How to Become an Electrician in New Jersey, NJ


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As in most states, you need to have a valid license in order to do electrical work in New Jersey. The following licenses can be obtained in New Jersey.

Board of Electrical Contractors Examiners

The licensing process is managed and regulated by the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. This board licenses and regulates electrical contractors, registers qualified journeyman electricians and is responsible for granting exemptions from licensure to persons or businesses engaged in telecommunications wiring. The board can be contacted at this page and can be found at P.O. Box 45006, Newark, N.J. 07101, (973) 504-6410.

New Jersey Electrical Contractor License

In order to apply for an electrical contractor license, you must submit an application to the Board for review. You should have, before applying, at least five years of practical hands-on experience working with tools in the electrical field in compliance with the National Electrical Code. Additionally you should be able to provide the relevant proof for the mentioned experience.

In more detail, the qualifications for an applicant are as follows (note that you must provide relevant proof for all of the following):

– You should be more than 21 years of age.

– You should have a high school diploma or equivalent certificate

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– You should have, immediately preceding the submission of the application, at least five years of practical hands-on experience working with tools in the installation, alteration, or repair of wiring for electric light, heat or power, which work shall have been done in compliance with the National Electrical Code. Alternatively, you may satisfy the practical hands-on experience requirement by having:

    • Completed a four-year apprenticeship program approved by both a Federal agency and a Federally certified State agency and at least one year of practical hands-on experience. As proof of the above, a certificate of completion issued by the apprenticeship program and a certification by an employer regarding the practical hands-on experience should also be submitted with the application.
    • Satisfied the eligibility requirements for a qualified journeyman electrician as described above and completed at least one year of practical hands-on experience. You will have to provide proof of having satisfied the eligibility requirements of a qualified journeyman electrician and a certification by an employer regarding the additional year of practical hands-on experience.
    • Earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and completed two years of practical hands-on experience. You shall provide a copy of your diploma and a certification by an employer regarding the additional two years of practical hands-on experience.
    • Worked in the field of electrical contracting for at least five years immediately preceding the date of application. You should provide a certification by an employer establishing that you have at least five years of practical hands-on experience.

After your application has been approved, you will receive a registration form which must be completed and sent to the testing service with the appropriate fees. After that, a three-part examination has to be successfully passed. Upon successfully passing the three-part examination, you will receive a packet of licensing information. You may find more information regarding the exams here.

Note that New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state.

You may check the relevant fees here. You may find information about the continuing education here and about the license renewal here.

Finally, don’t forget to check Electrician Jobs in New Jersey.

New Jersey Electrical Contractor License Renewal

The existing licensed electrical contractors have to renew their licenses/business permits before March 31 every three years (for example 2012, 2015, 2018, etc.).

You will have to remit a renewal application to the Board, along with the relevant renewal fee, prior to the date of license expiration. If you submit a renewal application within 30 days following the date of license expiration , you shall have to submit the renewal fee, as well as the late fee. If you don’t submit a renewal application within 30 days of license expiration, your license will suspended without a hearing. You may find the applicable fees here.

If you continue to engage in the practice of electrical contracting with a suspended license, you shall be subject to penalties as described here.

A licensee may renew his/her license by choosing inactive status. For more information on inactive status check the section N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.4 of Electricians Regulations.

If your license has been suspended due to no renewal, you may apply to the Board for reinstatement within five years following the date of license expiration. You will then have to submit a renewal application, all past delinquent renewal fees and the relevant reinstatement fee, as well as evidence of having completed all continuing education credits for the current triennial registration period within three years prior to the date of application for reinstatement. Similarly, if your license has been expired for more than five years, you will follow the same process, submit the relevant reinstatement fee and you shall have to retake and pass the National Electrical Contractor Licensing Examination.

New Jersey Electrical Contractor Continuing Education

Regarding continuing education, you should know that electrical contractors are required to meet specific requirements. Prior to renewing your license, you will have to complete a total of 34 hours of continuing education which includes nine hours of Code and one hour of New Jersey laws, rules and regulations. For the first triennial registration period after which you initially received licensure, you shall not be required to complete the continuing education requirements.

In more details, upon triennial license renewal, you shall have to attest that you have completed courses of continuing education of the types and number of credits specified below.

