeyman-class qualifying evidence and Colorado licenses individuals (journeyman/master/residential wireman), not a statewide electrical contractor license
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the examination waiver is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-18.
Nebraska Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Nebraska Journeyman Electrician license (Nebraska State Electrical Board; Neb. Rev. Stat. ch. 81, art. 21), exam-based (75% or greater on the state exam)
- You can apply for
- Colorado Journeyman Electrician certificate by reciprocity (Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations / DORA; NERA bylaws)
To apply:
- hold a current Nebraska State Electrical Board (NSED) license obtained by examination (75% or greater on the state exam; not grandfathered or waived)
- be in good standing with no disciplinary action or open complaints in Nebraska
- hold the Nebraska license for at least one year before applying
- hold a Journeyman or Master Electrician certificate that is current, active and in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state
- have gained that certificate through a state administered examination with a passing score from the licensing state (applicants granted the certificate by grandfathering are not eligible)
- pay the appropriate fees through DPO Online Services (no fixed fee schedule is published on the page)
Limits:
- journeyman tier only: the published reciprocity covers the journeyman certificate; no contractor reciprocity is published and Residential Wireman is a separate Colorado license class not covered
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the reciprocal agreement is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-22.
New Mexico Reciprocity
- If you hold
- New Mexico EE-98J journeyman electrician certificate, residential and commercial electrical (New Mexico Construction Industries Division, RLD; NMSA 1978 ch. 60 art. 13, NMAC 14.6.4), exam-based (PSI)
- You can apply for
- Colorado Journeyman Electrician certificate by reciprocal agreement (Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA; C.R.S. title 12 article 155)
To apply:
- hold a current New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) EE-98J journeyman electrician certificate obtained by examination (PSI-administered; not grandfathered or waived)
- be in good standing with no disciplinary action or open complaints in New Mexico
- hold the New Mexico journeyman certificate for at least one year before applying
- hold the journeyman certificate current, active, and in good standing and allowing work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state (NERA bylaws)
- have gained the certificate through a state administered examination with a passing score from the licensing state - certificates granted by grandfathering are refused
- have held the certificate for at least 1 year in the licensing state
- apply through DPO Online Services and pay the appropriate fees (fees are not itemized on the page)
Limits:
- journeyman tier only: the NERA list covers journeyman electrician certificates; New Mexico's business-level EE-98 contractor licensing is not covered
- no grandfathered certificate qualifies: applicants 'will not be granted a reciprocal certificate where the certificate in the licensing state was granted by grandfathering without having passed a state administered examination'
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the reciprocal agreement is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-22.
North Dakota Reciprocity
- If you hold
- North Dakota Class A or Class B Journeyman Electrician license (North Dakota State Electrical Board, NDCC ch. 43-09), exam-based
- You can apply for
- Colorado Journeyman Electrician certificate by reciprocity (NERA) (Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA)
To apply:
- hold a current North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) journeyman license obtained by examination (NDCC 43-09; not grandfathered or waived)
- be in good standing with no disciplinary action or open complaints in North Dakota
- hold the North Dakota certificate 'current, active, and in good standing' and in a class that allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in North Dakota
- have gained that certificate through a state administered examination with a passing score from North Dakota (grandfathered certificates are refused)
- have held the certificate for at least 1 year in North Dakota
- apply through DPO Online Services ('Electrical - Initial License by Examination, Endorsement or Reciprocity Method') with a Verification of Licensure completed by NDSEB and the appropriate fees
Limits:
- journeyman tier only: the NERA agreement is expressly 'journeyman electrician reciprocal licensing agreements'
- ND electrical contractor registration is not covered - no contractor reciprocity is published
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the reciprocal agreement is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-22.
Oklahoma Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Oklahoma Journeyman Electrician license (Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, CIB; Okla. Stat. tit. 59, Section 1701 et seq.), exam-based (PSI)
- You can apply for
- Colorado Journeyman Electrician certificate without written examination under the NERA reciprocity method (Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, Colorado DORA; C.R.S. Title 12, Article 115; 3 CCR 720-1)
To apply:
- hold an Oklahoma journeyman certificate that is 'current, active, and in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state'
- have gained that certificate 'through a state administered examination with a passing score from the licensing state' (Oklahoma CIB journeyman licenses are PSI exam-based)
- have held the certificate 'for at least 1 year in the licensing state'
- have the 'Electrician - Verification of Licensure' form completed by the issuing Oklahoma CIB board and apply through the DPO Online Services 'Electrical - Initial License by Examination, Endorsement or Reciprocity Method'
- pay the appropriate fees
Limits:
- journeyman tier only: the NERA reciprocal credential is the journeyman certificate; Colorado registers electrical contractors as business entities and publishes no contractor-tier reciprocal route
- reciprocal certificates are refused where the license in the licensing state 'was granted by grandfathering without having passed a state administered examination'
- Oklahoma has no master electrician license tier; the CO reciprocal credential is the journeyman certificate either way
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-28.
