Licensing

Electrician Licensing in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has no statewide journeyman electrician license. Some local governments issue their own electrician licenses; check the rules where you will work.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, checked 2026-10-07

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

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.

Philadelphia

Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Philadelphia.

City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections → Applications → Renewals → License lookup →

Electrical Contractor License Local individual license

Issuing authority: City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Philadelphia.
Scope of work: Individual license required to do electrical work in Philadelphia, including low-voltage wiring. EV charger work additionally requires EVITP certification on file beginning July 1, 2026; that certification is not a separate City electrical license.
Experience or qualification: Four years of electrical employment for a company licensed by a local or state jurisdiction. Two years of electrical education may substitute for one year of practical experience, up to two practical years. The page also requires general liability of $500,000 per occurrence, automobile liability of $300,000, and workers' compensation of $100,000 each accident, $100,000 each employee, and a $500,000 policy limit, plus a Business Income and Receipts Tax ID, a Commercial Activity License, and current City taxes.
Examination: Philadelphia Electrical Contractor Examination administered by ICC; the current-code or 12-month application timing rule applies.
Initial fee: $262 license fee. A non-refundable $60 application fee is applied to the license fee, and the balance is due once the application is approved. Initial applicants must also show at least eight hours of coursework in the current or later edition of NFPA 70, completed within the 12 months before application; the page says the exam provider must be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Renewal: Annual renewal. The renewal fee is $202. Renewal requires current City taxes and fines, an active insurance policy, and at least eight hours of NFPA 70 coursework earned during the previous license period. If renewal is more than 60 days after the due date, the charge is 1.5 percent of the license fee for each month since the license expired.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Pittsburgh

Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Pittsburgh.

City of Pittsburgh Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections → Applications → Renewals →

Electrical Trade License Local individual license

Issuing authority: City of Pittsburgh Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Pittsburgh.
Scope of work: Individual trade license required to perform electrical work within the City of Pittsburgh. Trade licenses are issued to individuals, not to companies.
Experience or qualification: Six years of combined experience and education. To obtain permits, the trade-licenses page requires general liability of $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, workers' compensation or a no-employee affidavit, and a City tax-compliance letter. Those are permit conditions, not a second credential.
Examination: Accepted ICC National Standard Master Electrical T16, G16, or F16; previous versions or a passing Pittsburgh-proctored exam may be evaluated by the License Officer.
Initial fee: —
Renewal: The license expires 365 days after issuance. Renewal requires eight hours of continuing education in the prior twelve months. The page says one CEU equals one hour. A late fee begins on the 31st day after expiration. On the 61st day the license lapses and a new application is required. Dollar amounts are not printed; the page points to the current fee schedule.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Allentown

Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Allentown.

City of Allentown Electricians Examining Board → Applications →

Master Electrician License Local individual license

Issuing authority: City of Allentown Electricians Examining Board →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Allentown.
Scope of work: Individual license for carrying on the business of installing, altering, maintaining, or repairing electrical wiring and equipment for light, heat, power, or signaling systems in Allentown, with full responsibility for the work and for supervising journeyman electricians and apprentices. The City page says operating a contracting company requires both a trades license and a business license.
Experience or qualification: The 2026 application says all applicants must be over 21 and be high-school graduates or have a GED. Master applicants must have at least four years of practical experience, listed on the application's work-experience page.
Examination: ICC National Standard Master exam (T16), taken only after the City of Allentown Electrical Board approves the application.
Initial fee: $50 non-refundable application fee. After passing the exam, the applicant pays a license fee; the City page says license fees are in the Business Regulation and Tax Code and does not print the amount.
Renewal: Renew every year. The application says there is an annual fee for all electrical licenses and that failure to renew results in revocation. The electrical code issues each license for the calendar year and allows renewal without examination. The renewal amount is not printed on the City page or application.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Residential Electrician License Local individual license

Issuing authority: City of Allentown Electricians Examining Board →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Allentown.
Scope of work: Individual license limited to residential electrical work in one- and two-family dwellings and dwelling units. Work may not be done in nonresidential buildings or in mixed-use buildings served by a single electrical service. Residential electricians are limited to 200-amp single-phase services or less, in buildings of not more than three stories.
Experience or qualification: The 2026 application says all applicants must be over 21 and be high-school graduates or have a GED. Residential applicants must have at least two years of practical experience, listed on the application's work-experience page.
Examination: ICC National Standard Residential exam (T18), taken only after the City of Allentown Electrical Board approves the application.
Initial fee: $50 non-refundable application fee. After passing the exam, the applicant pays a license fee; the City page says license fees are in the Business Regulation and Tax Code and does not print the amount.
Renewal: Renew every year. The application says there is an annual fee for all electrical licenses and that failure to renew results in revocation. The electrical code issues each license for the calendar year and allows renewal without examination. The renewal amount is not printed on the City page or application.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Journeyman Electrician License Local individual license

Issuing authority: City of Allentown Electricians Examining Board →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Allentown.
Scope of work: Individual journeyman license for a person who has passed the journeyman examination. The electrical code gives master electricians supervision and control of the journeyman electricians employed on their work.
Experience or qualification: The 2026 application says all applicants must be over 21 and be high-school graduates or have a GED. The electrical code states the over-21 rule only for Master and Residential applicants. Journeyman applicants must have at least four years of practical experience, listed on the application's work-experience page.
Examination: ICC National Standard Journeyman exam (T17), taken only after the City of Allentown Electrical Board approves the application.
Initial fee: $50 non-refundable application fee. After passing the exam, the applicant pays a license fee; the City page says license fees are in the Business Regulation and Tax Code and does not print the amount.
Renewal: Renew every year. The application says there is an annual fee for all electrical licenses and that failure to renew results in revocation. The electrical code issues each license for the calendar year and allows renewal without examination. The renewal amount is not printed on the City page or application.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Reading

Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Reading.

