Louisiana has no statewide journeyman electrician license. The state licenses electrical contractors through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Some local governments issue their own electrician licenses; check the rules where you will work.
Source: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, checked 2026-10-30
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 Louisiana.
How electrical licensing works in Louisiana
Louisiana has two licensing layers: statewide contractor licenses with electrical classifications, and local electrical licenses. A state contractor license belongs to the individual or business named on it; its qualifying party is the person who meets the relevant qualification requirements. New Orleans also licenses individual electrical contractors and workers.
This page covers four state commercial classifications and New Orleans Class A Master Electrical and Class D Journeyman Electrical licenses. New Orleans coverage is limited to those two licenses, not every City electrical credential. For a job elsewhere in Louisiana, check the city or parish authority responsible for the job site before bidding or starting work.
Local requirements vary by job-site municipality; this page covers only selected verified local authorities.
Credential-specific requirements
Requirements differ by credential. Expand any credential for the work or business activity you plan to perform. Issued by Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors unless noted.
Louisiana Commercial Contractor License — Electrical
State contractor-business license major classification
- Issuing authority
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors →
- Scope of work
- Estimate, bid, quote, and perform electrical installation, construction, alteration, improvement, movement, maintenance, repair, or demolition involving wiring, cabling, fixtures, appliances, equipment, or hardware for the supply of electricity. The statute says $10,000 or more, while current rules and Board classification guidance say exceeds $10,000; confirm an exactly $10,000 project with LSLBC. The major classification also covers its electrical subclassifications.
- Experience or qualification
- The license applicant may be an individual or a business. The applicant must submit a financial statement current within 12 months, prepared and signed by an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA and signed by the applicant. Commercial applicants must have $50,000 net worth, or an irrevocable letter of credit covering that amount plus any negative net worth. The applicant, each principal and each qualifying party must complete the application and background investigation. Designate an eligible principal or full-time employee as qualifying party for this classification and maintain a qualifying party for Business and Law. LSLBC's checklist does not specify a fixed trade-experience total; confirm any applicant-specific experience documentation and employee eligibility with the Board.
- Examination
- The qualifying party must satisfy the Electrical trade-exam requirement. The license also needs a qualifying party for Louisiana Business and Law. LSLBC may accept a passed, comparable out-of-state trade examination for Louisiana examination reciprocity; the other licensing requirements still apply. A NASCLA Electrical transcript released to LSLBC may provide credit for the Louisiana Electrical exam.
- Initial fee
- Confirm the initial application total with LSLBC. To add this classification to an existing license, the current form lists $95 per classification per year and $40 processing per classification. The $150 Business and Law course fee applies when the qualifier will represent that requirement; a new qualifier does not need that course if the license already has an active Business and Law qualifier. PSI collects trade-exam fees separately. The form lists a $150 Exam Research/Waiver Fee when no trade exam is required; confirm how that applies to your application.
- Renewal
- Expires on the original issuance anniversary. At renewal, choose a one-, two- or three-year term when eligible. Online renewal opens 60 days before expiration. Commercial contractors have no continuing-education requirement. Confirm renewal fees in the LSLBC contractor portal; after one year expired, a new application is required.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Louisiana Commercial Contractor License — Electrical Transmission Lines
State contractor-business license subclassification
- Issuing authority
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors →
- Scope of work
- Construct, install, maintain, or repair outside-plant electrical transmission and distribution lines, poles, towers, electrical power substations, and listed internal substation components. The statute says $10,000 or more, while current rules and Board classification guidance say exceeds $10,000; confirm an exactly $10,000 project with LSLBC. This is a subclassification of Electrical and Heavy Construction. A license carrying the broader Electrical major classification already has authority for its electrical subclassifications; applying for this subclassification supplies a narrower classification attachment.
- Experience or qualification
- The license applicant may be an individual or a business. The applicant must submit a financial statement current within 12 months, prepared and signed by an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA and signed by the applicant. Commercial applicants must have $50,000 net worth, or an irrevocable letter of credit covering that amount plus any negative net worth. The applicant, each principal and each qualifying party must complete the application and background investigation. Designate an eligible principal or full-time employee as qualifying party for this classification and maintain a qualifying party for Business and Law. LSLBC's checklist does not specify a fixed trade-experience total; confirm any applicant-specific experience documentation and employee eligibility with the Board.