South Dakota Reciprocity
- If you hold
- South Dakota journeyman electrician license (South Dakota Electrical Commission, DLR), exam-earned under SDCL 36-16 (a SD master electrician certificate also qualifies toward the journeyman lane)
- You can apply for
- Colorado journeyman electrician certificate by reciprocity (NERA) (Colorado State Electrical Board, DPO/DORA)
To apply:
- hold a Journeyman certificate or a Master Electrician certificate that is current, active and in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state (South Dakota)
- have gained that certificate through a state administered examination with a passing score from the licensing state
- have held the certificate for at least 1 year in the licensing state
- apply online (Electrical - Initial License by Examination, Endorsement or Reciprocity Method, DPO Online Services) and pay the appropriate fees; submit the Electrician - Verification of Licensure form completed by the South Dakota Electrical Commission
Limits:
- no grandfathered certificates are eligible; the Colorado certificate is issued without written examination only after verification and fees
- the SD master certificate qualifies toward the journeyman lane; Colorado publishes no separate reciprocal master electrician route on this page
- the SD electrical contractor credential is not named; Colorado electrical contractor registration is a separate business registration outside the NERA journeyman agreement
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the examination waiver is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-19.
Utah Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Utah Journeyman Electrician certificate (Utah DOPL), obtained by state-administered examination
- You can apply for
- Colorado journeyman electrician certificate (Colorado State Electrical Board / Division of Professions and Occupations)
To apply:
- Hold a current, active Utah Journeyman Electrician certificate in good standing that authorizes journeyman-level work, obtained through a state-administered examination (Utah examination via Prov); a license obtained by grandfathering does not qualify.
- Have held the Utah journeyman certificate for at least one year.
- File the Electrical - Initial License by Reciprocity application through DPO Online Services with the required fees and a Verification of Licensure from Utah DOPL.
- Register as a Colorado electrical contractor (separate business application) to contract; Colorado electrical licenses expire September 30 every three years and Colorado renewal/continuing-education requirements apply after issuance.
Limits:
- Colorado issues the certificate without a written examination only when the reciprocity requirements are met; the examination waiver is not authority to work before the certificate is issued.
- The NERA journeyman agreement does not cover Utah master electrician or residential wireman credentials; endorsement for those levels is at board discretion and no eligibility for them is asserted here.
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-17.
Wyoming Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Wyoming journeyman electrician license (Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office / Electrical Board), gained through a state-administered examination
- You can apply for
- Colorado journeyman electrician certificate (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA Division of Professions and Occupations)
To apply:
- hold a Wyoming journeyman certificate that is current, active and in good standing and allows the individual to work as a Journeyman Electrician in the licensing state
- have gained that certificate through a state administered examination with a passing score from the licensing state (grandfathered certificates are not eligible)
- have held the certificate for at least 1 year in the licensing state
- file the Electrical - Initial License by Reciprocity Method application (DPO Online Services) with the appropriate fees and the Electrician Verification of Licensure completed by the issuing state board
Limits:
- no reciprocal certificate is granted where the licensing-state certificate was granted by grandfathering without a state-administered examination
- journeyman route only; a WY master certificate qualifies only as journeyman-level evidence and Colorado licenses individuals (journeyman/master/residential wireman), not a statewide electrical contractor license
- the Colorado certificate must be issued before work; the examination waiver is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source · Checked 2026-09-17.
