Licensing

New Jersey Electrical Licenses and Business Permit

New Jersey licenses electricians statewide. The journeyman-level credential is the New Jersey Class A Journeyman Electrician License, issued by the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors.

Source: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (New Jersey Register rule adoption), checked 2026-10-07

Page last reviewed 2026-10-05 against official sources. Confirm with the issuing authority before applying.

How electrical licensing works in New Jersey

New Jersey's Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors issues four individual licenses (Class A Electrical Apprentice, Class B Wireman, Class A Journeyman Electrician, and Electrical Contractor) and a separate Electrical Contracting Business Permit. A business may contract for electrical work only under a business permit qualified by a licensed electrical contractor. Since the transition period in N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.9 ended, a person may perform electrical work only if licensed as an electrical contractor, Class A journeyman electrician, Class A electrical apprentice, or Class B wireman. N.J.A.C. 13:31-6.1(a) requires an employed electrical worker who holds none of the other three licenses to be licensed as a Class B wireman.

Credential-specific requirements

Requirements differ by credential. Expand any credential for the work or business activity you plan to perform. Issued by New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors unless noted.

New Jersey Class A Electrical Apprentice License Individual supervised apprentice license

Issuing authority: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors →
Scope of work: Perform electrical work within a four-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship under the supervision of a licensed electrical contractor or Class A Journeyman Electrician.
Experience or qualification: Be enrolled and in good standing in a four-year electrical apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor; submit proof of that enrollment and the name and business address of the supervising licensed electrical contractor or Class A journeyman electrician.
Examination: —
Initial fee: $100 nonrefundable application fee plus an initial license fee prorated by triennial year: $150 in year one, $100 in year two, or $50 in year three.
Renewal: $150 renewal for a three-year term. A $50 late fee applies within 30 days after expiration; a license not renewed within those 30 days is suspended without a hearing. An inactive apprentice may not perform electrical work, except N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18(l) public-employer work by a holder with a qualifying civil-service title or State-authority apprenticeship. Reactivation requires a renewal application, the renewal fee, and proof of enrollment in a four-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved electrical apprenticeship. Reinstatement after suspension requires an application, an employment certification, the current and past-due renewal fees, and the $100 reinstatement fee. The Board may require remediation before reactivation or reinstatement.
Official application: Apply / forms →

New Jersey Class B Wireman License Individual supervised worker license

Issuing authority: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors →
Scope of work: Perform electrical work matching the worker’s training and experience under a licensed electrical contractor or Class A Journeyman Electrician. The holder may not supervise other employees.
Experience or qualification: Provide current employment by an electrical-contractor business-permit holder and the permit holder’s certification of supervised work corresponding to the applicant’s training and experience.
Examination: —
Initial fee: $100 nonrefundable application fee plus an initial license fee prorated by triennial year: $75 in year one, $50 in year two, or $25 in year three.
Renewal: $75 renewal for a three-year term and 15 continuing-education hours on the most recent National Electrical Code. The rules conflict on a New Jersey-law hour: N.J.A.C. 13:31-6.1(d) says one hour must cover State statutes and rules, while N.J.A.C. 13:31-6.5 and the Board's adoption response do not require it. A $50 late fee applies within 30 days after expiration; a license not renewed within those 30 days is suspended without a hearing. An inactive license carries no work authority. Reactivation requires a renewal application, the renewal fee, the permit holder's supervision certification, an employment history, and the prior period's continuing education; reinstatement also requires the past-due renewal fee and the $100 reinstatement fee. A continuing-education waiver for hardship such as severe illness, disability, or military service must be requested in writing at least 90 days before renewal.
Official application: Apply / forms →

New Jersey Class A Journeyman Electrician License Individual worker and supervisory license

