- Master electrician: 10,000 hours in at least 5 years, or an electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 hours, or a trade school or community college plus 8,000 hours. Journeyman: 8,000 hours in at least 4 years (2,000 commercial or industrial) plus 288 classroom hours.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Every three years. Residential wiremen, journeymen and masters complete at least 24 hours of continuing education each 3-year license period.
Do you need a state license in Colorado?
Colorado licenses electrical work at the state level through the Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA). Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Contact the city and county where you work for local requirements.
Colorado license types for electrical work
Colorado splits the work into 4 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential Wireman | Residential-only electrician license |
| Journeyman Electrician | Electrician license; cannot be the signing authority for a company |
| Master Electrician | Can serve as the responsible individual for one electrical contractor |
| Electrical Contractor | Business registration with the state |
Steps to get licensed in Colorado
- Register as an electrical apprentice and log hours under a licensed electrician.
- Complete 288 classroom hours and 8,000 hours to sit for the journeyman exam.
- Gain the extra hours, including planning, layout and supervision, needed for the master license.
- Apply online and pass the master electrician exam.
- Register your electrical contractor business with the master as responsible individual and proof of workers' comp and unemployment compliance.
- Renew and complete 24 hours of continuing education every 3-year period.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Master electrician: 10,000 hours in at least 5 years, or an electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 hours, or a trade school or community college plus 8,000 hours. Journeyman: 8,000 hours in at least 4 years (2,000 commercial or industrial) plus 288 classroom hours.
The license to apply for. Master Electrician license with Electrical Contractor registration.
Colorado electrical exams
Trade exam. Yes. A state electrical exam for each license level.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Colorado
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA).
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Proof of compliance with workers' compensation and unemployment insurance laws for the contractor registration.
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every three years. Residential wiremen, journeymen and masters complete at least 24 hours of continuing education each 3-year license period.
Reciprocity. Journeyman reciprocity through the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance with Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Endorsement is possible for other state-issued licenses earned by testing on the current code.
Good to know in Colorado
- A master electrician may be the responsible party for only one company.
- You cannot go from apprentice or residential wireman straight to master using experience.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for an electrician near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how electrical contractors run on Koira.