How to get a Journeyman Electrician license in Vermont
Vermont licenses electricians statewide through the Division of Fire Safety (DFS).1 For the Journeyman Electrician license you need a passing score on the Vermont Journeyman Electrician2. The board lists $115 for the initial license3. You renew every 3 years4 and complete at least 15 hours of continuing education4.
Who issues it
Division of Fire Safety (DFS)
Training and experience
An approved education program; see the requirements
Exam
Vermont Journeyman Electrician2
On this page
- Vermont electrician licenses
- Applies to every license level
- Who needs a Journeyman Electrician license
- Requirements for a Journeyman Electrician license
- How much a Journeyman Electrician license costs
- How to apply
- Renewal and continuing education
- Moving to Vermont with a license from another state
- Type-S Journeyman Electrician (Electrical Specialist)
- Master Electrician
- City and county rules
- Check a license or report a problem
- Laws and rules
- Rule changes since January 2024
- Common questions
- Electrician licenses in other states
Vermont electrician licenses
Vermont issues 3 electrician credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.
| License | What it covers | Training or experience | Exam | Application or license fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | Performs electrical installations under the direction of a master electrician (or a Type-S journeyman in that specialty) and may supervise apprentices and helpers employed by a master.4 | – | Yes4 | $1153 |
| Type-S Journeyman Electrician (Electrical Specialist) | Designs, installs, repairs, maintains and replaces electrical installations only in the specialty field on the license, and may only install branch circuits from the existing service; may employ licensed persons and supervise apprentices/helpers. Fields: A1 gas/oil heating and heat pumps, B2 outdoor advertising, C3 refrigeration/air conditioning, D4 appliance and motor repairs, E5 well pumps, F6 farm equipment, G7c commercial fire alarm, G7g gas pumps/bulk plants, G7k electrical locks, G7l lightning rods, G7s solar.1 | Experience 2,000 hours3 | Yes4 | $1153 |
| Master Electrician | Designs, installs, repairs, maintains and replaces electrical installations (including lightning rods, fire alarms and fire detection systems and all Type-S specialty fields) as a business, and may employ licensed electricians and helpers. Electrical work notices in complex structures must be filed by a master or Type-S journeyman.4 | Experience 2 years4 | Yes4 | $1503 |
Applies to every license level
These rules are the same for several of the Vermont electrician licenses on this page, so they are shown once here, with the licenses they apply to. Each license's own section lists only what differs.
1. Every license level (all 3)
Requirements
- Background check
- The application has four compliance questions (child support, taxes, unemployment compensation, fines/penalties) and a statement under penalty of perjury; no criminal-history question was found.3
- Social Security number
- Social Security Number required on all applications.3
- Also required
- Applicant must give at least three unrelated references with knowledge of their electrical background; application must be signed and notarized; SSN and email required.3
- Also required
- Must complete the Vermont Energy Goals education module (certificate submitted with the application).5
Fees
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam fee | $802 | Prov, Inc. (ProV) | Not refundable |
| Exam retake fee | $802 | Prov, Inc. (ProV) | – |
| Other fee | $252 | Prov, Inc. (ProV) | The cost of the hand score. Optional hand-score re-check of an exam |
| Other fee | $104 | DFS | The fee for a certificate for framing shall be. Optional framed certificate |
| Duplicate or replacement license | $204 | DFS | The fee for replacement of a lost or damaged license shall be |
Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.
How to apply
- Complete the Vermont Energy Goals education module and keep the completion certificate.5
- Fill in the DFS Electricians' License Application (references, education, experience, employer affidavits), have it notarized, and mail it with a check payable to the Division of Fire Safety to 45 State Dr, Waterbury, VT 05671 at least two weeks before a Board meeting.3 Form (PDF, firesafety.vermont.gov)5
- After Board approval, schedule the exam with ProV (computer-based, $80) and pass with 70%; DFS mails the license after a pass.2
- Application form
- Form (PDF, firesafety.vermont.gov)5
- Processing time
- Applications must reach DFS at least two weeks before an Electricians' Licensing Board meeting or they go on a later agenda; no processing time in days is published.3
Renewal
- How often
- Every 3 years4
- When it expires
- Licenses expire on the last day of a month designated by the Board and are valid three years; renew before expiry with the renewal application, CE certification, child-support and tax certifications and fee.1
- Approved courses
- Instruction must be approved by the Board; DFS publishes a searchable list of approved electrical CE seminars.4
- Late renewal
- Late renewal fee: $254 (renewal within one year after expiry)
- If it expires
- A lapsed license may be renewed within one year with a $25 late fee; no unsupervised electrical work while lapsed, and work notices are not issued on an expired license.1
After one year, a new application is required (the Board may waive re-examination for undue hardship).1 - Renew online
- vt.accessgov.com5
From another state
- Route
- Reciprocity agreements
- What the board says
- National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA): a license held in good standing for 1 year in a NERA member state qualifies to apply for a Vermont license.1
- States on Vermont's list
- The pages cited here give no list of partner states for this route; the board's words above say who qualifies. Ask the board which states it has agreements with.
