Michigan Sign Specialist License: Requirements, Experience, and the PSI Exam

Michigan Sign Specialist License: Requirements and the Exam

Michigan licenses electric sign installers under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (2016 PA 407), through the Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC) at the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The individual license is the Sign Specialist. The exam is scheduled and proctored by PSI and written by BCC staff. Here is what it takes.

Eligibility

Requirement	Sign Specialist
Minimum age	18
Experience	4,000 hours over at least 2 years in electric signs
Verified by	A licensed contractor
Education credit	Equivalent education may be credited toward the experience
Course	Completion of a sign course: the ATP Sign Electrician's Workbook or another board-approved course
Exam	One written exam with PSI, 75% to pass

The statute specifies experience in electric signs, so keep records that show the sign work itself.

Applying

1. Complete form BCC-341, LARA's application for the journeyman, master, fire alarm specialty technician and sign specialist examinations, with your verified experience and proof of the sign course.
2. Once LARA approves the application, PSI contacts you within about 10 business days to schedule.
3. Pay PSI the $100 exam fee. It is non-refundable and good for one year from payment.

Your application is valid for one year from LARA's first review. Pass the exam inside that year, or you will need to reapply.

The exam at a glance

Item	Detail
Vendor	PSI
Questions	32
Time	60 minutes
Passing score	75%
Fee	$100
Code	Questions are based on the 2023 NEC
Open book	Yes: the NEC, 2016 PA 407, 1972 PA 230 and the Michigan Electrical Code Rules (Part 8)

The bulletin scopes the exam to the act, its rules "relating to the electric signs", Part 8 "and applicable sections of the code". What is on the exam has the full topic list.

If you fail twice

The statute is specific for this license. If you fail the exam twice within two years, you must complete a board-approved course before you test again. Unlike the journeyman and master licenses, there is no one-year wait.

The PSI bulletin describes it differently ("2 attempts within 1 year", then reapply). Where the two disagree, the statute controls, but confirm with LARA before you plan a third attempt.

Pass rates

Neither LARA nor PSI publishes pass rates for any Michigan electrical exam.

Renewal

• The license renews every year and expires December 31. You may renew up to 60 days after expiration.
• The renewal fee is $40.
• Late fees: LARA's renewal page lists $50 for this license, while the administrative rule says $100. Check the current figure with LARA.
• If your license has been expired for three years or more, you reapply and retest.

Continuing education

Michigan does not require hours every year. You must complete a board-approved course on any update or change in the state construction code within 12 months after the change, and LARA notes this "does not happen every year". Neither the statute nor the current rules set an hour count. Courses are approved through CE Broker, and you submit proof only if you are audited.

LARA has a pending rule set to adopt the 2026 NEC. It has not been filed yet and takes effect 120 days after filing. Expect a code-update course to be due in the year after it takes effect.

Reciprocity

Michigan does not hold reciprocity with any other state. If you are licensed elsewhere, LARA evaluates your license and the other state's requirements case by case.

Two narrower routes exist:

• Military licensure without examination for service members, veterans and dependents who have held a license in another state for at least one year.
• The City of Detroit issues its own electrical licenses, separate from this state process.

Sign specialty contractors

There is no exam for a Sign Specialty Contractor license. The contractor license runs on a three-year cycle, expiring December 31 of every third year, at $200.

Getting ready

It is a short exam: 32 questions in one hour, on the 2023 NEC and Michigan law. Try our free practice test to see the style, or go to the full Michigan Sign Specialist exam prep. For the day itself, see Michigan Sign Specialist exam day.