Virginia Master Electrician License: Requirements, Experience, and How to Apply
What the Virginia Board for Contractors requires for a master electrician license: a journeyman license held a year, a residential license held three years, or nine years of experience — plus the $125 PSI exam, fees and renewal.
Virginia Master Electrician License: Requirements and How to Apply
Virginia licenses electricians through the Board for Contractors, part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), and the exams are given by PSI. Here is what the master license takes.
Who qualifies
Under 18VAC50-30-39 D, you need any one of:
- a Virginia journeyman license held for at least one year,
- a residential license held for three years, or
- nine years of practical experience in the trade.
If you do not hold a journeyman license yet, see Virginia Journeyman Electrician requirements.
Applying and testing
- Apply to DPOR with proof of your license or experience.
- Once approved, schedule with PSI online or by phone, at a test center or by remote proctoring.
- Sit the exam: 90 scored questions in 4½ hours, 63 correct (70%) to pass, open book on the 2020 NEC. What is on the exam breaks down every area.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| PSI exam | $125 (valid one year, non-refundable) |
| Original license | $150 ($171.75 on the DPOR form, with technology fees) |
Which code?
The exam tests the 2020 NEC, which Virginia adopted effective January 18, 2024, with the 2021 Uniform Statewide Building Code. The next code cycle is expected to take effect around October 2027; no exam switch date has been announced.
Renewal
Licenses renew every three years for $160. Each renewal needs 3 hours of continuing education on building code changes from a Board-approved provider.
Getting ready
Virginia does not publish exam pass rates. Try our free 10-question practice test on the 2020 NEC, or see the full Virginia Master Electrician exam prep.
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