Umair Gaines
If you want to become an electrician in Florida, you'll need to obtain the correct license. The type of license you need depends on where you plan to work. If you want to work across the state, you'll need to become a certified electrical contractor. If you only plan to work in your home county, you can become a registered contractor. To become a certified electrical contractor, you'll need to fill out an application, show four years of work experience, and pass a two-part exam. To become a registered contractor, the requirements vary by city and county. In either case, you'll need to complete an apprenticeship and pass an exam.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| License Types | Registered electrician, Certified electrician, Journeyman electrician, Master electrician, Electrical contractor |
| Who issues the license? | Electrical licenses are issued by local municipalities. Electrical contractor licenses are issued by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation's (DBPR) Electrical Contractors Licensing Board (ECLB). |
| Requirements | To obtain a license, you need sufficient work experience, insurance, and a passing score on a two-part exam. |
| Exam Details | The exam consists of two parts: business aspects and practical aspects of being an electrician. The exam is timed, with 2.5 hours for part one and 5 hours for part two. A passing score is 75% or higher on each part. |
| Apprenticeship | Requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 144 classroom hours per year. |
| Master Electrician Requirements | Requires additional two years of work experience (4,000 hours) and 7-11 hours of CE hours, depending on license specialization. |
| Renewal | Certified Electrical Contractor licenses expire on August 31 of every even-numbered year. Renewal requires a fee and completion of continuing education hours. |
| Reciprocity | Florida does not have reciprocity agreements with other states for electrician licenses. However, out-of-state electricians may apply for endorsement if they meet certain requirements. |
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What You'll Learn
Requirements for local and state licenses
To work as a licensed electrician in Florida, you can obtain a license to work in local cities or counties (municipalities) or a license to work throughout the state. If you work across the state, your title is a certified licensed electrician. If you work locally, your title is a registered licensed electrician. You can hold both license types, but only if each is different. For example, you can be a certified electrical contractor and a registered alarm or specialty contractor.
To become a certified electrical contractor in Florida, you must fill out an application, show four years of work experience, and pass a certified contractor licensing exam. Once you receive a certified contractor license, you must renew it every two years and take 14 hours of continuing education classes. Certified electrical contractor licenses expire on August 31 in every even-numbered year. To renew your license, you must pay a renewal fee and complete several hours of continuing education. Certified contractors are also required to hold several types of insurance policies and provide proof of general liability and property damage insurance within 30 days of receiving their license.
To become a registered electrician, you must earn a registered contractor license from the ECLB. This license is less demanding than the certified electrical contractor license but only allows contractors to work in certain counties and municipalities. Requirements to obtain a competency card to become a registered electrical contractor vary by city or county.
To become a journeyman electrician in Florida, you must obtain an electrical apprenticeship. You must be at least 18 years old, with a high school diploma or GED, and reliable transportation. You must also pass an aptitude test, be physically fit, and complete an oral interview. You must then obtain the necessary work experience and classroom hours needed to become a journeyman. Most counties require candidates to have several hundred hours of classroom education and four to five years of documented work as an apprentice. Once you have completed these requirements, you can apply for and take the journeyman certification exam.
To become a master electrician in Florida, you must first obtain your journeyman electrician certification. In most cases, you must possess your journeyman electrician certification for two years before taking the master electrician certification exam. Like journeyman licenses, each locality in Florida issues its own master electrician credentials. Master electricians have more work experience than journeymen and are eligible to obtain residential work permits from various counties.
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The two-part exam
To obtain an electrical license in Florida, you must pass a two-part exam. This exam is the same whether you are applying for a journeyman or master electrician license. The exam is open book, and you can bring approved reference materials to the testing site. Study guides are also available online.
The first part of the exam covers the business aspects of working as an electrician. It includes 50 multiple-choice questions and is timed at 2.5 hours. You can expect detailed questions on bookkeeping, OSHA regulations, contracts, and contracting laws.
The second part of the exam covers the practical aspects of being an electrician. This section includes 100 multiple-choice questions and is timed at 5 hours. It covers the NEC, electrical theory and calculations, safety practices, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair, and Florida building code electrical provisions.
To pass the exam, you must score at least 75% on both parts. It is essential to prepare for the exam, especially if you are not used to taking timed tests. Exam prep courses are available, and you can also purchase pre-tabbed and highlighted study guides to help you find information quickly during the open-book exam.
