Virginia Electrician License Requirements

Official classification: Contractor License (Class A/B/C) with Electrical (ELE) specialty; plus individual Electrician Tradesman license (Journeyman/Master) · Issued by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Board for Contractors.

⚡ ElectricianVA ✔ Verified 2026-06-17

License types

Class C contractor (ELE) — Single project under $30,000; up to $250,000 total work per 12 months
Class B contractor (ELE) — Single project under $150,000; up to $1 million total per 12 months; net worth $15,000
Class A contractor (ELE) — No monetary limit on project or annual value; net worth $45,000
Electrician Tradesman (Journeyman/Master) — Individual license required to perform electrical work; the contractor firm's Qualified Individual for the ELE specialty must hold a Master Electrician Tradesman license

Requirements at a glance

Experience required	Contractor specialty Qualified Individual: 1 year (Class C), 3 years (Class B), or 5 years (Class A) of electrical experience, and must hold a Virginia Master Electrician tradesman license. Journeyman tradesman: one of several pathways, e.g. 4 yrs experience + 240 hrs vocational training, 5 yrs + 160 hrs, 6 yrs + 80 hrs, 7 yrs + 40 hrs, or 8 yrs experience only. Master tradesman: 1 year as a licensed journeyman (or 9 years experience).
Application fee	Contractor license fee: Class A $425, Class B $405, Class C $260. Tradesman license (by exam or without exam): $150; additional designation $105.
License fee	Included in application fee above
Renewal fee	Contractor: Class A $270, Class B $260, Class C $220 (plus $30 Recovery Fund). Tradesman: $160.
Renewal period	Contractor license: every 2 years. Electrician tradesman license: every 3 years.
Continuing education	Contractor: none required. Electrician tradesman: 3 hours of board-approved continuing education (building code) per renewal.
Bond required	No surety bond is required. Class A/B firms must instead document net worth/equity ($45,000 Class A, $15,000 Class B); a surety bond on the Board's Surety Bond Form may be submitted as an alternative way to prove financial responsibility. Class C has no net-worth requirement.
Liability insurance	Not state-mandated by DPOR
Property damage	Not state-mandated by DPOR
Workers' comp	Required under Virginia law if the business has 3 or more employees (including subcontractors' employees)
Background check	Applicants disclose felony and recent non-marijuana misdemeanor convictions; Virginia residents with convictions must provide an original criminal history record from Virginia State Police dated within 90 days. No routine fingerprinting.
Credit requirement	Class A: $45,000 net worth/equity. Class B: $15,000. Class C: none. Class A/B applicants must also disclose adverse financial history (bankruptcies, liens, defaults) within the past 5 (A) / 4 (B) years.
Reciprocity	No blanket state-to-state reciprocity; out-of-state journeyman/master license holders in good standing may qualify for a Virginia tradesman license without re-examination by submitting a Letter of Good Standing
Processing time	Approximately 30 days for routine applications

Exams

Electrical trade exam (for tradesman license)	Provider: PSI Passing: Not publicly disclosed Fee: $100 (journeyman) / $125 (master), paid to PSI
Business exams - Class B: General + Virginia; Class A: General + Virginia + Advanced (Designated Employee)	Provider: PSI Passing: Not publicly disclosed Fee: Paid to PSI

Local / municipal notes

A Virginia contractor license is also required for any single job over $1,000; firms must additionally comply with local (city/county) licensing where work is performed.

Fees and rules change frequently (often annually). This page was last verified on 2026-06-17 — always confirm current requirements directly with the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Board for Contractors before applying. This is not legal advice.