How to get an electrician license in North Dakota: the official requirements
The Journeyman Electrician license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the North Dakota State Electrical Board.
In North Dakota, the state electrical license for individual electricians is issued by the North Dakota State Electrical Board. The Journeyman electrician license, issued by the North Dakota State Electrical Board. Anyone who plans, lays out, supervises, installs or repairs wiring for electric light, heat or power for another must apply to the board for a license, and the board examines each applicant. Apprentice or trainee registration: Register with the board as an apprentice electrician within 6 months of starting work; an apprentice learns the trade under the personal supervision of a state-licensed electrician. Registrations expire each year on January 31, and hours worked while unregistered or not renewed are lost. Experience and training: 8,000 hours of experience, gained over at least three years, while registered as an apprentice under the supervision of a contracting master or master of record, plus completed apprentice electrician training. At least 4,000 hours must be practical experience wiring and installing electrical wiring, apparatus and equipment. A graduate of a two-year or longer electrical school accepted by the board may receive 2,000 hours of credit. Licensing exam: A board exam based on fundamental electricity, North Dakota's laws, rules and wiring standards, and the current National Electrical Code. The journeyman exam has a 1-hour closed-book part and a 3.5-hour open-book part; the passing grade is 70%, and you must test within six months of receiving an exam invite. How to apply: Send the board the Examination Application for an Electrical License with the Employment Verification form (emailed forms go as a single PDF). You must be approved before signing up for an exam date; after final approval the board sends an invitation listing the available testing dates, and you tell the board which date you choose.
North Dakota electrician license requirements
| Requirement | North Dakota |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Journeyman electrician license, issued by the North Dakota State Electrical Board. Anyone who plans, lays out, supervises, installs or repairs wiring for electric light, heat or power for another must apply to the board for a license, and the board examines each applicant. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Register with the board as an apprentice electrician within 6 months of starting work; an apprentice learns the trade under the personal supervision of a state-licensed electrician. Registrations expire each year on January 31, and hours worked while unregistered or not renewed are lost. |
| Experience and training | 8,000 hours of experience, gained over at least three years, while registered as an apprentice under the supervision of a contracting master or master of record, plus completed apprentice electrician training. At least 4,000 hours must be practical experience wiring and installing electrical wiring, apparatus and equipment. A graduate of a two-year or longer electrical school accepted by the board may receive 2,000 hours of credit. |
| Classroom hours | Apprentices who registered after January 31, 2008 must complete a board-approved education program to be eligible for licensure: for example, 576 hours of related training classes recognized by the board with 8,000 hours of practical experience. Other approved routes are the Professional Electrician Apprenticeship Program (372 hours of related instruction) or a two-year electrical college degree approved by the board with 6,000 hours of practical experience. |
| Licensing exam | A board exam based on fundamental electricity, North Dakota's laws, rules and wiring standards, and the current National Electrical Code. The journeyman exam has a 1-hour closed-book part and a 3.5-hour open-book part; the passing grade is 70%, and you must test within six months of receiving an exam invite. |
| How to apply | Send the board the Examination Application for an Electrical License with the Employment Verification form (emailed forms go as a single PDF). You must be approved before signing up for an exam date; after final approval the board sends an invitation listing the available testing dates, and you tell the board which date you choose. |
| Background check | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the North Dakota State Electrical Board. |
| State fees | Journeyman annual renewal: $25. An expired license needs a reinstatement fee equal to the annual fee. |
| License term | One year; journeyman licenses expire each year on March 31. |
| Continuing education | Eight hours of continuing education, at least four of them on the code, must be on file with the board to renew. |
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 North Dakota
- Register with the board as an apprentice electrician within 6 months of starting work under a state-licensed electrician.
- Complete a board-approved education program, such as 576 hours of related training classes.
- Log 8,000 hours of experience over at least three years under a contracting master or master of record.
- Send the Examination Application and Employment Verification form to the board and wait for approval.
- Pick a date from your exam invitation and pass the exam (70%) within six months.
- Renew every year by March 31 with eight hours of continuing education on file.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the North Dakota State Electrical Board (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the North Dakota State Electrical Board'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.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board, Licensing, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board, Qualifications for Licensure, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board, Applying for an Electrical License, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board, Apprenticeship Information & Registration, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board, Exam Dates & Information, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board, Electrician's License Renewal & Requirements, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.