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Electrical Contractor

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Step 1: Experience

3 Easy Steps for Licensure in Kentucky

  1. Gain necessary hands-on work experience and required classroom training to become an electrician

  2. Take the required licensing exam

  3. Apply to earn the Electrical Contractor license

 

You can obtain the required job experience in the Military, at a technical school, a qualified apprenticeship program, or by serving as an assistant or technician under the supervision of a licensed electrician.

The licensing department shall issue an Electrical Contractor license to an applicant who meets the following requirements:

  • Has paid to the department the application fee not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200) and the appropriate examination fee, which shall not exceed the actual cost of examination;

  • Has achieved a passing score, as set by the department, on all portions of the examination required by the department. The department shall promulgate administrative regulations to specify who shall take the examination if the applicant is a business entity; and

  • Has submitted proof that he or she has complied with workers' compensation and unemployment insurance laws and administrative regulations and has obtained a general liability insurance policy of not less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

 

Proof of experience shall be provided by:

  • Tax returns or other official tax documents that indicate the applicant's occupation or the nature of the applicant's business activities, including Federal Schedule C, Form 1040 Form 1099, or local occupational tax returns;

  • A copy of a business license issued by a county or municipal government that did not issue electrical contractors, master electrician's, or electrician's licenses prior to June 24, 2003, if the business license indicates the applicant operated as an electrical contractor or worker;

  • A sworn affidavit, on the affiant's letterhead, certifying that the affiant has personal knowledge that the applicant has worked as a master electrician or an electrician for at least one (1) of the following:

    • An electrical workers union;

    • A certified electrical inspector; or

    • An employer that employed the applicant as an electrician or a master electrician; or

  • Records of a branch of the United States Armed Forces that indicate the applicant performed a function that primarily involved electrical work. Experience gained while in the military shall be deemed to have been earned in Kentucky.

  • Additional proof of experience shall be requested by the department, prior to or after licensing, if the department has reason to believe that the experience shown is insufficient or nonexistent.

  • One (1) year of electrical experience shall consist minimally of 1,600 hours of electrical work in a contiguous twelve (12) month period.

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Step 2: Take Your Licensing Exam

After meeting the licensing requirements established by the Kentucky Electrical Division of the Public Protection Cabinet, you’ll be eligible for the Electrical Contractor Business and Law exam, administered by Pearson Vue.

 

Candidate Information Bulletin for Frequently Asked Questions

  • Prov has established eleven (12) testing centers within Kentucky where candidates can take their examinations. These testing centers are located in Ashland, Bowling Green, Florence, Frankfort, Highland Heights, Lexington, Louisville, Murray, Owensboro, Paducah and Somerset. Please refer to the individual list for each site for its testing availability and directions.

  • Exams are $80

  • 70% required for passing score

  • Authorized reference materials are permitted during the exam

 

For Testing Questions - Prov 5200 NW 43rd Street, Suite 102-167 Gainesville, FL 32606 Phone: (866) 720-7768 Fax: (386) 518-6419 www.provexam.com Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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Step 3: Apply For Your License

Electrical licenses are issued through the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction.

 

Per 815 KAR 35:060

 

An applicant seeking an electrical contractor's license shall submit to the department:

  • A completed Electrical Contractor's License Application, Form EL-2;

  • An application fee of $200 for a twelve (12) month license;

  • The name and license number of the master electrician affiliated with the applicant; and

  • Proof of insurance as required by KRS 227A.060(1)(c). Has submitted proof that he or she has complied with workers' compensation and unemployment insurance laws and administrative regulations and has obtained a general liability insurance policy of not less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

  • Has achieved a passing score, as set by the department, on all portions of the examination required by the department. The department shall promulgate administrative regulations to specify who shall take the examination if the applicant is a business entity

  • Photograph requirement. All electrical license applicants shall submit a passport-sized color photograph of the applicant taken within the past six (6) months.

 

     Per 227A.060 Qualifications for licensure -- Provisional license

The department shall issue a provisional license as an "electrical contractor" to an applicant who meets the following requirements:

  • Has paid to the department the application fee not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200) and the appropriate examination fee, which shall not exceed the actual cost of examination;

  • Has achieved a passing score, as set by the department, on all portions of the examination required by the department. The department shall promulgate administrative regulations to specify who shall take the examination if the applicant is a business entity; and

  • Has submitted proof that he or she has complied with workers' compensation and unemployment insurance laws and administrative regulations and has obtained a general liability insurance policy of not less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

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Licensure Renewal

  • A license shall be valid for one (1) year and shall be renewed on or before the last day of the licensee's birth month. For electrical contractor licenses issued to corporations, partnerships, or business entities without a birth month, the renewal month shall be the month the license was issued.

  • Filing for renewal. An electrical contractor shall submit to the department:

  • A license that is in inactive status shall be exempt from annual renewal.

    • An inactive license shall be reactivated upon payment of the annual renewal fee, the reactivation fee, and upon compliance with the continuing education requirements established in 815 KAR 2:010.

  • A licensee who applies for reissuance of a license pursuant to 2018 Ky. Acts ch. 186, sec. 2 shall submit to the department:

    • A completed: Electrical Contractor's License Application, Form EL-2 for an electrical contractor

  • Proof of licensure as described in 2018 Ky Acts ch. 186, sec. 2;

    • A reissuance fee of $100; and

    • Proof of insurance as required by KRS 227A.060(1)(c) and this administrative regulation for an electrical contractor.

      • The reissued license shall be valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance. The reissued license holder shall obtain a full license if the reissued license holder passes the corresponding license examination pursuant to Section 4 of this administrative regulation.

      • If the individual with the reissued license fails to take and pass an examination within one (1) year of reissuance, the department shall terminate the license.

  • A licensee who has not previously provided a passport-sized color photograph shall provide one (1) with the licensee's next application for renewal.

New to the Industry? 

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For your convenience, you can access the steps below via a PDF

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