- Examination
- The qualifying party must satisfy the Electrical Transmission Lines trade-exam requirement. The license also needs a qualifying party for Louisiana Business and Law. LSLBC may accept a passed, comparable out-of-state trade examination for Louisiana examination reciprocity; the other licensing requirements still apply.
- Initial fee
- Confirm the initial application total with LSLBC. To add this classification to an existing license, the current form lists $95 per classification per year and $40 processing per classification. The $150 Business and Law course fee applies when the qualifier will represent that requirement; a new qualifier does not need that course if the license already has an active Business and Law qualifier. PSI collects trade-exam fees separately. The form lists a $150 Exam Research/Waiver Fee when no trade exam is required; confirm how that applies to your application.
- Renewal
- Expires on the original issuance anniversary. At renewal, choose a one-, two- or three-year term when eligible. Online renewal opens 60 days before expiration. Commercial contractors have no continuing-education requirement. Confirm renewal fees in the LSLBC contractor portal; after one year expired, a new application is required.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Louisiana Commercial Contractor License — Electrical Controls, Instrumentation and Calibration
State contractor-business license subclassification
- Issuing authority
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors →
- Scope of work
- Install or fabricate controls for electrical work, including instrumentation, HVAC controls, smart-house controls, security-alarm panels, and fire-alarm panels. The statute says $10,000 or more, while current rules and Board classification guidance say exceeds $10,000; confirm an exactly $10,000 project with LSLBC. A license carrying the broader Electrical major classification already has authority for its electrical subclassifications; applying for this subclassification supplies a narrower classification attachment.
- Experience or qualification
- The license applicant may be an individual or a business. The applicant must submit a financial statement current within 12 months, prepared and signed by an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA and signed by the applicant. Commercial applicants must have $50,000 net worth, or an irrevocable letter of credit covering that amount plus any negative net worth. The applicant, each principal and each qualifying party must complete the application and background investigation. Designate an eligible principal or full-time employee as qualifying party for this classification and maintain a qualifying party for Business and Law. LSLBC's checklist does not specify a fixed trade-experience total; confirm any applicant-specific experience documentation and employee eligibility with the Board.
- Examination
- The qualifying party must satisfy the Electrical Controls and Instrumentation and Calibration trade-exam requirement. The license also needs a qualifying party for Louisiana Business and Law. LSLBC may accept a passed, comparable out-of-state trade examination for Louisiana examination reciprocity; the other licensing requirements still apply.
- Initial fee
- Confirm the initial application total with LSLBC. To add this classification to an existing license, the current form lists $95 per classification per year and $40 processing per classification. The $150 Business and Law course fee applies when the qualifier will represent that requirement; a new qualifier does not need that course if the license already has an active Business and Law qualifier. PSI collects trade-exam fees separately. The form lists a $150 Exam Research/Waiver Fee when no trade exam is required; confirm how that applies to your application.
- Renewal
- Expires on the original issuance anniversary. At renewal, choose a one-, two- or three-year term when eligible. Online renewal opens 60 days before expiration. Commercial contractors have no continuing-education requirement. Confirm renewal fees in the LSLBC contractor portal; after one year expired, a new application is required.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Louisiana Commercial Contractor License — Telecommunications, Low Voltage
State contractor-business license subclassification
- Issuing authority
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors →
- Scope of work
- Perform low-voltage electrical applications. The broader Electrical classification is required when the work penetrates walls, ceilings, floors, closed spaces, or the building envelope; unattached equipment that only plugs into an existing outlet does not require Electrical. The statute says $10,000 or more, while current rules and Board classification guidance say exceeds $10,000; confirm an exactly $10,000 project with LSLBC. A license carrying the broader Electrical major classification already has authority for this electrical subclassification.