- Conditions
- License held and in good standing for 1 year in the NERA member state.1
2. Every license level except Master Electrician
From another state
- Route
- Reciprocity agreements
- What the board says
- Reciprocity: a master or journeyman license from a state with equivalent standards that grants Vermont licensees the same privilege. Reciprocal agreements cover residents of New Hampshire and Maine (certified letter + copy of license).4
- States on Vermont's list
- Maine and New Hampshire3
This is the list of states whose licenses Vermont accepts for this route. It does not say those states accept a Vermont license. - Conditions
- Residents of Maine or New Hampshire only; include certified letter(s) from the reciprocating state and a copy of the license.3
- Fee
- $1153
3. Every license level except Type-S Journeyman Electrician (Electrical Specialist)
Renewal
- Continuing education
- At least 15 hours each renewal period4
Who needs a Journeyman Electrician license
Performs electrical installations under the direction of a master electrician (or a Type-S journeyman in that specialty) and may supervise apprentices and helpers employed by a master.4
Work that does not need this license:
- No license needed for electrical work in a building used for dwelling purposes with no more than two dwelling units (but the electrical rules still apply to single-family rentals and ADUs used as rentals).4
- Electrician's helpers working under the direct supervision of an appropriately licensed person need no license.4
Other rules on who may do this work:
- Owners and their regular employees in the owner's freestanding single-unit residence, its outbuildings, or owner-occupied farm structures.4
- Industrial/manufacturing plant work supervised by the operator's electrical engineer or master electrician; laboratory experimental wiring; vocational-school training projects.4
- Solar modules and racking on complex structures up to the connection to field-fabricated wiring, and erection of net-metered wind turbines.4
- Penalty for unlicensed work: fine of up to $500 per offense.4
Requirements for a Journeyman Electrician license
More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.
- Education or training
- Completion of an apprenticeship in electrical wiring with both instruction and practice in work processes, verified by the Vermont Apprenticeship Council, or equivalent training and experience acceptable to the Board.4
Who may teach it: Apprenticeship registered with the Vermont Department of Labor Apprenticeship Division.1
Alternative: Equivalent training and experience in or outside Vermont acceptable to the Board, documented with employer affidavits.4
Alternative: Apprenticeship served in another state may be recognized.4 - Experience
- Practice in work processes as part of the apprenticeship; those who completed the Vermont Apprenticeship Program within the past two years submit the completion certificate instead of affidavits.3
Supervision: Apprentices and helpers work under a master, or a journeyman under a master's direction, who is physically present and immediately available.1 - Exam
- Vermont Journeyman Electrician2
Given by: Prov, Inc. (ProV), under contract with the Board; register at provexam.com.2
Passing score: 70%2
When you can take it: The Board may let an applicant who has finished the instruction part of the apprenticeship take the exam early; the license is issued only after the work-experience part is completed.1
90 questions, 4 hours (computer-based; Spanish version available).2
Retakes: Two more attempts after a failure (no waiting period, same fee); after a third failure, reapply with a new application, fees and Board approval, and complete at least 8 hours of NEC/fire alarm code or exam-prep education.1
Time limit: Board approval to sit the exam is valid for three years.1
Exam waived: No exam for holders of another state's license (reciprocity/endorsement) or military 12R electricians meeting the hours requirement.4
How much a Journeyman Electrician license costs
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial license fee | $1153 | DFS | For a journeyman’s license (initial and renewal). Three-year license (same fee for initial and renewal) |
How to apply
- Complete a registered electrical apprenticeship (Vermont Apprenticeship Council) or gather proof of equivalent training and experience.4
Renewal and continuing education
- Renewal fee
- $1154 (Three-year renewal)
Renewal planner
Enter the expiration date printed on your Vermont Journeyman Electrician license. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.