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Getting work experience
To obtain an electrical license in Florida, you must have sufficient work experience. The type of license you are applying for will determine the amount of work experience required. For example, to become a certified electrical contractor, you need six years of supervisory and business experience. To become a master electrician, you need to have obtained your journeyman electrician certification and have two years of work experience. To become a journeyman, most counties require candidates to have four to five years of documented work as an apprentice.
To obtain a registered contractor license, you must show four years of work experience. This license is less demanding to obtain than a certified contractor license, but it only allows contractors to work in certain counties and municipalities.
To obtain a Certified Electrical Contractor license, you must have sufficient work experience to demonstrate that you can install, repair, alter, add to, or design electrical wiring, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, and conduit. This includes electrical installations and systems within plants and substations and all alarm systems and specialty categories.
To obtain a license, you must also provide documentation to prove your experience is in the category for the license you are seeking. For example, to become a certified journeyman in Florida, you need 8,000 hours of work experience, which is about four years.
If you are applying for a license from out-of-state, you may still need to demonstrate that you have the work experience required for Florida licensure.
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Electrical contractor licenses
To work as an electrician in Florida, you must be licensed. The type of license you need depends on the scope of your work. If you plan to work only in your home county, you can become a registered contractor. If you want to work across the state, you will need a certified contractor license.
Registered Electrical Contractor License
Registered electrical contractors may only work in certain jurisdictions. The requirements to obtain a competency card to become a registered electrical contractor vary by city or county. Contact your local government agency for specific details.
Certified Electrical Contractor License
Certified electrical contractors can work throughout the state of Florida. To obtain this license, you must fill out an application, show four years of work experience, and pass a certified contractor licensing exam. Once you receive your license, you must renew it every two years and take 14 hours of continuing education classes. You must also provide proof of general liability and property damage insurance within 30 days of receiving your license.
Electrical Contractor Licensing Exam
The certified electrical contractor licensing exam is a two-part exam. Part one covers the business aspects of working as an electrician, and part two covers the practical aspects. In part one, you can expect detailed questions on running an electrical business, such as bookkeeping, OSHA regulations, contracts, and contracting laws. Part two covers the NEC, electrical theory and calculations, safety practices, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair, and Florida building code electrical provisions. Part one has 50 multiple-choice questions, and part two has 100. Both parts are timed, with 2.5 hours allocated for part one and 5 hours for part two. You must score 75% or higher on each part to pass.
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Reciprocity and renewal
To work as a licensed electrician in Florida, you can obtain a license to work in local cities or counties (municipalities) or a license to work throughout the state. If you work statewide, you are a certified licensed electrician, and if you work locally, you are a registered licensed electrician. You can hold both licenses, but only if each is different. For example, you can be a certified electrical contractor and a registered alarm or specialty contractor.
Reciprocity
Florida does not maintain reciprocal agreements with any state for electrician licenses. However, electricians who hold an out-of-state license may be able to apply for endorsement if they have passed the licensing exam in their state. Endorsement is similar to reciprocity but is contingent upon approval. Candidates must still submit a complete application and demonstrate that they have the work experience required for Florida licensure.
Renewal
Certified Electrical Contractor licenses expire on August 31 in every even-numbered year. To renew your license, you must pay a renewal fee and complete several hours of continuing education. The number of hours varies depending on the type of license and whether you perform alarm work. For instance, certified electrical contractors who perform alarm work must complete two additional hours of continuing education on false alarm prevention.
Registered electrical contractors must renew their licenses every two years and take 14 hours of continuing education classes.
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Frequently asked questions
To obtain an electrical license in Florida, you must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED, and reliable transportation. You must also pass an aptitude test, be physically fit, and complete an oral interview. You will also need sufficient work experience, insurance, and a passing score on a two-part exam.
First, find an electrical apprenticeship. Obtain the necessary work experience and classroom hours needed to become a journeyman. Apply for and take the journeyman certification exam. Earn a master electrician certification. Consider becoming an independent licensed electrical contractor.
The exam has two parts. Part one covers the business aspects of working as an electrician, and part two covers the practical aspects. In part one, you can expect more detailed questions regarding running an electrical business, such as bookkeeping, OSHA regulations, contracts, and contracting laws. Part two covers the NEC, electrical theory, safety practices, troubleshooting, and Florida building code electrical provisions.
Florida offers two types of electrical contractors: registered and certified. Registered contractors may work only in certain jurisdictions, while certified contractors may work throughout the state. If you work statewide, your title is Certified Licensed Electrician. If you work locally, your title is Registered Licensed Electrician.
