- Individual contractor: 2,000 hours of work while holding a journeyman license, or an active Idaho master license. Master: journeyman license for at least 4 years. Journeyman: 8,000 apprentice hours plus a four-year course, or 16,000 hours.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- The Electrical Board is moving to licenses that renew every two years. Check with the board for your date.
Do you need a state license in Idaho?
Idaho licenses electrical work at the state level through the Idaho Electrical Board, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Electrical licensing is state only. Cities and counties cannot require extra electrical licenses, registrations or fees.
Idaho license types for electrical work
Idaho 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 |
|---|---|
| Electrical contractor | Business license, issued to an individual or a business entity. |
| Master electrician | For electricians who have held a journeyman license for at least four years. |
| Journeyman electrician | 8,000 apprentice hours plus a four-year course, or 16,000 hours of experience, then the exam. |
| Residential electrician | 4,000 hours plus a two-year course, then the exam. |
Steps to get licensed in Idaho
- Register as an apprentice and complete 8,000 hours plus the four-year course, or log 16,000 hours.
- Pass the journeyman exam and get your journeyman license.
- Work 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman, or get a master license.
- Apply for the electrical contractor license. After approval you get exam information.
- Pass the contractor exam, file proof of $300,000 liability insurance and workers' compensation, and pay the $125 license fee.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Individual contractor: 2,000 hours of work while holding a journeyman license, or an active Idaho master license. Master: journeyman license for at least 4 years. Journeyman: 8,000 apprentice hours plus a four-year course, or 16,000 hours.
The license to apply for. Electrical Contractor license.
Idaho electrical exams
Trade exam. A board-designated exam is required for the contractor license and for each electrician license.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Idaho
The board lists 3 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 |
|---|---|
| Electrical contractor license fee | $125 |
| Electrical contractor application processing fee | $15 |
| Master electrician application processing fee | $80 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. $300,000 liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance, unless exempted, filed after you pass the exam.
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. The Electrical Board is moving to licenses that renew every two years. Check with the board for your date.
Reciprocity. Idaho may make reciprocal agreements with states whose requirements are at least equal. Check with the board for current agreements.
Good to know in Idaho
- An individual applicant's insurance must be in the licensee's name; a business applicant's must be in the business name.
- Each contractor names one supervising electrician who is responsible for the license.
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 Idaho Electrical Board, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) 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.