Montana Residential Electrician License: Requirements and the PSI Exam
How to get a Montana residential electrician license: the residential apprenticeship and 4,000-hour routes, what the license covers, the PSI exam (50 open-book questions, 70% to pass), the move to the 2023 NEC on January 1, 2027, fees and renewal.
Contents
Montana Residential Electrician License: Requirements and the Exam
Montana's State Electrical Board issues a Residential Electrician license for dwelling work. It takes half the experience of a journeyman license, and you earn it by passing a computer exam given by PSI.
What the license covers
A residential electrician wires residential construction of fewer than five living units in a single structure, and works only while employed by a licensed electrical contractor (ARM 24.141.2301). Commercial work and larger apartment buildings need a journeyman or master license.
Who can sit the exam
You need one of these (MCA 37-68-305):
| Route | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Apprenticeship | An approved residential electrician apprenticeship program |
| Work experience | 4,000 hours of practical experience in residential construction of fewer than five living units |
| Union or trade association | An appropriate training program run by a bona fide union or trade association |
| Maintenance | 20,000 hours in electrical maintenance, certified by your employer, with at least 8,000 hours of practical experience |
The exam in brief
| Item | Montana Residential Electrician |
|---|---|
| Given by | PSI, by computer |
| Questions | 50 |
| Time | 2.5 hours |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Format | Open book |
| Code | 2020 NEC through December 31, 2026; 2023 NEC from January 1, 2027 |
| Exam fee | $75 to PSI |
The edition is changing. Montana adopted the 2023 NEC, with its own amendments, on September 26, 2026, and the State Electrical Board has said the exams move to it on January 1, 2027. PSI's bulletin still lists the 2020 NEC; confirm the edition for your date when you schedule.
Fees and renewal
- Application for a license by exam: $190 to the Board, including the original license fee.
- Exam: $75 to PSI for each attempt.
- Renewal: every two years, $140.
- Continuing education: 16 hours for each year of the renewal cycle, at least 8 of them on NEC updates (ARM 24.141.2102).
Licensed in another state?
Montana licenses by substantial equivalency. For residential electricians, its current list accepts licenses from Alaska, Arkansas, Oregon and Utah. Confirm with the Board before you apply.
Moving up later
A journeyman license needs its own exam and qualifying route (an electrical apprenticeship or 8,000 hours of practical experience, among others). A residential electrician who advances to a higher license is not exempt from that license's continuing education (ARM 24.141.2102).
Practice for the exam
Our Montana Residential Electrician practice test sticks to dwelling work on the 2023 NEC as Montana amends it. See what is on the exam and what to expect on exam day.
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