- Unlimited contractor: 12,000 verifiable hours, including 4,000 hours as a licensed unlimited journeyman and 6,000 hours of commercial or industrial work. Residential contractor: 8,000 hours, including 4,000 hours as a journeyman.
- Plan for a trade exam and a business and law exam.
- $5,000 license bond for an active electrical contractor.
- Every year, by the end of your birth month. Journeymen and contractors need 12 hours of continuing education every three years, including 6 hours on code.
Do you need a state license in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma licenses electrical work at the state level through the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB). Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
State licensed electrical contractors must also register with each city or town where they work.
Oklahoma license types for electrical work
Oklahoma splits the work into 3 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 |
|---|---|
| Unlimited Electrical Contractor | Any type of electrical contracting |
| Residential Electrical Contractor | Wiring for one and two family dwellings |
| Limited Electrical Contractor | Owner, partner or officer with an engineering degree or long commercial experience; may not do apprentice or journeyman work |
Steps to get licensed in Oklahoma
- Register as an electrical apprentice and log your hours under a licensed contractor.
- Earn your journeyman license, then build the journeyman hours your contractor class needs.
- Apply for the contractor license and pay the $30 application fee.
- Pass the PSI contractor exam, including the business and law portion.
- File the $5,000 license bond and proof of $50,000 liability insurance.
- Register with each city where you work, and renew every year with your continuing education.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Unlimited contractor: 12,000 verifiable hours, including 4,000 hours as a licensed unlimited journeyman and 6,000 hours of commercial or industrial work. Residential contractor: 8,000 hours, including 4,000 hours as a journeyman.
The license to apply for. Electrical Contractor (unlimited, residential or limited).
Oklahoma electrical exams
Trade exam. Yes. Contractor and journeyman exams are given through PSI. The passing grade is 70 percent for exams taken on or after November 1, 2024.
Business and law exam. Yes. The contractor exam includes a business and law portion.
What it costs in Oklahoma
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 |
|---|---|
| Contractor application | $30 |
| Initial contractor license | $300 |
| Contractor renewal (yearly) | $200 |
| Journeyman application | $25 |
| Initial journeyman license | $50 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Active contractors need general liability of at least $50,000 combined single limit, with the CIB listed as certificate holder.
Bond. $5,000 license bond for an active electrical contractor.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every year, by the end of your birth month. Journeymen and contractors need 12 hours of continuing education every three years, including 6 hours on code.
Reciprocity. Possible if your state has a written reciprocity agreement with Oklahoma and you have held your license in good standing for at least one year.
Good to know in Oklahoma
- Every electrical contractor must be an owner, partner or officer of the electrical firm.
- Alarm work needs a separate alarm endorsement with a criminal history check.
- Apprentices need 3 hours of continuing education each year before they reregister.
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 Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB) 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.