LicensebyState

Moving to Connecticut as a master electrician: every state's rule

Connecticut has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Connecticut master electrician · “E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing (Electrical Work Examining Board)

Connecticut has no license titled 'master electrician'; the top-tier personal license is the E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor, issued by DCP to an individual (DCP licenses individuals, not companies) and permitting all electrical work under CGS 20-330, pulling permits and contracting with the public. A new E-1 applicant needs 720 classroom hours matching DCP's Exhibit A curriculum and 12,000 OJT hours (8,000 as an apprentice plus 4,000 hours, two years, working as a licensed journeyperson), reachable through two years as a Connecticut journeyperson, equivalent experience and training, or an equivalent out-of-state license, and must pass both the PSI E-1 trade exam (100 questions, 4 hours, 70%) and the Business and Law exam (50 questions, 2 hours, 70%). DCP states that Connecticut does not have reciprocal agreements with any other jurisdiction. Fees are a $150 application fee, $59 per exam portion and a $150 initial license fee; licenses expire every September 30 and renew for $150.

Every origin state

Endorsement 39No credit 11
Every state's path into Connecticut
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-15
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-15
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-15
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-15
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-15
District of ColumbiaEndorsement2026-09-15
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-15
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-15
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-15
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-15
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IowaEndorsement2026-09-15
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MaineEndorsement2026-09-15
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-15
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-15
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-15
MinnesotaEndorsement2026-09-15
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MissouriEndorsement2026-09-15
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-15
NebraskaEndorsement2026-09-15
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-15
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-15
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-15
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-15
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
OhioEndorsement2026-09-15
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-15
OregonEndorsement2026-09-15
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-15
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-15
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasEndorsement2026-09-15
UtahEndorsement2026-09-15
VermontEndorsement2026-09-15
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-15
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-15
WyomingEndorsement2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Connecticut from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Connecticut issues a master electrician license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 8 sources

E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor by examination

A Connecticut E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson becomes eligible for the E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor license after holding the E-2 for at least two years. The applicant applies to DCP online or on the paper Contractor application with a copy of the Connecticut journeyperson license, then passes two open-book PSI exams, the E-1 trade exam and the Business and Law exam, each with a 70% passing score. The E-1 is issued to an individual, not to a company. An applicant who has not held the E-2 for two years may qualify instead by documenting equivalent experience and training.

The E-1 trade exam has 100 questions in 4 hours and is based on the 2020 or 2023 National Electrical Code. The Business and Law exam has 50 questions in 2 hours and uses the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Connecticut 6th edition. A passed exam stays valid for two years, so a candidate who passes one has two years to pass the other. After passing both, send the passing score reports and the initial license fee to DCP. DCP does not publish an application processing time.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every year
Continuing education
4 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Connecticut E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson license for at least 2 years first.Held for at least two years (Regs. Conn. State Agencies 20-332-2(a)).

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Equivalent experience and training: 720 classroom hours plus 12,000 hours

An applicant who has not held the Connecticut E-2 for two years may prove 720 classroom hours whose curriculum matches DCP's Exhibit A courses and 12,000 hours of on-the-job training: 8,000 hours at the apprentice level plus two years (4,000 hours) of work at the licensed level. The regulation describes this route as at least six years of equivalent experience and training. Proof is by transcripts and notarized employer letters, and continuing education or manufacturer certificates do not count toward the classroom hours.

  • Complete at least 720 hours of classroom or related instruction.
  • You must document at least 12,000 hours of qualifying work experience.8,000 apprentice-level hours plus 4,000 hours (two years) at the licensed level.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($150). Contractor application fee, non-refundable (CGS 20-333).
  2. 2Other. Disclose any felony conviction on the application and attach a Criminal Conviction Worksheet; DCP may deny the license or issue it under a consent order with conditions (CGS 20-333(c)).
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor trade exam administered by PSI: 100 questions, 4 hours, 70% to pass, open book (2020 or 2023 NEC).
  4. 4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Connecticut Business and Law exam (PSI): 50 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass, open book, based on the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Connecticut 6th edition.
  5. 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59). PSI fee for the trade exam, per attempt including retakes.
  6. 6Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59). PSI fee for the Business and Law exam, per attempt including retakes.
  7. 7License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Initial contractor license fee paid to DCP after passing both exams (CGS 20-335).

Published fees on this path total $418, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every year with 4 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $150 renewal fee.

Four hours each year in courses approved by the Electrical Work Examining Board, taken in person or live online and completed by June 30, three months before the license expires. No continuing education is required before the first renewal.

All electrical licenses expire September 30 each year.

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

  • Trade exam
  • Law / code exam
  • Exam fee · $59
  • Exam fee · $59

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 393 - Occupational Licensing (Electrical, Plumbing and Piping, Heating, Cooling...) · CGS §§ 20-330, 20-333, 20-333a, 20-334a, 20-335 · Connecticut General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Connecticut DCP - Occupational Trade Contractor License Application (OCC-CNTR-APP) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Connecticut DCP - Electrical Contractor: Equivalent Experience and Training · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Connecticut DCP - Electrical License (application paths, fees, renewal) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Connecticut DCP - Electrician Continuing Education · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Connecticut DCP - Exhibit A: Required Courses for Electrical License Types (apprenticeship courses) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Connecticut DCP Occupational Licensing - Electrical Trades Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, updated 2/4/2026) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection / PSI Services LLC · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies §§ 20-332-5, 20-332-8, 20-332-10a (heating, piping and cooling licenses; application for examination; issuance) · Regs. Conn. State Agencies §§ 20-332-5, 20-332-8, 20-332-10a · Connecticut Secretary of the State (eRegulations) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026

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