Issuing authority: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors →
Scope of work: Supervise electrical work under N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.4 when the holder is not also a licensed electrical contractor, work under the authority of an electrical-contractor business permit holder, and do repair, maintenance, and installation work as a regular employee on premises a firm occupies under N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18(k).
Experience or qualification: N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.1 lets the Board license a Class A journeyman who holds a current New Jersey electrical contractor license; who has the practical experience with tools and the classroom hours of related instruction the Board sets, not counting supervising, engineering, estimating, or other managerial time; or who meets that standard through alternative means the Board accepts. One route under N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.1(a)2 is 8,000 hours of practical experience, at least 4,000 of them within five years of applying.
Examination: —
Initial fee: $100 nonrefundable application fee plus an initial license fee prorated by triennial year: $150 in year one, $100 in year two, or $50 in year three.
Renewal: $150 renewal for a three-year term and 15 continuing-education hours on the most recent National Electrical Code; a licensed electrical contractor who meets the contractor continuing-education rule is deemed compliant. A $50 late fee applies within 30 days after expiration; a license not renewed within those 30 days is suspended without a hearing. An inactive journeyman may not perform or supervise electrical work under N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18(k) and N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.4, or do N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18(l) public-employer work unless holding a qualifying civil-service title or State-authority apprenticeship. Reinstatement after suspension requires a certification of employment listing each job held while suspended, and the Board may require remediation before reactivation or reinstatement. A continuing-education waiver for hardship or retirement must be requested in writing at least 90 days before renewal.
Official application: Apply / forms →

New Jersey Electrical Contractor License Individual contractor and business-qualifier license

Issuing authority: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors →
Scope of work: Personal license to engage in and supervise electrical contracting and to serve as the qualifying licensee for one electrical-contracting business permit; the qualifier assumes full responsibility for inspection and supervision of the permittee's electrical work. Contracting also requires the business permit.
Experience or qualification: At least five years in electrical construction and installation before applying, including four years in an electrical apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, completed while employed as a Class A electrical apprentice, and one year as a Class A journeyman electrician (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9). The Board also recognizes apprenticeships longer than four years, including five-year programs.
Examination: Pass the electrical contractor examination (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9); an applicant who fails must wait six months to retake it. Under N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 the Board may instead grant the license without examination to a contractor licensed in good standing in a jurisdiction that offers New Jersey equal reciprocity and has substantially equivalent qualifications, who practiced as a contractor for at least two of the last five years, has no disqualifying discipline, has met continuing-education requirements, and completes an eight-hour New Jersey business law, statutes, and rules course.
Initial fee: $100 nonrefundable application fee, plus the separate initial electrical contractor license fee in N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6(a)2. N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9(c) also sets a $25 initial examination fee and a $15 re-examination fee.
Renewal: $225 renewal for a three-year term and 34 continuing-education hours per triennial period; the triennial period in which the license was first issued is exempt. The hours must include a 10-hour in-person National Electrical Code course with nine code hours and one hour on New Jersey statutes and rules, and up to eight excess hours may carry into the next period. A $50 late fee applies within 30 days after expiration; a license not renewed within those 30 days is suspended without a hearing. An inactive contractor may not engage in electrical contracting. Reinstatement requires the $100 reinstatement fee and completed continuing education, and the Board may require remediation before reactivation or reinstatement. A continuing-education waiver for hardship such as severe illness, disability, or military service, or for retirement, must be requested in writing at least 90 days before renewal.
Official application: Apply / forms →

New Jersey Electrical Contracting Business Permit Contractor business permit

Issuing authority: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors →
Scope of work: Authorizes the named business to engage in electrical contracting when a licensed electrical contractor serves as its qualifier and assumes responsibility for inspection and supervision. Business and qualifier authorizations remain separate.
Experience or qualification: A licensed electrical contractor must serve as the qualifying licensee and assume full responsibility for inspection and supervision of the permittee's electrical work; the permit form asks for that contractor's name and license number. A licensed electrical contractor may qualify only one person or firm for a business permit.
Examination: —
Initial fee: For a business permit that takes effect in the April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2027 triennial period, the initial-permit form lists $150 in the first year, $100 in the second year, and $50 in the third year. The form also requires a separate $25 pressure seal, a $1,000 surety bond, and general liability insurance or a bank letter of credit of at least $300,000.
Renewal: Business permits run on a triennial cycle; every permit issued in the current period expires March 31, 2027. A permit expired for more than three years needs a new initial application, and one expired for less than three years is reactivated through the Board office. The pressure seal must be returned when the qualifying licensee leaves, when the permit or the contractor license becomes inactive or expired, or when the insurance or bond lapses.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Licensed in another state?