- Experience or qualification
- The license applicant may be an individual or a business. The applicant must submit a financial statement current within 12 months, prepared and signed by an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA and signed by the applicant. Commercial applicants must have $50,000 net worth, or an irrevocable letter of credit covering that amount plus any negative net worth. The applicant, each principal and each qualifying party must complete the application and background investigation. Designate an eligible principal or full-time employee as qualifying party for this classification and maintain a qualifying party for Business and Law. LSLBC's checklist does not specify a fixed trade-experience total; confirm any applicant-specific experience documentation and employee eligibility with the Board.
- Examination
- LSLBC lists no trade examination or outside credential for Telecommunications, Low Voltage. The license still needs a qualifying party for this classification and a qualifying party who completes the Louisiana Business and Law course.
- Initial fee
- Confirm the initial application total with LSLBC. To add this classification to an existing license, the current form lists $95 per classification per year and $40 processing per classification. The $150 Business and Law course fee applies when the qualifier will represent that requirement; a new qualifier does not need that course if the license already has an active Business and Law qualifier. PSI collects trade-exam fees separately. The form lists a $150 Exam Research/Waiver Fee when no trade exam is required; confirm how that applies to your application.
- Renewal
- Expires on the original issuance anniversary. At renewal, choose a one-, two- or three-year term when eligible. Online renewal opens 60 days before expiration. Commercial contractors have no continuing-education requirement. Confirm renewal fees in the LSLBC contractor portal; after one year expired, a new application is required.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Verified local licensing authorities
This is a curated, not exhaustive, list. Confirm which licensing authority governs the actual job site before relying on a credential.
New Orleans
Reviewed local cohort: New Orleans Class A and Class D only. Other City electrical credentials and other Louisiana localities are outside this page’s coverage. Confirm applicable state-license exemptions, local requirements and permits with the authority for the job site.
City of New Orleans Department of Safety & Permits →
Applications →
Renewals →
New Orleans Class A Master Electrical License
Local individual electrical-contractor and company-qualifier license
- Issuing authority
- City of New Orleans Department of Safety & Permits →
- Geographic validity
- Reviewed local cohort: New Orleans Class A and Class D only. Other City electrical credentials and other Louisiana localities are outside this page’s coverage. Confirm applicable state-license exemptions, local requirements and permits with the authority for the job site.
- Scope of work
- Local Class A electrical-contractor authority for work governed by the City of New Orleans. Only one Class A Master Electrical Contractor License holder is allowed per company.
- Experience or qualification
- Must be at least 18. City Code §26-15, 2706.1 requires at least five years of experience in the occupation or business, or graduation from a recognized trade school or technical college plus four years of practical experience in that occupation or business. Maintain an established place of business with someone available during regular business hours to receive communications. The individual license holder may represent only one firm at a time. The City also requires identification, a recent photo, and general liability insurance of at least $500,000 plus workers’ compensation at the state-required level, with the City as certificate holder; applicants claiming no employees must provide a notarized affidavit. Ask Safety & Permits how to document experience and how the state-license route applies to you. The City requires general liability insurance of not less than $500,000 and workers' compensation at no less than the state requirement, each with the City of New Orleans listed as the certificate holder.
- Examination
- Submit an official passing ICC F49 Electrical Contractor results report, or the Louisiana statewide contractor license and qualifying-party letter with the City’s other requirements. Confirm the applicable route with Safety & Permits before scheduling an exam.
- Initial fee
- $125 active or $30 inactive per year. Examination charges are separate and paid to the testing company. The monthly delinquent fee is $10, beginning on the first business day after the holder’s birthday.
- Renewal
- The City’s service page describes annual renewal through the One Stop App, birthday expiration and a renewal window opening 90 days before the birthday. The code also permits one- or two-year renewals with annual fees. Confirm the available term, required documents and any continuing education with Safety & Permits. For an expired license, confirm the reinstatement and retesting route: the code’s fee section requires examination after more than one year, while its duration section allows renewal up to two years and requires a new application after more than two years.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
New Orleans Class D Journeyman Electrical License
Local individual journey-level worker license
- Issuing authority
- City of New Orleans Department of Safety & Permits →
- Geographic validity
- Reviewed local cohort: New Orleans Class A and Class D only. Other City electrical credentials and other Louisiana localities are outside this page’s coverage. Confirm applicable state-license exemptions, local requirements and permits with the authority for the job site.
