How to get an electrician license in Maryland: the official requirements
The Journeyperson Electrician license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Maryland State Board of Electricians.
In Maryland, the state electrical license for individual electricians is issued by the Maryland State Board of Electricians. The Journeyperson Electrician license, issued by the Maryland State Board of Electricians. There are three routes to it: work experience and an exam, a registered apprenticeship with the exam waived, or reciprocity from a qualifying state. Apprentice or trainee registration: Start with an Apprentice Electrician license, the first step to becoming a licensed electrician in Maryland. It has no pre-qualifications; you apply and pay online. Experience and training: At least four years holding an Apprentice Electrician license and working under a licensed Master Electrician (or a similarly qualified government employee) qualify you to take the journeyperson exam. Instead, a registered apprenticeship approved by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council or the Federal Office of Apprenticeship, with at least 576 classroom hours and 8,000 hours of work experience, waives the exam. Licensing exam: The Journeyperson Electrician exam, given by PSI, for the work-experience route; you get an application to take it from PSI. A completed registered apprenticeship waives the exam. How to apply: Work-experience route: register for the exam with PSI, sending the Work Verification forms signed by your supervising Master Electrician(s); after you pass you get an email telling you to apply, and you apply for the license online. Apprenticeship route: apply online and upload your MATC or USDOL Certificate of Completion, issued within 2 years of applying.
Maryland electrician license requirements
| Requirement | Maryland |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journeyperson Electrician license, issued by the Maryland State Board of Electricians. There are three routes to it: work experience and an exam, a registered apprenticeship with the exam waived, or reciprocity from a qualifying state. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Start with an Apprentice Electrician license, the first step to becoming a licensed electrician in Maryland. It has no pre-qualifications; you apply and pay online. |
| Experience and training | At least four years holding an Apprentice Electrician license and working under a licensed Master Electrician (or a similarly qualified government employee) qualify you to take the journeyperson exam. Instead, a registered apprenticeship approved by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council or the Federal Office of Apprenticeship, with at least 576 classroom hours and 8,000 hours of work experience, waives the exam. |
| Classroom hours | The registered apprenticeship route requires at least 576 classroom hours. |
| Licensing exam | The Journeyperson Electrician exam, given by PSI, for the work-experience route; you get an application to take it from PSI. A completed registered apprenticeship waives the exam. |
| How to apply | Work-experience route: register for the exam with PSI, sending the Work Verification forms signed by your supervising Master Electrician(s); after you pass you get an email telling you to apply, and you apply for the license online. Apprenticeship route: apply online and upload your MATC or USDOL Certificate of Completion, issued within 2 years of applying. |
| Background check | If you answer yes to a felony or misdemeanor conviction, or to local disciplinary action, you must provide certified court records and a personal letter to the Board explaining what happened. |
| State fees | Apprentice license: $12.00. Journeyperson Electrician license: $18.50. Both are paid online. PSI exam fees are separate. |
| License term | Two years; the journeyperson license is renewed every 2 years. |
| Continuing education | 5 hours of continuing education for each 2-year journeyperson renewal. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
This page covers the electrical license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
How to get licensed in Maryland
- Apply online for an Apprentice Electrician license before you start training (no pre-qualifications).
- Work at least four years as a licensed apprentice under a licensed Master Electrician, or complete a registered MATC or Federal Office of Apprenticeship program.
- For the experience route, register with PSI for the Journeyperson Electrician exam and send your Work Verification forms.
- Pass the exam; you will get an email telling you to apply.
- Apply for the Journeyperson Electrician license online and pay the $18.50 fee (apprenticeship graduates upload their Certificate of Completion instead of testing).
- Renew every 2 years with 5 hours of continuing education.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become an electricianThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayElectrician salary in MarylandWhat electricians earn.
Open →CareerElectrician career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →ResumeElectrician resumeHow to present your hours and licenses.
Open →InterviewElectrician interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
Open →Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Maryland State Board of Electricians (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Maryland State Board of Electricians's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the electrical license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
- This page covers the individual license named above. Master, contractor, specialty, sign, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Maryland Department of Labor, State Board of Electricians, How to Apply for a Maryland Electrician License, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Maryland Department of Labor, State Board of Electricians, License Requirements, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.