StateLicensed

Electrician License Requirements in Connecticut

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
720 hrs
Upfront cost
$210
Exam
E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson Trade Examination, E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor Trade and Business & Law Examinations
Renewal cycle
Every 1 year
Issuing board
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Occupational and Professional Licensing Division (with the Electrical Work Examining Board)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, Diploma or other evidence of eighth-grade graduation, or equivalent education demonstrated on examination. CGS §20-333(a): applicant must have reached the eighteenth birthday and demonstrate eighth-grade-equivalent education plus the requisite trade skill. No criminal history records check is mandated for all applicants; CGS §20-334(d) instead offers an optional pre-determination process where an individual with a prior conviction may voluntarily submit to a state/national criminal history check to learn in advance whether it would disqualify them. [3]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 720 hours of training at a state-approved program. 720 classroom hours with curriculum and course content equivalent to the Department's Exhibit A, plus on-the-job training: 8,000 hours for the E-2 journeyperson path (completion of a registered apprenticeship also qualifies), or 12,000 hours (8,000 as apprentice + 4,000/2 years under a licensed electrician) for the E-1 contractor path via equivalent experience. Continuing education certificates and manufacturer certificates do not count toward the classroom-hour requirement. CGS §20-334d requires not less than 4 hours per year of accredited continuing education post-licensure (the commissioner may raise this to a maximum of 7 hours). [1]

  3. 3

    E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson Trade Examination

    Pass the E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson Trade Examination. Confirmed via the Department's own PSI candidate bulletin (hosted on portal.ct.gov) that PSI administers the exam; the bulletin does not itemize the dollar exam fee, so it is recorded as null rather than guessed. Fees are paid directly to PSI at registration, separate from the DCP application fee. [2]

  4. 4

    E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor Trade and Business & Law Examinations

    Pass the E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor Trade and Business & Law Examinations. Contractor (E-1) applicants sit for both a trade exam and a business & law exam through PSI. As with the journeyperson exam, PSI's own fee amount is not published on an accessible official DCP page, so it is recorded as null. [2]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Occupational and Professional Licensing Division (with the Electrical Work Examining Board) with the $90 application fee. [3]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Occupational and Professional Licensing Division (with the Electrical Work Examining Board) issues your E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson License for Connecticut.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $90
License fee [3] $120
Renewal fee [3] $120
E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson Trade Examination [2] None specified
E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor Trade and Business & Law Examinations [2] None specified
Contractor (E-1) application fee [3] $150
Contractor (E-1) initial license fee / annual renewal [3] $150

CGS §20-333 sets the nonrefundable application fee (paid to sit for the exam) at $90 for a journeyperson-tier license and $150 for a contractor-tier license. CGS §20-335 then sets the initial license fee, charged after passing the exam, at $120 for journeyperson-tier and $150 for contractor-tier — all licenses expire annually and renew at that same fee. application/license/renewal above reflect the E-2 journeyperson figures; the E-1 contractor figures ($150 / $150 / $150) are listed under other.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 1 year. 4 continuing education hours required per cycle.

All electrical licenses expire annually on September 30 (per DCP) and CGS §20-335 requires annual renewal at the same fee as the initial license. CGS §20-334d requires not less than 4 hours per year of accredited continuing professional education, which the commissioner may raise to a maximum of 7 hours by regulation — 4 is recorded as the statutory floor.

Reciprocity

No reciprocity or endorsement route was found.

No interstate compact covers electrician licensing. CGS §20-333a authorizes the commissioner to grant a license without examination to a currently-practicing, competent holder of a substantially-similar out-of-state license, but only where that reciprocal exchange runs both directions — and the Department's own electrical-license page states plainly: 'Connecticut does not have reciprocal agreements with any other jurisdiction.' Out-of-state applicants must instead apply through the equivalent-experience/training path and sit for the Connecticut exam.

6 state-approved training providers in Connecticut — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $90
  • $120
Total$210

Frequently asked questions

What are the two main types of electrician license in Connecticut?

The E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor license and the E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson license. Odd-numbered licenses (like E-1) are contractors who can pull permits and sign contracts; even-numbered licenses (like E-2) are journeypersons who may only work while employed by a licensed contractor.

How many training hours does Connecticut require for an E-2 journeyperson license?

720 classroom hours with curriculum equivalent to the Department's Exhibit A, plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job training — or completion of a registered apprenticeship program in lieu of the equivalent-experience route.

Who administers the Connecticut electrician exam?

PSI Services LLC, under contract with the Department of Consumer Protection. Journeyperson applicants take a trade exam; contractor applicants take both a trade exam and a business & law exam.

Does Connecticut honor an out-of-state electrician license?

Not automatically. The Department states Connecticut has no reciprocal agreements with any other jurisdiction, so out-of-state electricians must apply through the equivalent-experience/training path and pass the Connecticut exam.

How often does a Connecticut electrical license need to be renewed?

Annually — all electrical licenses expire on September 30 and renew at the same fee as the initial license, with at least 4 hours per year of accredited continuing education.

Sources

  1. [1] portal.ct.gov/dcp/license-services-division/all-license-applications/electrical-journeyperson---equivalent-experience-and-training — accessed 2026-07-11
  2. [2] portal.ct.gov/-/media/dcp/occpro/pels-documents/psi-candidate-bulletin-2022.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11
  3. [3] cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_393.htm — accessed 2026-07-11
  4. [4] portal.ct.gov/dcp/license-services-division/all-license-applications/electrical-license — accessed 2026-07-11