Kentucky Electrical Licenses
Kentucky licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the Kentucky Electrician License, issued by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. Its standard route requires 8,000 hours of experience; other routes can differ.
Source: Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, checked 2026-10-07 · Standard-route hours: Kentucky Revised Statutes 227A.060
Page last reviewed 2026-10-05 against official sources. Confirm with the issuing authority before applying.
Licensed in another state? See reviewed routes into Kentucky.
How electrical licensing works in Kentucky
This page covers four statewide authorizations in Kentucky's building-electrical licensing cohort: Electrician, Master Electrician, Electrical Contractor, and a one-year nonrenewable Provisional Electrician license. The first three are separate ongoing licenses rather than steps in one mandatory sequence. The provisional license is a temporary route for an experienced worker to hold electrician authority while completing the ordinary electrician examination.
This page separates worker licenses from the contractor/business license. An electrician performs electrical work while employed by an electrical contractor. A master electrician assumes responsible charge, supervision, or direction of electricians. An electrical contractor contracts for and assumes responsibility for electrical-system work and employs electrical workers.
The separate electrical-inspector certification is an adjacent program, not an additional credential row in this building-electrical cohort. Local programs may act as department agents, but no separate local electrical credential is represented here.
Credential-specific requirements
Requirements differ by credential. Expand any credential for the work or business activity you plan to perform. Issued by Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction unless noted.
Kentucky Electrician License Individual worker license
- Issuing authority
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction →
- Scope of work
- Perform construction, alteration, or repair of electrical systems while employed by an electrical contractor. Unlicensed people may perform duties usually performed by an electrician only under the direct, on-site supervision of a licensed electrician or master electrician.
- Experience or qualification
- Complete 8,000 hours of verifiable electrical-trade experience after age sixteen. A department-acceptable electrical training course, two years of a qualifying minimum four-year electrical training course, an associate degree or diploma in electrical technology or a related field, or two years teaching electrical technology or a related field may substitute for 4,000 hours. A licensee using the two-year portion of the four-year training-course route must complete the remaining course years within four years after licensure or the license is revoked. Applicable supervised military electrical experience may also count.
- Examination
- Pass the approved electrician examination with a score of at least 70 percent. A passing score remains valid for three years.
- Renewal
- Renew every two years by the last day of the licensee's birth month in the second year. The current regulation lists a $100 renewal fee, at least six approved continuing-education hours per year, and a $50 late-renewal fee during the statutory sixty-day grace period. The first renewal is exempt from continuing education when the initial license was issued within twelve months before renewal, and an inactive license is exempt. One annual requirement may satisfy two individual licenses in the same division, but electrical-contractor hours remain separate.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Kentucky Master Electrician License Individual supervisory worker license
- Issuing authority
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction →
- Scope of work
- Assume responsible charge, supervision, or direction of electricians performing construction, installation, alteration, or repair of electrical systems.
- Experience or qualification
- Complete 16,000 hours of verifiable electrical-trade experience after age sixteen. A department-acceptable electrical training course or two years teaching electrical technology or a related field may substitute for 4,000 hours. An associate degree or diploma in electrical technology or a related field may substitute for 6,000 hours. Applicable supervised military electrical experience may also count.
- Examination
- Pass the approved master electrician examination with a score of at least 70 percent. A passing score remains valid for three years.
- Renewal
- Renew every two years by the last day of the licensee's birth month in the second year. The current regulation lists a $200 renewal fee, at least six approved continuing-education hours per year, and a $50 late-renewal fee during the statutory sixty-day grace period. The first renewal is exempt from continuing education when the initial license was issued within twelve months before renewal, and an inactive license is exempt. One annual requirement may satisfy two individual licenses in the same division, but electrical-contractor hours remain separate.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Kentucky Electrical Contractor License Mixed-holder contractor-business license
- Issuing authority
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction →
- Scope of work
- Design, plan, superintend, contract for, or assume responsibility for electrical-system installation, alteration, or repair and employ electrical workers. The license may be held by an individual, partnership, or corporation; if the contractor is not a master electrician, it must employ at least one full-time master electrician, and a master electrician may serve in that capacity for only one electrical contractor.
- Experience or qualification
- Name the affiliated master electrician and maintain that affiliation. If the contractor is not itself a master electrician, employ at least one full-time Kentucky master electrician. Submit proof of compliance with workers' compensation and unemployment-insurance requirements and at least $1,000,000 in general liability coverage.
- Examination
- Pass the approved electrical contractor examination with a score of at least 70 percent. For a business entity, an owner, officer, director, or full-time employee may be designated to take the examination. A passing score remains valid for three years.
- Renewal
- Renew every two years by the applicable second-year month. The current regulation lists a $400 renewal fee, at least six approved contractor continuing-education hours per year, current insurance evidence, and a $50 late-renewal fee during the statutory sixty-day grace period. The first renewal is exempt from continuing education when the initial license was issued within twelve months before renewal, and an inactive license is exempt. Contractor CE cannot be satisfied with hours used for a master electrician, electrician, or electrical-inspector credential.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Kentucky Provisional Electrician License Individual temporary worker license
- Issuing authority
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction →
- Scope of work
- Exercise the same rights and responsibilities as a Kentucky electrician during the provisional term.