Moving to Vermont with a license from another state
These are the routes DFS publishes for the Journeyman Electrician license. The other electrician licenses have their own routes in their sections below.
- Route
- Universal license recognition
- What the board says
- Universal license (endorsement): master and journeyman electricians licensed in good standing in another US jurisdiction for at least three years get a license without exam.4
- Conditions
- Include certified letter(s) from the issuing state(s), a photocopy of the license(s), the original issue date and how the license was obtained.3
- Fee
- $1153
Military service members, veterans and spouses: Military: a journeyman license without exam for service members/veterans (discharged within 2 years) designated 12R electrician (or equivalent) with at least 8,000 hours and four years of active-duty field work; master applicants get credit for 12R experience; application fees waived for qualified military members and spouses.4
Type-S Journeyman Electrician (Electrical Specialist)
Designs, installs, repairs, maintains and replaces electrical installations only in the specialty field on the license, and may only install branch circuits from the existing service; may employ licensed persons and supervise apprentices/helpers. Fields: A1 gas/oil heating and heat pumps, B2 outdoor advertising, C3 refrigeration/air conditioning, D4 appliance and motor repairs, E5 well pumps, F6 farm equipment, G7c commercial fire alarm, G7g gas pumps/bulk plants, G7k electrical locks, G7l lightning rods, G7s solar.1
Requirements
- Education or training
- Completion of an accredited training and experience program recognized by the Board for each specialty (or Board-accepted training and experience).4
Alternative: Training and experience acceptable to the Board, in or out of state.4 - Experience
- At least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training3
Proof of a recognized training program plus one year (2,000 hours) of experience for each specialty, shown by signed affidavits.3 - Exam
- Vermont Type-S specialty exam (one per field)2
Given by: Prov, Inc. (ProV), under contract with the Board; register at provexam.com.2
Passing score: 70%2
When you can take it: After Board approval of the application.1
Separate exam for each specialty, e.g. Appliance and Motor Repairs 35 questions/2 hours, Automatic Gas and Oil Heating 40 questions/1.5 hours, Commercial Fire Alarm 55 questions/2.5 hours.2
Retakes: Two more attempts after a failure (no waiting period, same fee); after a third failure, reapply with a new application, fees and Board approval, and complete at least 8 hours of NEC/fire alarm code or exam-prep education.1
Time limit: Board approval to sit the exam is valid for three years.1
Exam waived: No exam for holders of another state's license (reciprocity/endorsement) or military 12R electricians meeting the hours requirement.4
Fees
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial license fee | $1153 | DFS | For a type-S journeyman’s license (initial and renewal) per field. Per specialty field, three-year license (same fee for initial and renewal) |
How to apply
- Complete a recognized training program and one year (2,000 hours) of experience in each specialty field you want.3
Renewal
- Renewal fee
- $1154 (Per specialty field, three-year renewal)
- Continuing education
- At least 8 hours each renewal period4
- Required topics
- 8 hours of Board-approved instruction on the license holder's specialty in the preceding 36 months; holders of several Type-S licenses need no more than 15 hours in total (A1+C3 holders only 8).4
Multiple specialties: no more than 15 hours in total; a holder of only A1 and C3 needs no more than 8 hours.4
Vermont Energy Goals education module (not more than two hours) at initial licensure and every renewal.4
From another state
- Route
- Universal license recognition
- What the board says
- Universal license: the DFS application offers a "Universal license" route for specialists (certified letter and copy of license from the issuing state); the statute's 3-year endorsement rule names only master and journeyman electricians.3
- Conditions
- Include certified letter(s) from the issuing state(s), a photocopy of the license(s), the original issue date and how the license was obtained.3
- Fee
- $1153
Military service members, veterans and spouses: Application fees are waived for qualified military members and spouses.4
More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Applies to every license level.
