Electrician license
Colorado electrician license
The Colorado State Electrical Board, part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies' Division of Professions and Occupations, licenses residential wiremen, journeyman and master electricians, registers apprentices and electrical contractors, and enforces the state electrical statutes. The licenses are Electrical Apprentice registration, Journeyman Electrician, Master Electrician, Residential Wireman and Electrical Contractor registration. Each is below with its hours, exam, fees and official source, followed by how to apply, renewal, reciprocity and the official license lookup.
Licenses at a glance
| License | Experience | Exam | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Apprentice registration | Not set in hours | No exam | Not confirmed: check with the board |
| Journeyman Electrician | 8,000 hours | 90 questions, 2026 NEC | Not confirmed: check with the board |
| Master Electrician | Not set in hours | 90 questions, 2026 NEC | Not confirmed: check with the board |
| Residential Wireman | 4,000 hours | 90 questions, 2026 NEC | Not confirmed: check with the board |
| Electrical Contractor registration | Not set in hours | No exam | Not confirmed: check with the board |
How to get each Colorado license
Electrical Apprentice registration
Requirements. No experience is needed. Create an apprentice record with the Board and have your electrical contractor attach you to its registration within 30 days of starting work. You stay registered as an apprentice until you hold a full Colorado license.
Exam. No exam for this license.
Fees. Not confirmed: check with the board
Apprentices with six or more years of registration take a separate Journeyman Wireman exam form under Colorado law.
Sources: State of Colorado Electrical and Plumbing Apprenticeships Quick Information Guide (October 2025); PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026).
Journeyman Electrician
Requirements. 8,000 hours of experience earned over at least four years, 2,000 of them in commercial or industrial work, plus 288 hours of classroom education documented by a transcript. Experience is documented on the Board's Affidavit of Experience, signed by the supervising electrical contractor.
Experience. 8,000 hours.
Exam. Required.
| Testing company | PSI |
|---|---|
| Code edition | 2026 NEC |
| Questions | 90 questions |
| Time | 240 minutes (4 hours) |
| Passing score | 70% (63 of 90) |
| Code book | Provided: the 2026 NEC and a formula page are given to you at the test center. You may not mark them or bring anything else. The 2023 book is available on request until December 1, 2026. |
| Exam fee | $78; a retest is $73 |
| Official bulletin | PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026) |
Fees. Not confirmed: check with the board
The 90 scored questions come with up to 10 unscored pre-test questions and 30 extra minutes.
Preparing for the Colorado journeyman exam. The Colorado journeyman electrician exam guide covers the format, the code book and the outline, and the free Colorado practice test scores you by subject with no account. The full course is $149, one payment, six months of access.
Sources: Colorado State Electrical Board: Applications and Forms (licensure requirements); Colorado State Electrical Board Electrical Licensing Guide; PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026).
Master Electrician
Requirements. One of: 10,000 hours of experience over at least five years; a bachelor's in electrical engineering plus 2,000 hours of construction experience; an electrical trade school or community college diploma plus 8,000 hours over four years; or the journeyman requirements plus 2,000 more hours over a year, including planning and layout and supervision while holding a Journeyman license.
Exam. Required.
| Testing company | PSI |
|---|---|
| Code edition | 2026 NEC |
| Questions | 90 questions |
| Time | 240 minutes (4 hours) |
| Passing score | 70% (63 of 90) |
| Code book | Provided: the 2026 NEC and a formula page at the test center. |
| Exam fee | $78; a retest is $73 |
| Official bulletin | PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026) |
Fees. Not confirmed: check with the board
Sources: Colorado State Electrical Board: Applications and Forms (licensure requirements); Colorado State Electrical Board Electrical Licensing Guide; PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026).
Residential Wireman
Requirements. 4,000 hours of residential-only experience earned over at least two years, or at least two years of accredited training.
Experience. 4,000 hours.
Exam. Required.
| Testing company | PSI |
|---|---|
| Code edition | 2026 NEC |
| Questions | 90 questions |
| Time | 240 minutes (4 hours) |
| Passing score | 70% (63 of 90) |
| Code book | Provided: the 2026 NEC and a formula page at the test center. |
| Exam fee | $78; a retest is $73 |
| Official bulletin | PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026) |
Fees. Not confirmed: check with the board
Sources: Colorado State Electrical Board Electrical Licensing Guide; Colorado State Electrical Board: Applications and Forms (licensure requirements); PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026).
Electrical Contractor registration
Requirements. A business registration. The company must hold or employ a licensed Master Electrician as its responsible individual (one company per master), with a signed Acknowledgment of Responsibility, and show it complies with workers' compensation and unemployment insurance laws.