- Experience or qualification
- Complete at least six years of verifiable electrical-trade experience after age sixteen, with 2,080 hours worked in each of those six years. The April 2023 EL-14 PDF still cites KRS 227A.060(4)(a)2. The July 15, 2024 statute places the six-year rule in subsection (5)(a), and the May 6, 2025 regulation incorporates an October 2024 Form EL-14.
- Examination
- The provisional issuance route is based on the six-year experience showing. To obtain the ordinary electrician license before the provisional term expires, pass the electrician examination and pay the applicable electrician application and examination fees.
- Application fee
- The current regulation lists a $50 provisional application fee.
- Renewal
- The provisional license is valid for one year from issuance and is nonrenewable. It terminates at the one-year anniversary; a holder who does not pass the electrician examination before expiration cannot receive another provisional license but may later qualify for the ordinary electrician license.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Licensed in another state?
Kentucky has a reviewed application route for some licenses from 2 states. A route can waive an exam or some experience; you still need the Kentucky credential before you work. Expand a state for the routes and their requirements.
Ohio Reciprocity
- If you hold
- Ohio OCILB Electrical Contractor license (Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Ohio Dept. of Commerce Division of Industrial Compliance; Ohio Rev. Code ch. 4740, Ohio Admin. Code 4101:15), exam-based (PSI)
- You can apply for
- Kentucky Contractor Electrician and Master Electrician licenses issued jointly by reciprocity (Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Electrical Division; KRS ch. 227A, 815 KAR 35:060)
To apply:
- hold a current Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) Electrical Contractor license obtained by examination (PSI-administered; ORC ch. 4740; not grandfathered or waiver-issued)
- be in good standing with no disciplinary action or open complaints in Ohio
- submit a copy of the active Ohio license with the completed Electrical Contractor and Electrical License applications and the application fee(s)
- send a Certificate of Liability Insurance/Acord form for general liability and workers compensation naming 'Dept. of Housing, Buildings & Construction, Electrical Licensing, 500 Mero St. 1st Fl., Frankfort KY 40601' (all insurance providers listed with the Kentucky Department of Insurance)
- send a clear, color passport-style photo and a good-standing letter from OCILB
- comply with the reciprocity agreement and the general application requirements of 815 KAR 35:060 Section 1; provide proof of insurance per KRS 227A.060(1)(c) when applying for the electrical contractor's license
Limits:
- the bilateral agreement is exam-based: 'All applicants must have previously tested with Kentucky to obtain their license(s)'; 'Applicants who obtained the Kentucky License via Grandfathering cannot reciprocate' (OCILB-side form, corroboration)
- Kentucky's Ohio section is contractor-only: Ohio's municipal journeyman/master registrations are not covered, and Ohio has no statewide journeyman/master credential to send
- the Kentucky licenses must be issued before work; the reciprocal agreement is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Checked 2026-09-25.
Virginia Reciprocity · 2 routes
- If you hold
- Virginia Journeyman Electrician (Electrical Tradesman) certification (Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors, Title 54.1 Chapter 11, 18VAC50-30), exam-based (PSI)
- You can apply for
- Kentucky Electrician (Journeyman Electrician) license (Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Electrical Division; KRS 227A, 815 KAR 35:060)
To apply:
- hold a current Virginia Journeyman or Master Electrician (Electrical Tradesman) certification issued by examination (PSI-administered) by the Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors (18VAC50-30)
- be in good standing with no disciplinary action or open complaints in Virginia
- request a letter of good standing from Virginia DPOR sent directly to the receiving board
- submit a copy of the active Virginia license, the completed Electrical License application, the application fee (per 815 KAR 35:060 Section 1: $100 biennial electrician), a passport-style color photo, and a good standing letter from Virginia DPOR
Limits:
- the Kentucky checklist and regulation state no holding-period condition
- a Kentucky electrical contractor license requires a Kentucky master electrician affiliated with the license: a Virginia master must hold the KY master credential before/with any contractor license, and insurance (KRS 227A.060(1)(c)) applies at the contractor tier only
- the Kentucky license must be issued before work; the reciprocal agreement is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Checked 2026-09-28.
- If you hold
- Virginia Master Electrician (Electrical Tradesman) certification (Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors, Title 54.1 Chapter 11, 18VAC50-30), exam-based (PSI)
- You can apply for
- Kentucky Master Electrician license (Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Electrical Division; KRS 227A, 815 KAR 35:060)
To apply:
- hold a current Virginia Journeyman or Master Electrician (Electrical Tradesman) certification issued by examination (PSI-administered) by the Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors (18VAC50-30)
- be in good standing with no disciplinary action or open complaints in Virginia
- request a letter of good standing from Virginia DPOR sent directly to the receiving board
- submit a copy of the active Virginia license, the completed Electrical License application, the application fee (per 815 KAR 35:060 Section 1: $200 biennial master electrician), a passport-style color photo, and a good standing letter from Virginia DPOR
Limits:
- the Kentucky checklist and regulation state no holding-period condition
- a Kentucky electrical contractor license requires a Kentucky master electrician affiliated with the license: a Virginia master must hold the KY master credential before/with any contractor license, and insurance (KRS 227A.060(1)(c)) applies at the contractor tier only
- the Kentucky license must be issued before work; the reciprocal agreement is not authority to work
Reciprocity. Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Checked 2026-09-28.