- Scope of work
- Local journey-level electrical work governed by the City of New Orleans. The holder must be employed by and work under the supervision of a Class A Electrical Contractor.
- Experience or qualification
- Must be at least 18. City Code §26-15, 2706.1.2 requires five years of continuous experience at the electrical trade as an electrician trainee, or at least four years of electrical schooling at a recognized state trade school or state-approved apprenticeship program with a passing grade, plus four years of experience as an electrician trainee. Ask Safety & Permits how to document the schooling and experience periods. The individual must be employed by and work under a Class A Electrical Contractor and submit the Journeyman Acknowledgement, identification and a recent photo.
- Examination
- Submit an official passing ICC F17 National Standard Journeyman Electrician results report. Confirm any request for recognition of another jurisdiction’s examination-based certification with Safety & Permits before applying.
- Initial fee
- $60 per year. Examination charges are separate and paid to the testing company. The monthly delinquent fee is $5, beginning on the first business day after the holder’s birthday.
- Renewal
- The City’s service page describes annual renewal through the One Stop App, birthday expiration and a renewal window opening 90 days before the birthday. The code also permits one- or two-year renewals with annual fees. Confirm the available term, required documents and any continuing education with Safety & Permits. For an expired license, confirm the reinstatement and retesting route: the code’s fee section requires examination after more than one year, while its duration section allows renewal up to two years and requires a new application after more than two years.
- Official application
- Apply / forms →
Licensed in another state?
These routes lead to the statewide credentials they name. A city or county license is separate; check with the local authority for the job site.
Louisiana has a reviewed application route for some licenses from 1 state. A route can waive an exam or some experience; you still need the Louisiana credential before you work. Expand a state for the routes and their requirements.
North Carolina Exam waiver · 3 routes
- If you hold
- North Carolina Limited electrical contracting license (NCBEEC) earned by passing the NCBEEC examination
- You can apply for
- Louisiana classification determined equivalent by LSLBC
To apply:
- Hold a NC electrical contracting license earned by passing the NCBEEC examination, with no waivers, exemptions, or grandfathering in the NC credential.
- Complete the LSLBC Reciprocity Request form (rev. 2025-09-09) verified by NCBEEC.
- File the LSLBC application with fees (amounts not published; null) and the financial statement.
- Complete the Louisiana Business and Law course (not waived by the reciprocity policy).
- Register with the Louisiana Secretary of State if applicable.
- Disciplinary history is investigated by LSLBC.
Limits:
- The policy is examination-based reciprocity effective 2024-10-23; all prior named agreements (including the former NC agreement) are null and void, and NCBEEC's current reciprocity page omits Louisiana.
- LSLBC determines the equivalent Louisiana classification; this listing does not promise a specific classification.
- The current Louisiana rules PDF (eff. 2026-08-01) is silent on reciprocity (null); the policy letter governs.
- The Louisiana license must issue before work; the examination waiver is not authority to work.
Exam waiver. Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Official source 3 · Official source 4 · Official source 5 · Official source 6 · Official source 7 · Checked 2026-09-16.
- If you hold
- North Carolina Unlimited electrical contracting license (NCBEEC) earned by passing the NCBEEC examination
- You can apply for
- Louisiana classification determined equivalent by LSLBC
To apply:
- Hold a NC electrical contracting license earned by passing the NCBEEC examination, with no waivers, exemptions, or grandfathering in the NC credential.
- Complete the LSLBC Reciprocity Request form (rev. 2025-09-09) verified by NCBEEC.
- File the LSLBC application with fees (amounts not published; null) and the financial statement.
- Complete the Louisiana Business and Law course (not waived by the reciprocity policy).
- Register with the Louisiana Secretary of State if applicable.
- Disciplinary history is investigated by LSLBC.
Limits:
- The policy is examination-based reciprocity effective 2024-10-23; all prior named agreements (including the former NC agreement) are null and void, and NCBEEC's current reciprocity page omits Louisiana.
- LSLBC determines the equivalent Louisiana classification; this listing does not promise a specific classification.
- The current Louisiana rules PDF (eff. 2026-08-01) is silent on reciprocity (null); the policy letter governs.