City of Reading Electrical Board and Building/Trades Division → Applications →

Master Electrician License Local individual license

Issuing authority: City of Reading Electrical Board and Building/Trades Division →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Reading.
Scope of work: City of Reading master electrician license for the business of electrical contracting.
Experience or qualification: Must have held a City of Reading journeyman electrician license, or a journeyman license from a jurisdiction Reading recognizes and reciprocates, for two years.
Examination: ICC T16-N 2020 Master Electrician exam. A copy of the passing results must accompany the application.
Initial fee: $90 annual fee. A reciprocal master license is $190, which includes a one-time reciprocity fee and the annual fee.
Renewal: The form lists the $90 as an annual fee. Master licenses are renewed upon a satisfactory showing of an intention to continue the business of electrical contracting as a master electrician.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Journeyman Electrician License Local individual license

Issuing authority: City of Reading Electrical Board and Building/Trades Division →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Reading.
Scope of work: City of Reading journeyman electrician license. Applicants must be employed by a registered master electrician.
Experience or qualification: The form lists: employment by a registered master electrician; registration with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Apprenticeship Training, Department of Labor and Industry; and four years of approved apprenticeship training with at least 144 hours a year of related instruction, or at least eight years of work under the supervision of a registered master electrician.
Examination: ICC T17-N 2020 Journeyman Electrician exam. A copy of the passing results must accompany the application.
Initial fee: $50 annual fee. A reciprocal journeyman license is $150, which includes a one-time reciprocity fee and the annual fee.
Renewal: The form lists the $50 as an annual fee. Journeyman licenses are renewed upon a satisfactory showing of an intention to continue electrical installation as a journeyman electrician.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Scranton

Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Scranton.

City of Scranton Bureau of Code Enforcement → Applications → Renewals →

Master Electrical Contractor License Local individual contractor license

Issuing authority: City of Scranton Bureau of Code Enforcement →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Scranton.
Scope of work: Individual-held master license for residential and commercial electrical contracting in Scranton. The licensed natural person may be an authorized agent of an entity; the entity itself is not licensed. Master contractors may apply for permits within scope.
Experience or qualification: A contractor must be at least 18. Master Option A is a passing UCC or ICC exam. Option B is three specified reference letters plus proof of four years of practical experience; the ordinance also accepts two years of experience with four years of post-secondary education, or a combination in which each year of education counts as half a year of experience. Master and specialty contractors must carry general liability, property damage, and public liability insurance of $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence, plus workers' compensation or a no-employee affidavit.
Examination: Option A requires a passing UCC or ICC examination in the electrical subject; Option B is an experience/reference pathway.
Initial fee: $225 initial Option A or $250 initial Option B.
Renewal: Licenses are issued for one calendar year. Renewal is due before a permit is approved that calendar year or by March 31, whichever comes first. The renewal fee is $175, with a $50 late fee after March 31. Master electrical contractors must show eight hours of continuing education from an organization acceptable to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Electrical Journeyperson License Local individual license

Issuing authority: City of Scranton Bureau of Code Enforcement →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Scranton.
Scope of work: Individual non-master electrical credential for work within Scranton; it does not authorize permit applications reserved to master, specialty, or home-improvement contractors.
Experience or qualification: Applicant must be at least 18 and either complete a U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship or document two years of practical experience, an employer reference, and an exam result, completion certificate, or accredited trade-school diploma.
Examination: No single examination is required. Option B accepts exam results, a certificate of completion, or a diploma from an accredited trade school.
Initial fee: $50 initial application.
Renewal: Licenses are issued for one calendar year. Renewal is due before a permit is approved that calendar year or by March 31, whichever comes first. The journeyperson renewal fee is $25, with a $25 late fee. The continuing-education requirement applies only to master electrical contractors.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Electrical Apprentice License Local individual apprentice license

Issuing authority: City of Scranton Bureau of Code Enforcement →
Geographic validity: Valid only for electrical work governed by the City of Scranton.
Scope of work: Individual apprentice credential for supervised electrical work in Scranton. An apprentice must be supervised by a Master or Journeyperson, with no more than three apprentices per supervisor at a job site.
Experience or qualification: Applicant must be at least 18 and provide proof of current enrollment in a U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship program.
Examination: The ordinance lists no examination for an apprentice license.
Initial fee: $25 initial application.
Renewal: Licenses are issued for one calendar year. Renewal is due before a permit is approved that calendar year or by March 31, whichever comes first. The apprentice renewal fee is $25, with a $25 late fee. The continuing-education requirement applies only to master electrical contractors.
Official application: Apply / forms →

Licensed in another state?

Reviewed and found no reciprocity or exam-waiver agreement for licenses from these states. Check with the licensing authority for the job site:

South Carolina (source, checked 2026-09-28)

Cite this page

Title: Electrician Licensing in Pennsylvania
URL: https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/pennsylvania
Information checked: 2026-10-05

Suggested citation: Electrician Licensing in Pennsylvania. Trades Directory. https://tradesdir.com/electrical/licensing/pennsylvania (information checked 2026-10-05).

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