Taking your Kentucky license elsewhere
Reviewed routes for Kentucky licensees, with requirements on each receiving state's page:
- Ohio: Kentucky Master Electrician AND Electrical Contractor licenses held simultaneously (Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction; KRS ch. 227A, 201 KAR ch. 18), exam-tested via PSI → Ohio statewide Electrical Contractor license (Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board; ORC ch. 4740) (reciprocity)
- Virginia: Kentucky Electrician license (Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction; KRS ch. 227A, 201 KAR ch. 18), exam-tested via PSI → Virginia Journeyman Electrical Tradesman license (Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors, Tradesmen Program; Va. Code ch. 11 of title 54.1, 18VAC50-30) (exam waiver)
- Virginia: Kentucky Master Electrician license (Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction; KRS ch. 227A, 201 KAR ch. 18), exam-tested via PSI → Virginia Master Electrical Tradesman license (Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors, Tradesmen Program; Va. Code ch. 11 of title 54.1, 18VAC50-30) (exam waiver)
Worker licenses
The Electrician license generally requires 8,000 hours of verifiable electrical-trade experience and the electrician examination. The Master Electrician license generally requires 16,000 hours and the master examination. Approved education, electrical training, teaching experience, and applicable supervised military electrical experience can reduce the experience totals under the specific statutory rules. An electrician using two years of a qualifying four-year training course for 4,000 hours of credit must complete the remaining course years within four years after licensure or the license is revoked.
The Provisional Electrician license is different: it requires six years of verifiable electrical-trade experience at 2,080 hours per year, lasts one year, and cannot be renewed. It carries the same rights and responsibilities as an electrician during that year. The holder must pass the ordinary electrician examination before the provisional term ends to convert through that route; a person who misses that deadline cannot receive another provisional license but may later qualify for the ordinary electrician license.
Contractor business and master-electrician affiliation
An Electrical Contractor license may be held by an individual, partnership, or corporation. The applicant must identify the affiliated master electrician. If the contractor is not itself a master electrician, it must employ at least one full-time master electrician, and one master electrician cannot serve in that capacity for more than one electrical contractor. The contractor also must maintain the required workers' compensation, unemployment-insurance compliance, and at least $1,000,000 in general liability coverage.
Fees, renewal, and source conflict
Current Kentucky sources conflict on the ordinary initial application fees. KRS 227A.060 caps the application fees at $50 for Electrician, $100 for Master Electrician, and $200 for Electrical Contractor, while the May 2025 regulation and current EL-3/EL-2 forms list biennial amounts of $100, $200, and $400. Because the reviewed official sources do not resolve that legal conflict, this page does not publish an ordinary initial-fee amount. The regulation lists a $50 fee for the one-year Provisional Electrician license. Confirm the lawful amount due with the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction before paying.
The ordinary licenses renew every two years. The regulation lists renewal fees of $100 for Electrician, $200 for Master Electrician, and $400 for Electrical Contractor, plus a $50 late-renewal fee during the statutory grace period. It generally requires at least six approved continuing-education hours per year, but exempts the first renewal when the initial license was issued within twelve months before renewal and exempts inactive licenses. One annual requirement may satisfy two individual licenses in the same division; electrical-contractor hours remain separate from hours used for a master, electrician, or electrical-inspector credential.
Before you apply
Choose the license by the authority you need, not by title alone. Use Form EL-3 for an Electrician or Master Electrician application, Form EL-2 for an Electrical Contractor application, and Form EL-14 for a Provisional Electrician application. Use the official DHBC license search to verify a license. Where Kentucky has a reciprocity agreement with the state in which an applicant is licensed, reciprocity is a route to an ordinary Kentucky license under that agreement's requirements, with a copy of the license and a letter of good standing (815 KAR 35:060 Section 2); it is not a separate credential. This page was re-verified on October 5, 2026 against KRS Chapter 227A, 815 KAR 35:060 (effective May 6, 2025), 815 KAR 2:010, and the current DHBC forms. The fee conflict is unchanged: KRS 227A.060 caps application fees at $50, $100, and $200, while the regulation and Forms EL-3 and EL-2 list biennial amounts of $100, $200, and $400. The live Form EL-14 PDF is labeled April 2023 and cites KRS 227A.060(4)(a)2 for provisional experience. Current KRS 227A.060 places that rule in subsection (5)(a), and 815 KAR 35:060 incorporates an October 2024 Form EL-14.
View Application Information → License Lookup →
Cite this page
- Title
- Kentucky Electrical Licenses
- URL
- https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/kentucky
- Information checked
- 2026-10-05
Suggested citation: Kentucky Electrical Licenses. Trades Directory. https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/kentucky (information checked 2026-10-05).