Master Electrician
Designs, installs, repairs, maintains and replaces electrical installations (including lightning rods, fire alarms and fire detection systems and all Type-S specialty fields) as a business, and may employ licensed electricians and helpers. Electrical work notices in complex structures must be filed by a master or Type-S journeyman.4
Requirements
- Experience
- At least 2 years4
Licensed and working as a Vermont journeyman electrician for at least two years, or comparable experience and training (in or out of state) acceptable to the Board; the Board may credit journeyman experience in another state.1
License you must hold first: Vermont journeyman electrician license (or Board-accepted equivalent).3
Substitute: Experience as a licensed journeyman in another state may be recognized.4 - Exam
- Vermont Master Electrician2
Given by: Prov, Inc. (ProV), under contract with the Board; register at provexam.com.2
Passing score: 70%2
When you can take it: After Board approval of the application.1
105 questions, 5 hours; includes lightning protection, fire alarm and all Type-S specialty fields.1
Retakes: Two more attempts after a failure (no waiting period, same fee); after a third failure, reapply with a new application, fees and Board approval, and complete at least 8 hours of NEC/fire alarm code or exam-prep education.1
Time limit: Board approval to sit the exam is valid for three years.1
Exam waived: No exam for holders of another state's license (reciprocity/endorsement) or military 12R electricians meeting the hours requirement.4
Fees
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial license fee | $1503 | DFS | For a masters license (initial and renewal). Three-year license (same fee for initial and renewal) |
How to apply
- Hold a Vermont journeyman license for two years (or have Board-accepted comparable experience).1
Renewal
- Renewal fee
- $1504 (Three-year renewal)
From another state
- Route
- Reciprocity agreements
- What the board says
- Reciprocity: a master or journeyman license from a state with equivalent standards that grants Vermont licensees the same privilege. Reciprocal agreements cover residents of New Hampshire and Maine (certified letter + copy of license).4
- States on Vermont's list
- Maine and New Hampshire3
This is the list of states whose licenses Vermont accepts for this route. It does not say those states accept a Vermont license. - Conditions
- Residents of Maine or New Hampshire only; include certified letter(s) from the reciprocating state and a copy of the license.3
- Fee
- $1503
- Route
- Universal license recognition
- What the board says
- Universal license (endorsement): master and journeyman electricians licensed in good standing in another US jurisdiction for at least three years get a license without exam.4
- Conditions
- Include certified letter(s) from the issuing state(s), a photocopy of the license(s), the original issue date and how the license was obtained.3
- Fee
- $1503
Military service members, veterans and spouses: Military: master applicants who are service members or veterans get credit for 12R experience; the application asks for a DD-214, 12R course completion and 12,000 hours. Application fees are waived for qualified military members and spouses.4
More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.
City and county rules
Journeyman ElectricianNo local electrician licenses. Municipalities may run approved electrical inspection programs with their own inspection fees in place of state fees; Burlington requires electrical permits through its Trades Division alongside zoning approval.4
| City or county | What it requires | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | Electrical permit (with building/plumbing/mechanical permits) through the Trades Division online permit system; zoning approval first.6 | Official page6 |
Check a license or report a problem
Before you hire an electrician in Vermont, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Vermont is on the Vermont license lookup page.
- Look up a license
- data.vermont.gov5
- File a complaint
- vtdfs.powerappsportals.us5
Laws and rules
The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.
Rule changes since January 2024
- November 5, 2025: 2025 Vermont Electrical Safety Rules took effect (new: Vermont joined the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance; 1-year good-standing rule for NERA licenses; universal license after 3 years elsewhere).1
Common questions
Can I transfer my electrician license to Vermont?
DFS publishes these routes for the Journeyman Electrician license: reciprocity agreements1 and universal license recognition4. Conditions and forms.
Electrician licenses in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.
- Vermont Electrical Safety Rules, 2025 Edition (Effective 11/05/2025)Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire SafetyDated November 5, 2025Checked November 7, 2026
- 2026 PROV Bulletin (candidate bulletin for Vermont trade license exams)Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire SafetyDated January 1, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
- Electrical Application and Instructions - All ClassificationsVermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire SafetyChecked November 7, 2026
- 26 V.S.A. Chapter 15: Electricians and Electrical Installations (full chapter)Vermont General Assembly (Vermont Statutes Online)Checked November 7, 2026
- Electricians | Division of Fire SafetyVermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire SafetyChecked November 7, 2026
- Construction PermitsCity of Burlington, Department of Permitting & InspectionsChecked November 7, 2026