No reviewed route into New Jersey is listed yet. Ask Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors how it treats a license from another state.

Reviewed and found no reciprocity or exam-waiver agreement for licenses from these states. You can still apply through the standard route:

Utah (source, checked 2026-09-17)

Worker licenses

A Class A Electrical Apprentice must be enrolled and in good standing in a four-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved electrical apprenticeship and works under a licensed electrical contractor or Class A journeyman electrician. A Class B Wireman must be employed by an electrical-contractor business permit holder, performs work matching the worker's training and experience under the same supervision, and may not supervise other employees. A Class A Journeyman Electrician may supervise electrical work under N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.4 when not also a licensed electrical contractor, and may do repair, maintenance, and installation work as a regular employee on premises a firm occupies under N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18(k).

Contractor license and business permit

The Electrical Contractor License is a personal license. An applicant needs at least five years in electrical construction and installation, including four years in a U.S. Department of Labor-approved electrical apprenticeship and one year as a Class A journeyman electrician, and must pass the contractor examination (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9). The Electrical Contracting Business Permit authorizes the business. A licensed electrical contractor serves as its qualifying licensee and assumes full responsibility for inspection and supervision of the permittee's electrical work. A licensed electrical contractor may qualify only one person or firm for a business permit. N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.5(d) bars a licensed electrical contractor from electrical contracting work without business-permit identification.

Alternate and temporary routes

The rules provide reciprocity routes for each license class, including an examination-free route for electrical contractors licensed in a jurisdiction that offers New Jersey equal reciprocity. Contractor and Class A journeyman applicants may also use military training credit, and nonresident military spouses may obtain temporary courtesy licenses in those two classes. These routes lead to one of the existing licenses rather than a separate credential. Separate 30-day temporary licenses exist for out-of-state Class A journeymen, Class B wiremen, and Class A apprentices, one per triennial period. A temporary journeyman works under a licensed electrical contractor and may not supervise, a temporary Class B wireman must work as a supervised W-2 employee, and a temporary apprentice must be enrolled in a four-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship.

Exemptions and local rules

N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18 lists work that does not require a business permit, including minor repairs such as replacing lamps and fuses, work with a potential of less than 10 volts, and work by a person on a dwelling occupied solely as a residence by that person or immediate family. N.J.A.C. 13:31-4.1 provides a limited telecommunications wiring exemption, which can be revoked for non-exempt electrical work or for work within the scope of Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm, and Locksmith Advisory Committee licensees. Municipalities may inspect electrical work but may not require a licensed electrical contractor or business permit holder to obtain a municipal license or business permit (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-17).

Fees, applications, and lookup

Every license application carries a $100 nonrefundable fee. Triennial renewal is $225 for an electrical contractor, $150 for a Class A journeyman or Class A apprentice, and $75 for a Class B wireman, with a $50 late fee within 30 days after expiration. The Division of Consumer Affairs MyLicense site handles online applications and renewals; the initial business-permit application is a paper form mailed to the Board with the fee. Licenses can be checked on the Division's verification search or by calling 1-973-273-8090, a line that may not be used for facilities.

Cite this page

Title: New Jersey Electrical Licenses and Business Permit
URL: https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/new-jersey
Information checked: 2026-10-05

Suggested citation: New Jersey Electrical Licenses and Business Permit. Trades Directory. https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/new-jersey (information checked 2026-10-05).

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