- The Louisiana license must issue before work; the examination waiver is not authority to work.
Exam waiver. Official source 1 · Official source 2 · Official source 3 · Official source 4 · Official source 5 · Official source 6 · Official source 7 · Checked 2026-09-16.
North Carolina licensing →
Taking your Louisiana license elsewhere
Reviewed routes for Louisiana licensees, with requirements on each receiving state's page:
- Alabama: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors Electrical Work (Statewide) contractor license (classification 9), obtained by passing the Louisiana statewide electrical examination → Alabama Electrical Contractor (EC) license (Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors) (reciprocity)
- Florida: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors Electrical Work (Statewide) contractor license (classification 9) → Florida Unlimited Electrical Contractor license (Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board, DBPR) (endorsement)
- Georgia: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors Electrical Work (Statewide) contractor license (classification 9), obtained by examination, current with no violations → Georgia Non-Restricted Electrical Contractor license (Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors) (reciprocity)
- Mississippi: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors Electrical Work (Statewide) contractor license (classification 9), current, with proof of passing the Louisiana examination → Mississippi State Board of Contractors commercial contractor license (electrical trade), trade exam waived (exam waiver)
- Nevada: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors 9 Electrical Work (Statewide) contractor license, including the statewide Louisiana exam → Nevada C-2 Electrical contractor classification (Nevada State Contractors Board) (endorsement)
- Ohio: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors Electrical Work (Statewide) contractor license obtained by passing the Louisiana state-recognized examination (grandfathered or waived licenses are not eligible) → Ohio OCILB Electrical contractor license (Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board) (reciprocity)
- Tennessee: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors Electrical Work (Statewide) contractor license (classification 9) with a comparable Louisiana examination verified by LSLBC → Tennessee CE (Electrical Contractor) classification under the Tennessee contractor license (Board for Licensing Contractors) (exam waiver)
- Utah: Louisiana responsible qualifying individual for an Electrical contractor license → Utah Master Electrician license (endorsement)
Choosing the right licensing layer
The Electrical major classification covers its electrical subclassifications. Transmission Lines, Controls/Instrumentation/Calibration, and Telecommunications/Low Voltage provide narrower scopes. They are contractor-license classifications, not stages in a worker training ladder. New Orleans Class A holders contract for electrical work; Class D workers must be employed by and work under a Class A contractor.
The state statute uses $10,000 or more for electrical-contractor work, while the Board’s rules and classification page say exceeds $10,000. Confirm an exactly $10,000 project with LSLBC. State law exempts statewide-licensed electrical contractors from local examination procedures and their employees from local examination or certification requirements for work performed for that contractor. It preserves appropriate fees; confirm the applicable licensing and permit route with the job-site authority.
Qualifying-party employment and local renewal questions
For an employee serving as state qualifying party, the Board’s FAQ describes full-time work as 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month, while its rules specify at least 32 hours per week. Ask LSLBC which employment documentation it requires before designating an employee. These weekly employment figures are not accumulated electrical training hours.
New Orleans’ code supplies the experience routes shown on the Class A and Class D cards. Its service pages describe annual renewal, while the code also allows one- or two-year renewals. For lapsed licenses, the code’s renewal-fee section requires examination after more than one year, but its duration section uses a two-year renewal/new-application boundary. The Class A service page also says retest after more than one year; the linked application and inactive acknowledgement use more than two years. Ask Safety & Permits to confirm the route for your dates before paying or scheduling a test.
Before you apply
Use the official LSLBC application and contractor search to confirm the licensed name, classification, qualifying party and current fees. For New Orleans, use the One Stop App and the City’s Class A or Class D instructions to confirm experience documentation, examination route, insurance and renewal requirements. A statewide license or local worker license does not by itself answer every job-site permit question. This page was re-verified against lslbc.louisiana.gov and nola.gov on October 1, 2026.
License Lookup →
Cite this page
- Title
- Louisiana Electrical Contractor and New Orleans Electrical Licenses
- URL
- https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/louisiana
- Information checked
- 2026-10-01
Suggested citation: Louisiana Electrical Contractor and New Orleans Electrical Licenses. Trades Directory. https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/louisiana (information checked 2026-10-01).
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