LicensebyState

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

Georgia has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Georgia master electrician · “Electrical Contractor Class II (Non-Restricted)”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors (Secretary of State)

Georgia has no 'master electrician' license; its highest person-held electrical credential is the statewide Electrical Contractor license issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Electrical Contractors to an individual who documents experience and passes the PSI-administered exam. It comes in two classes: Class I (Restricted) covers single-phase installations up to 200 amperes, and Class II (Non-Restricted) is unrestricted, so Class II is the master-level equivalent used here. A new applicant needs at least 4 years (8,000 hours) of primary experience under a licensed electrical contractor covering all eight experience areas, including installations above single-phase 400 amperes under a Class II contractor, plus three notarized references and a certified background check; the exam application fee is $110 through the GOALS portal. Georgia no longer offers licensure by reciprocity: the Board's FAQ says it stopped in May 2026, ending the Class II arrangements it had with Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Every out-of-state contractor now applies by examination, with experience under a licensed contractor in any state counting toward the 4 years. Licenses renew by June 30 of even-numbered years; applications are generally processed within 20 business days.

Every origin state

Experience credit 39No credit 11
Every state's path into Georgia
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-23
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-23
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-23
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-23
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-23
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-23
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-23
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-23
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-23
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IowaExperience credit2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-23
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MaineExperience credit2026-09-23
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-23
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-23
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-23
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-23
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MissouriExperience credit2026-09-23
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-23
NebraskaExperience credit2026-09-23
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-23
New JerseyExperience credit2026-09-23
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-23
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-23
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
OhioExperience credit2026-09-23
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-23
OregonExperience credit2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-23
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-23
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
TexasExperience credit2026-09-23
UtahExperience credit2026-09-23
VermontExperience credit2026-09-23
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-23
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-23
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-23
WisconsinExperience credit2026-09-23
WyomingExperience credit2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Georgia from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 8 sources

Electrical Contractor Class II (Non-Restricted) license by examination

Georgia has no journeyman electrician license, so there is no lower state tier to hold first: anyone may apply directly for the Class II (Non-Restricted) Electrical Contractor license once they are at least 21 and can document 4 years of primary experience under a licensed electrical contractor. For Class II that experience must cover every experience area in Board Rule 121-3-.01, including installations larger than single-phase 200-ampere systems. You apply in the GOALS portal with the $110 application fee, three notarized references and a certified local background check. After the Board approves the application, PSI contacts you to register for the open-book Class II exam, which covers both electrical work and Georgia business and law and requires a scaled score of 70.

The exam is a single test given in two parts of 4 hours each, with 140 scored questions (30 on regulations, laws and administrative functions and 110 technical) plus 22 unscored pretest questions; only the references on the Board's current list may be brought in, including the 2023 National Electrical Code. The Board's exam approval letter is valid for one year. If you fail the exam twice, you must complete a Board-approved review course before a third attempt. The Board generally processes applications within 20 business days, and PSI's official score report can take up to 6 weeks to reach the Board. Class I (Restricted), limited to single-phase installations up to 200 amperes, uses the same 4-year experience requirement with fewer experience areas.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
8 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.4 years of primary experience (2,000 hours = 1 year) installing electrical systems, gained under a licensed electrical contractor in Georgia or another state. Class II applicants must show experience in all experience areas listed in Rule 121-3-.01, including installations in excess of single-phase 200-ampere systems; the Board's older application form described this as work above 400 amperes under a Class II contractor.

Other ways to qualify

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

Three years of primary experience plus secondary experience or education

Up to one year of the 4-year requirement may be credited from secondary experience or education. Secondary experience, such as teaching electrical installation and code, work as a full-time municipal or county electrical inspector, electrical engineering design by a registered engineer, estimating or project management for a licensed electrical contractor, or lighted sign installation, counts at 50 percent, so 3 years of primary experience plus 2 years of secondary experience meets the requirement. Rule 121-3-.01 also recognizes a completed 2-year electrical diploma or vocational-technical certificate program.

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • You must document at least 6,000 hours of qualifying work experience.3 years of primary experience under a licensed electrical contractor
  • Secondary experience credited at 50 percent (for example 2 years of secondary experience) or a completed 2-year electrical diploma or vocational-technical certificate program

Six years of electrical contracting experience

An applicant who shows six years of electrical contracting experience to the Board's satisfaction does not have to document primary experience from the direct installation of electrical systems. Education may count at 50 percent for up to two of the six years, and at least one of the three references must come from a licensed architect, professional engineer or electrical engineer who can attest to the experience.

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • You must document at least 6 years of qualifying work experience.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($110). Electrical Contractor Non-Restricted licensure-by-examination application fee, paid in the GOALS portal.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Georgia Electrical Contractor Class II (Unrestricted) exam administered by PSI after Board approval: two 4-hour parts, open book with the Board's approved reference list, including 30 questions on laws, regulations and business administration; scaled score of 70 to pass.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee, paid to PSI when you register after Board approval. The amount is not published by the Board; PSI quotes it at registration (test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco, 855-898-0711)..
  4. 4Background check. Complete a background check. Certified criminal background check obtained from your local law enforcement agency, plus court documents and a letter of explanation for any conviction.
  5. 5Other. Three notarized reference forms from people who know your electrical work, at least one from a licensed electrical contractor.
  6. 6Other. Primary Experience Record forms completed by the licensed electrical contractor(s) who can certify your 4 years of experience.
  7. 7Other. Affidavit of Citizenship with a secure and verifiable identity document, such as a driver's license or passport.

Published fees on this path total $110, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 8 hours of continuing education per cycle.

Four hours of approved continuing education per year, 8 hours per two-year renewal, recorded in CE Broker. Courses must relate to electrical contracting (codes and standards, business and law, safety and OSHA, materials and methods, theory) and come from a college or technical school, a trade or professional organization, a public utility or an electrical equipment manufacturer. At the first renewal, no hours are due if you have been licensed one year or less, and 4 hours are due if licensed between one and two years.

All electrical contractor licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years; late renewal with a late fee runs July 1 to July 31. The current renewal fee is listed on the Board's fee schedule in the GOALS portal.

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
  • Exam fee

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. Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors - Licensure Examinations Candidate Information Handbook (Rev. 11/2024) · PSI Services LLC and the Examination Development and Testing Unit, Georgia Professional Licensing Boards Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-2 - Qualifications for Licensure (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.01, 121-2-.03, 121-2-.06, 121-2-.11 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-3 - Application for Licensure (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.02, 121-3-.03 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-4 - License Issuance, Renewal, Reinstatement, Expiration, and Activation (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-4-.01, 121-4-.02, 121-4-.04 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Electrical Contractor Continuing Education · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Electrical Contractor License - Application for Licensure by Examination (Class 1 Restricted / Class 2 Non-Restricted), Revised 08/22 · Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Board of Electrical Contractors FAQ · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
  8. How-To Guide: Electrical Contractors · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026

Related