Chicago Supervising Electrician License: Requirements and How to Apply

Chicago Supervising Electrician License: Requirements and How to Apply

Illinois has no state electrician license. Electricians are licensed by their city or village, and the biggest of those licenses is Chicago's supervising electrician. Every licensed electrical contractor in Chicago must be owned by or employ at least one, and all of the contractor's electrical work must be done by a supervising electrician or by employees working under one. Everything below comes from the Chicago Department of Buildings, Chapter 4-292 of the Municipal Code and Continental Testing Services (CTS), which gives the exam.

Two exams, two license types

A supervising electrician's license type follows the exam they passed. Chicago offers two:

Exam	Questions	Time	Covers
Supervising Electrician (General)	150	4 hours	All electrical work
Supervising Low Voltage Electrician	100	3 hours	Class 1, 2 and 3 remote-control, signaling and power-limited circuits and communications

Both need 70 to pass. Before 2018 the city offered other specialties; those are no longer given. This guide is about the General exam.

Who can apply

Under Section 4-292-020 and the Department of Buildings page, you must:

• Be at least 21 years old.
• Have at least two years of experience installing, altering, repairing and maintaining electrical wires, equipment and apparatus, or equivalent experience, under the direct supervision of a supervising electrician or equivalent person.
• Have that experience verified by letters from your supervisors. CTS's application asks for a letter on company letterhead from your Chicago-licensed supervising electrician. If you worked in a place that does not license electrical contractors, there is a separate route using a verification letter from that jurisdiction and a work history; ask CTS which applies to you.

There is no education requirement and no apprenticeship requirement for the exam itself.

How to apply

1. Apply through Continental Testing Services. CTS processes supervising electrician applications and gives the exams for the Department of Buildings. Apply on the CTS website for the next exam date.
2. Pay the exam fee, $150 per attempt.
3. Sit the paper exam in Chicago on your scheduled date. See what to expect on exam day.
4. If you pass, CTS sends a pass notice and an application for licensure. Pay the $150 license fee to the Department of Buildings.

Exam dates

CTS gives the exam about three times a year. The dates CTS lists ahead are:

Exam date	Register by
March 10, 2027	February 5, 2027
July 21, 2027	June 16, 2027
November 17, 2027	October 13, 2027

There are no make-up exams and no refunds. If you miss a date, register for the next one.

Fees (calendar year 2026)

Fee	Amount
Exam, each attempt	$150
Initial supervising electrician license	$150
Renewal, each year	$150
Reinstatement	$100 for each year (or part of a year) expired

The Department of Buildings posts fees by calendar year, so check its page for 2027 amounts.

If you fail

You must wait six months before applying to retake the exam (4-292-020(d)). Each attempt costs the exam fee again. CTS notes that many candidates who fail the first time pass on a later attempt.

Renewal

• The license runs one year from issue or renewal and is renewed through the Department of Buildings portal for $150.
• A license expired three years or more cannot be renewed; you apply for a new one.
• If you have not acted as a supervising electrician in the city, or pulled a permit, for three continuous years, you must pass the exam again (4-292-070).
• Neither Chapter 4-292 nor the Department of Buildings page lists a continuing education requirement.

Working outside Chicago

Because Illinois has no state license, each town sets its own rules. Many suburbs accept the Chicago exam: Aurora's contractor testing sheet, for example, lists Chicago among the municipal tests it accepts (that sheet dates from 2013, so confirm with the town). Springfield uses the ICC Master Electrician exam instead.

Practice for the exam

The exam is open book on the 2018 Chicago Electrical Code: the 2017 NEC with Chicago's Title 14E amendments. See what is on the exam, then try our free, untimed Chicago Supervising Electrician sample test. Every question cites the 2017 NEC, Title 14E, Municipal Code or OSHA section it comes from, and where Chicago changes a rule, the question follows Chicago.