How to Verify an Electrician's License

Quick answer

First determine whether your state licenses electricians at the state level or delegates to cities and counties. For state-licensed electricians, search the state electrical board or contractor licensing portal. For locally licensed electricians (e.g., New York City, Chicago), search the local licensing authority. There is no national electrician license database — verification is always with the issuing authority.

Electrician license types

Licensing tiers vary by state but generally follow this progression:

License Type	Scope
Apprentice Electrician	May work only under direct supervision of a licensed journeyman or master electrician; registered with state apprenticeship program
Journeyman Electrician	Can perform electrical work independently; cannot supervise apprentices in all states; cannot pull permits in most states
Master Electrician	Full scope of electrical work; can supervise journeymen and apprentices; typically required to pull permits
Electrical Contractor	Business license for operating an electrical contracting company; typically requires a licensed master electrician on staff
Residential Wireman / Limited License	Restricted to residential work; lower exam and experience requirements than a full journeyman license

For compliance hires, always confirm the license type authorizes the specific work being assigned. A journeyman license may be insufficient for permit-pulling roles even if the candidate is otherwise qualified.

State licensing vs. local licensing

The U.S. has no federal electrician licensing requirement. Licensing authority sits with states or local jurisdictions. The breakdown:

State-issued licenses: Most states (California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington) issue licenses statewide and maintain central lookups.
Local jurisdiction only: Some states (Illinois, New York, Massachusetts) delegate licensing to cities and counties. A Chicago electrical license does not authorize work in suburban Cook County without a separate license.
No state license requirement: A small number of states have no statewide electrician licensing — Kansas, Missouri, Colorado (for low-voltage work), and a few others defer entirely to local municipalities.

If you are unsure which authority applies, ask the electrician to identify the issuing agency on their license card. The license number format often indicates the issuing authority.

State electrical board portals

State electrician license lookups (selected)

California: California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) — cslb.ca.gov; License Check; search C-10 Electrical contractors
Texas: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — tdlr.texas.gov; Electrician license search
Florida: Florida DBPR — myfloridalicense.com; search Electrical Contractor or Electrical Inspector
North Carolina: NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — ncbeec.org; License Search
Oregon: Oregon Building Codes Division — oregon.gov/bcd; Electrical License Lookup
Washington: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries — verify.lni.wa.gov; Electrical License Search
Georgia: Georgia State Electrical Contractors Board — sos.ga.gov; License Lookup

Local license portals (selected)

New York City: NYC Department of Buildings — a.bldgs.nyc.gov/bisweb; Electrician License Search
Chicago: City of Chicago Department of Buildings — chicago.gov; Electrical Contractor License Lookup
Boston: City of Boston Inspectional Services — boston.gov; Electrician License Lookup

For states or cities not listed, search “[State/City] electrician license verification” to find the relevant authority.

IBEW membership vs. licensure

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is a labor union that represents electricians. IBEW membership indicates union standing but is not a license. An IBEW electrician must still hold the license required by the applicable state or local jurisdiction.

Conversely, a licensed electrician who is not an IBEW member may be fully qualified for a given role. Union membership is a separate employment consideration from license verification.

Contractor license and insurance verification

When hiring an electrical contractor (rather than an employee), also verify:

Contractor's license: In states that issue electrical contractor licenses separately from individual electrician licenses, confirm the business entity holds the contractor license.
General liability insurance: Request a certificate of insurance (COI) naming your company as additional insured. Minimum coverage amounts vary but $1M per occurrence is standard.
Workers' compensation insurance: Required in virtually all states for electrical contractors with employees. Verify active coverage through the insurer or state workers' comp board.
Bonding: Many states require licensed contractors to be bonded; the bond amount is often listed on the license record.

Verification checklist

1. Determine whether licensing is state-issued or locally issued for the jurisdiction where work will occur
2. Collect the electrician's name and license number
3. Search the state or local electrical licensing portal — confirm Active status and expiration date
4. Confirm the license type (journeyman vs. master vs. contractor) is appropriate for the role
5. Review disciplinary history on the license record
6. For contractor hires, request and verify COI (general liability and workers' comp)
7. Set renewal reminder — electrician licenses typically renew every 1–3 years depending on state

Verify trade school program accreditation

Electricians trained through vocational schools and trade programs should have completed programs at accredited institutions. Use VerifyED to confirm the school and program were accredited before accepting educational credentials.

Search Schools and Accreditation →