- Master: six years of full time experience, or four years full time under a Master Electrician plus two years of technical training. Limited: three years under a Master or Limited Electrician. A completed registered apprenticeship certificate can stand in for the experience proof.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Every two years, with each licensure period ending June 30 of an even numbered year. Active Master and Limited electricians need 10 hours of approved continuing education per full period, 5 of them on the National Electrical Code starting with the second renewal. Late renewals add 50 percent.
Do you need a state license in Delaware?
Delaware licenses electrical work at the state level through the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Delaware license types for electrical work
Delaware splits the work into 7 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 |
|---|---|
| Master | Full electrical license |
| Master Special | One specialty such as electric signs, elevators, HVAC, primary distribution, pools or refrigeration |
| Limited | Limited electrician license |
| Limited Special | One specialty such as HVAC or pools |
| Journeyperson | Electrical work under supervision while gaining experience |
| Residential | Residential electrician license |
| Apprentice | Enrolled apprentice |
Steps to get licensed in Delaware
- Finish an approved apprenticeship, or build six years of full time experience under a licensed electrician (or four years plus two years of technical training).
- Create a DELPROS account, apply for the Master license and pay the $203 fee.
- Have each employer send a Verification of Employment form directly to the board at least 45 days before your test date.
- After board approval, schedule and pass the ProV exam with at least 75 percent.
- Send proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 so the license can be issued.
- Get a Delaware business license from the Division of Revenue, and renew every two years with your continuing education.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Master: six years of full time experience, or four years full time under a Master Electrician plus two years of technical training. Limited: three years under a Master or Limited Electrician. A completed registered apprenticeship certificate can stand in for the experience proof.
The license to apply for. Master Electrician.
Delaware electrical exams
Trade exam. Yes. The board must approve you to sit for the exam. Exams are given by ProV and based on the National Electrical Code adopted in Delaware. You need at least 75 percent to pass.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Delaware
The board lists 5 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Master Electrician application | $203 |
| Master Electrician Special application | $200 |
| Limited Electrician application | $127 |
| Journeyperson or Residential Electrician application | $105 |
| Apprentice Electrician application | $100 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Master and Limited electricians must show general liability insurance of at least $300,000. You can take the exam first, but the license is not issued until proof arrives.
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every two years, with each licensure period ending June 30 of an even numbered year. Active Master and Limited electricians need 10 hours of approved continuing education per full period, 5 of them on the National Electrical Code starting with the second renewal. Late renewals add 50 percent.
Reciprocity. Holders of a license from Maryland or New Jersey do not need to prove experience. Applicants licensed in many other states, including Florida, Georgia, Virginia and DC, need five years of experience after licensure.
Good to know in Delaware
- Experience gained in Delaware after June 30, 2012 only counts if you held an Apprentice or Journeyperson license at the time.
- Pennsylvania does not issue state electrical licenses, so applicants holding only a Pennsylvania municipal license must apply by exam.
- Contractors also need a Delaware business license from the Division of Revenue.
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 Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Electrical Examiners 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.