Journeyman Electrician License: Hours, Exam, State Rules

What does a journeyman license let you do?

A journeyman license says you can do electrical work without someone standing over you, but you still work for a licensed contractor or master. In Texas, a journeyman works under the general supervision of a master electrician. In Washington, the general journey level (01) certificate covers every type of electrical and telecommunications installation. Colorado makes the business limit plain: a journeyman cannot sign for a company. Pulling permits and running a shop is master or contractor territory.

Most licensing states use more than one tier. Texas also licenses residential wiremen, maintenance electricians and journeyman industrial electricians. Washington issues 14 specialty certificates with their own narrower scopes, such as residential (02) and limited energy (06). If you only plan to wire houses, a specialty or residential card can come sooner. Still, the full journeyman card is the one that travels best between employers.

How many hours do you need?

Plan on 8,000 hours, which is about four years of full-time work. Texas requires 8,000 hours under a Texas master electrician, and it lets you apply and sit the exam once you have 7,000 documented. Washington wants 8,000 hours, and no more than 4,000 of them can come from 4,000-hour specialty work. Colorado wants 8,000 hours spread over at least four years, with at least 2,000 in commercial or industrial work.

Classroom requirements vary more than the hours do. Washington now requires you to complete a registered electrical apprenticeship, including its classroom component, before the 01 exam. The older 96-hour trainee route closed on July 1, 2026. Colorado requires 288 classroom hours of every applicant, documented with a transcript. Keep your own records from day one. Every state on this list wants supervisors to sign off on your hours, and chasing down a foreman from five years ago is a headache you can avoid.

The exam, and who issues the license

Once the state approves your application and verifies your hours, you get cleared to test. In Washington, L&I mails an approval notice and you book the exam with the testing company PSI. In Texas, once TDLR approves your experience, PSI mails you a postcard explaining how to schedule the exam. Expect the exam to focus on the National Electrical Code plus state rules. Washington's renewal education includes state law (RCW/WAC) hours for that reason.

Not every state licenses journeymen. Texas, Washington and Colorado run statewide programs. Ohio's state board, the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, licenses contractors for commercial work. In big cities the rules can be local. Chicago's Department of Buildings issues its own supervising electrician and contractor licenses. New York City's Department of Buildings licenses master and special electricians. Where licensing is local, the city where you work can matter as much as the state.

Renewal, continuing education and moving states

Texas electrician licenses last one year and you renew them every year. Washington certificates renew every three years on your birthdate. You need 24 hours of approved continuing education, including 8 hours of code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC. If yours lapses more than 90 days, you have to retest. Colorado licenses expire September 30 every three years and require 24 hours of CE per cycle. Colorado waives the CE for your first renewal after passing the exam.

Reciprocity can save you a second exam. Colorado follows National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance rules and accepts journeyman licenses from states including Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, Utah and Wyoming. You must have held the license for a year and earned it by state exam. Texas accepts journeyman licenses from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming. Washington and Oregon have their own reciprocal agreement.

Pay

United States

$51,200–86,900

Texas

$48,300–73,600

Colorado

$50,600–81,200

Washington

$69,000–125,800

USD a year, before tax. Ranges run from the 25th to the 75th percentile for electricians, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 data moved to 2026 with a wage index. State figures are modeled. Region, union status and industrial or utility work move the numbers most. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.

What you need

Supervised experienceUsually 8,000 hours. Texas lets you test at 7,000 hours but requires 8,000 for the license. Colorado requires the hours to be spread over at least four years.
Classroom hoursWashington requires a completed registered electrical apprenticeship, including its classroom component, for the 01 exam. Colorado requires 288 hours, documented by transcript.
Signed experience recordsSupervisors sign affidavits or verification forms for your hours. In Texas, each master electrician who supervised you fills out a separate form.
State examTaken after the state approves your application. Washington candidates schedule with PSI.
Application feeThe Texas journeyman application costs $30, is non-refundable, and must be mailed in.
Background checkTDLR runs a criminal history check on every applicant and reviews convictions case by case.

State by state

Texas	TDLR requires 8,000 hours under a Texas master electrician, and you can sit the exam at 7,000. Licenses renew every year.
Washington	L&I requires you to complete a registered electrical apprenticeship (8,000 hours, with at least 4,000 in commercial or industrial work) to qualify for the 01 exam. You renew every 3 years with 24 hours of CE.
Colorado	The State Electrical Board requires 8,000 hours over at least four years, 2,000 of them commercial or industrial, plus 288 classroom hours. You need 24 hours of CE per three-year cycle.
Ohio	The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board issues state licenses to electrical contractors doing commercial work, after a PSI exam.
Chicago, Illinois	The city Department of Buildings licenses supervising electricians and electrical contractors under the Chicago Electrical Code.
New York City	The city Department of Buildings licenses master and special electricians under the New York City Electrical Code.

How to get there

Year 0Register as an apprentice or traineeGet into a state-registered apprenticeship or trainee program so your hours count. Washington requires you to start as an electrical trainee. For the 01 journey level card you must register in an approved Washington, Oregon or Montana electrical apprenticeship.
Years 1-4Log hours and classroom timeWork under licensed supervision and finish the required classroom hours. Keep signed records as you go.
Year 4Apply to testMail the application, experience forms and fee. Texas lets you apply at 7,000 hours.
Year 4Pass the examSchedule once you are approved. Expect NEC and state rule questions.
OngoingRenew and keep up CERenew every year in Texas or every three years in Washington and Colorado, with 24 CE hours per cycle in those two states.

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Questions people ask

How many hours do you need for a journeyman electrician license?

Texas, Washington and Colorado all require 8,000 hours of supervised work, about four years full time. Texas lets you sit the exam at 7,000 hours.

Can a journeyman electrician work alone?

A journeyman can do the work without direct supervision but still works under a contractor or master. In Texas that means the general supervision of a master electrician, and in Colorado a journeyman cannot be the signatory for a company.

Does every state license journeymen?

No. Some states license only contractors or leave licensing to local governments. Ohio's state board licenses contractors for commercial work, and cities like Chicago and New York City run their own electrician licensing.

How often do you renew a journeyman license?

It depends on the state. Texas licenses renew every year. Washington and Colorado run three-year cycles and require 24 hours of continuing education each cycle.

Can I use my journeyman license in another state?

Sometimes. Colorado accepts journeyman licenses from NERA states like Idaho, Utah and Wyoming if you earned the license by state exam and held it for a year. Texas accepts journeyman licenses from ten states, including Alabama, Iowa and Oklahoma.

How do you get a journeyman electrician license?