Exam. No exam for this license.
Fees. Not confirmed: check with the board
Source: Colorado State Electrical Board: Applications and Forms (licensure requirements).
How to apply
Apply online through the DPO Online Services system, uploading your passing PSI score, transcripts and Affidavits of Experience. Applications expire one year after submission. Apply on the official site.
Sources: Colorado State Electrical Board: Applications and Forms (licensure requirements); Colorado State Electrical Board Electrical Licensing Guide.
Renewal and continuing education
| Renewal | Every three years, on the Board's code-adoption cycle. The current period's licenses expired September 30, 2026, with renewal open through November 30, 2026. |
|---|---|
| Continuing education | 24 hours of continuing education each three-year period from a Board-attested provider, at least 4 of them on NEC changes and no more than 4 on safety. Not required for the first renewal after passing your licensing exam. |
Sources: 3 CCR 710-1 State Electrical Board Rules and Regulations (Colorado Secretary of State); Colorado State Electrical Board homepage; Colorado Electrical CE.
Reciprocity with other states
Journeyman Electrician only, through the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance: Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. You must have passed that state's exam and held the license at least a year. Other states' licenses earned by testing on Colorado's current NEC may qualify by endorsement.
Sources: Colorado State Electrical Board: Applications and Forms (licensure requirements); Colorado State Electrical Board Electrical Licensing Guide.
Look up a Colorado electrician license
To check that an electrician or contractor is licensed, use the official DPO Verify a Colorado Professional or Business License.
Good to know
Colorado adopted the 2026 NEC effective August 1, 2026, and the exams moved to it the same day. The PSI bulletin's opening page still says the exams reference the 2023 edition; the August 2026 notice later in the bulletin governs.
Sources: 3 CCR 710-1 State Electrical Board Rules and Regulations (Colorado Secretary of State); PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026).
Common questions
Who issues electrician licenses in Colorado?
The Colorado State Electrical Board, part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies' Division of Professions and Occupations, licenses residential wiremen, journeyman and master electricians, registers apprentices and electrical contractors, and enforces the state electrical statutes.
How do I get a journeyman electrician license in Colorado?
Journeyman Electrician: 8,000 hours of experience earned over at least four years, 2,000 of them in commercial or industrial work, plus 288 hours of classroom education documented by a transcript. Experience is documented on the Board's Affidavit of Experience, signed by the supervising electrical contractor. Apply online through the DPO Online Services system, uploading your passing PSI score, transcripts and Affidavits of Experience. Applications expire one year after submission.
How many hours do you need to become a journeyman electrician in Colorado?
8,000 hours for the Journeyman Electrician.
How many questions are on the Colorado journeyman electrician exam?
90 questions in 240 minutes (4 hours), and the passing score is 70% (63 of 90).
Does Colorado accept electrician licenses from other states?
Journeyman Electrician only, through the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance: Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. You must have passed that state's exam and held the license at least a year. Other states' licenses earned by testing on Colorado's current NEC may qualify by endorsement.
How often does a Colorado electrician license renew?
Every three years, on the Board's code-adoption cycle. The current period's licenses expired September 30, 2026, with renewal open through November 30, 2026. Continuing education: 24 hours of continuing education each three-year period from a Board-attested provider, at least 4 of them on NEC changes and no more than 4 on safety. Not required for the first renewal after passing your licensing exam.
How do I look up an electrician license in Colorado?
Use the official DPO Verify a Colorado Professional or Business License at https://apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Colorado's own licensing board, statute or rule, or the testing company the board names. Where a fact could not be confirmed from one of them, the page says to check with the board. Rules and fees change: confirm with the board before you apply.
- Colorado State Electrical Board: Applications and Forms (licensure requirements), opened November 11, 2026
- Colorado State Electrical Board homepage, opened November 11, 2026
- PSI candidate information bulletin, Colorado State Electrical Board (updated 6/18/2026), opened November 11, 2026
- Colorado State Electrical Board Electrical Licensing Guide, opened November 11, 2026
- State of Colorado Electrical and Plumbing Apprenticeships Quick Information Guide (October 2025), opened November 11, 2026
- 3 CCR 710-1 State Electrical Board Rules and Regulations (Colorado Secretary of State), opened November 11, 2026
- Colorado Electrical CE, opened November 11, 2026
- DPO Online Services: Verify a Colorado License, opened November 11, 2026
Electrician license requirements in every state · How to become an electrician · Journeyman electrician license · Master electrician license
Last verified November 11, 2026.