Reviewed and found no reciprocity or exam-waiver agreement for licenses from these states. You can still apply through the standard route:
Taking your Colorado license elsewhere
Reviewed routes for Colorado licensees, with requirements on each receiving state's page:
- Alaska: Colorado journeyman electrician license (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA DPO), obtained by passing the state examination → Alaska Electrical Journeyman Certificate of Fitness (Alaska DOLWD Labor Standards & Safety, Mechanical Inspection Section) (reciprocity)
- Arkansas: Colorado Journeyman Electrician license → Arkansas Journeyman Electrician license (reciprocity)
- Idaho: Colorado journeyman electrician license (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA DPO), obtained by examination → Idaho journeyman electrician license by reciprocal application (Idaho Electrical Board, DOPL) (reciprocity)
- Iowa: Colorado Journeyman Electrician license → Iowa Class A Journeyman Electrician license (reciprocity)
- Iowa: Colorado Master Electrician license → Iowa Class A Journeyman Electrician license (reciprocity)
- Minnesota: Colorado journeyman electrician license (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA DPO), obtained by state-level examination → Minnesota Class A Journeyworker Electrician license without examination (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry) (reciprocity)
- Montana: Colorado Journeyman Electrician license → Montana Journeyman Electrician license (endorsement)
- Nebraska: Colorado journeyman electrician license (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA DPO), state examination with a score of 75% or greater, verifiable by the issuing state → Nebraska journeyman electrician license by reciprocity (Nebraska State Electrical Division / State Electrical Board) (reciprocity)
- New Mexico: Colorado journeyman electrician license (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA DPO) → New Mexico EE-98J journeyman certificate by reciprocity (NM RLD Construction Industries Division, Electrical Bureau) (reciprocity)
- North Dakota: Colorado Journeyman Electrician license → North Dakota Journeyman Electrician license (reciprocity)
- Oklahoma: Colorado Journeyman Electrician license → Oklahoma reciprocal Electrical Journeyman license; final category determined by CIB (reciprocity)
- South Dakota: Colorado journeyman electrician license (Colorado State Electrical Board, DORA DPO), earned by examination → South Dakota journeyman electrician license (JM) by reciprocity (South Dakota Electrical Commission, DLR) (reciprocity)
- Utah: Colorado Journeyman Electrician license → Utah Journeyman Electrician license (endorsement)
- Utah: Colorado Master Electrician license → Utah Master Electrician license (endorsement)
- Wyoming: Colorado Journeyman Electrician license → Wyoming Journeyman Electrician license (exam waiver)
Choosing your route
Starting work as an apprentice takes two steps: submit your individual registration in DPO Online Services, then have your electrical contractor employer attach your APE number to its registration to activate yours. Carry your registration card at work. The number remains the same when you change employers, but the new employer must register your employment within 30 days and the former employer must notify the Board of your departure within 30 days.
Residential wiremen may work without direct supervision within their one- through four-family dwelling scope. For commercial/industrial work or larger residential buildings, they must register as apprentices and work under a journeyman or master electrician. A master license and a business registration serve different purposes; the business must maintain its responsible master and insurance-law compliance.
Employers and covered apprenticeship programs report cumulative practical-training and classroom hours to the Board by January 1 each year. This reporting is separate from an apprentice’s own application and card responsibilities. Ask for an experience verification form when you leave an employer; keep the work categories, hours and dates needed for a later license application.
Exams and out-of-state applicants
PSI’s bulletin states that examinations use the 2026 National Electrical Code effective August 1, 2026. It also says the 2023 code book can be supplied on request until November 1, 2026, while an earlier introductory paragraph still refers to 2023. Read the current PSI bulletin and confirm the reference arrangements with PSI before booking.
Endorsement may be available for qualifying active out-of-state residential, journeyman or master licenses, subject to Colorado’s comparable-examination, training and experience conditions. Reciprocity into Colorado is a journeyman-license pathway; Colorado does not grant master licenses by reciprocity. Colorado license holders seeking work elsewhere must check that state’s requirements. See the Board’s application and reciprocity guidance.
Job-site permits and other registrations
State credentials do not replace permits or inspections from the authority responsible for the job site. Local authorities may require reasonable electrical contractor registration without a registration fee; this does not make state registration or job permits free. Under the Board’s wiring-permit rule, an individual master, journeyman or residential wireman license alone does not qualify its holder to obtain a wiring permit; the applicant must be the registered contractor or a qualifying homeowner working on their own home. This page is not a directory of local permitting offices.
The Board’s current application page says photovoltaic installer applications will be available in late 2026, with a December 31, 2026 registration deadline. The law limits that route to qualifying existing installers and provides a 60-day registration grace period. Review the Board’s guidance if that describes your business.
Before you apply
Use DPO Online Services to apply, and the Board’s forms and instructions to identify the documents for your credential. Practical experience needs the Board’s verification form; applicants cannot verify their own experience. Contractor applicants need the responsible-master acknowledgment and evidence of workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation compliance.
Colorado law requires fees for apprentice and electrical contractor registration. Current dollar amounts were not verified for those registrations or for Board license and renewal charges; confirm the amount in DPO Online Services or with licensing customer service at 303-894-7800 before paying. PSI examination and retest charges are separate. The Board’s statement that reporting an apprentice’s termination has no fee applies only to that notification.
An ordinary apprentice renewal interval was not verified. The Board describes ongoing registration and employer updates, while its published three-year renewal instructions name electrician licenses and contractor registrations. Check your apprentice record and ask licensing customer service what action, if any, is due; do not assume the employer’s annual hours report renews your registration.
Licensed electricians and registered contractors can renew through DPO. Confirm your record’s expiration date and any applicable CE before renewal. Use the official license lookup to verify a worker or business record. This page was re-verified against dpo.colorado.gov on October 1, 2026.
View Application Information → License Lookup →
Cite this page
- Title
- Electrician Licensing in Colorado
- URL
- https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/colorado
- Information checked
- 2026-10-01
Suggested citation: Electrician Licensing in Colorado. Trades Directory. https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/colorado (information checked 2026-10-01).