  1. You shall be required to complete, during the preceding triennial period a minimum of 34 credit hours of continuing education. You shall not be required to complete the continuing education requirements for the triennial registration period in which you initially received licensure. If you complete more than the minimum continuing education credits set forth, you may carry no more than eight of the additional credits into a succeeding triennial period. Any continuing education credits completed in compliance with an order or directive from the Board shall not be used to satisfy the minimum continuing education requirements.
  2. If you are not exempt pursuant to (1) above, you shall complete a minimum of a 10 hour course of study relating to the most recent edition of the National Electrical Code, nine hours of which shall pertain to the code and one hour of which shall pertain to applicable State statutes and rules.
  3. You may also obtain continuing education credits from successful completion of continuing education courses or programs approved by the Board, from participation in instructional activities such as developing curriculum for a new program or course and/or teaching a new program or course (provided the program or course is directly related to the practice of electrical contracting in the State of New Jersey) or from authorship of a textbook or manual or a chapter of a textbook or manual directly related to the practice of electrical contracting in the State of New Jersey (provided the textbook or manual, as published, is at least 7,500 words in length).

For more information, please check section 13:31-1.7 “CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS” of the Electrician Requirements textbook.

New Jersey Electrical Contractor License Exams

You will have to obtain a passing grade on the National Electrical Contractor Licensing Examination. If you fail to pass the Board examination, you shall not be eligible to retake the examination for six months from the date of the failed exams.

The exam includes these parts: electrical contractor trade, alarm systems and business and law.

Applications for Examination can be found here or you may contact the Board office at (973) 504-6410. The examination dates can be found here.

Recommended Reading for the Electrical Contractor’s Exams

Business and Law Exam

  • New Jersey Electrical Reference Manual, Experior Assessments, 1260 Energy Lane, St. Paul, MN 55108

Trade Exam

  • NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269
  • Alternating Current Fundamentals, Duff and Herman, Delmar Publishers, P.O. Box 6904, Florence, KY 41022
  • Direct Current Fundamentals, Loper and Tedsen, Delmar Publishers, P.O. Box 6904, Florence, KY 41022
  • Electric Motor Control, Walter N. Alerich, Delmar Publishers, P.O. Box 6904, Florence, KY 41022
  • American Electricians Handbook, Croft/Summers, McGraw-Hill Inc., Box 543, Blacklick, OH 43004-0543

Alarm Systems Exam

  • NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269
  • NFPA 72- National Fire Alarm Code, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269
  • Security, A Guide to Security System Design and Equipment Selection and Installation, Neil Cumming, Butterworth Heinemann, 225 Wildwood Ave., Woburn, MA 01801

New Jersey Qualified Journeyman Electrician License

In order to register as a qualified journeyman electrician, you shall submit the relevant registration fee and shall submit a completed application that establishes that you:

– Hold a current valid active license to practice electrical contracting issued by the Board.

– Have acquired 8,000 hours of practical experience working with tools in the installation, alteration or repair of wiring for electric light, heat or power, which work shall have been done in compliance with the National Electrical Code. Additionally, that you have had a minimum of 576 classroom hours of related instruction. The requirement of practical experience shall not include time spent in supervising, engineering, estimating and other managerial tasks. At least 4,000 hours of the practical experience shall have been obtained within five years of the date of application.

– You have gathered the required experience through alternative means, something that has to be proven to the satisfaction of the Board.

You may check the relevant fees here. You may find information about the continuing education here and about the license renewal here.

Finally, don’t forget to check Electrician Jobs in New Jersey.

New Jersey Qualified Journeyman Electrician Continuing Education

As a qualified journeyman electrician, upon triennial registration renewal, you shall have to attest that you have completed 10 credit hours of continuing education on the most recent edition of the National Electrical Code. A licensed electrical contractor who satisfies the relevant continuing education requirements shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of this section.

Note that any continuing education credits you may complete as qualified journeyman electrician in compliance with an order or directive from the Board shall not be used to satisfy the minimum continuing education requirements.

One credit of continuing education shall be granted for each hour of attendance at programs
or courses approved by the Board. Please note that credit shall not be granted for programs or courses that are less than one instructional hour long and also not for more than eight instructional hours obtained in one day. Completion of an entire program or course or segment of program or course instruction shall be required in order to receive any continuing education credit.

A qualified journeyman electrician shall maintain a certificate of completion from the sponsor for a period of six years after completion of the continuing education credits and shall submit such documentation to the Board upon request.

For more information, please check section 13:31-5.4 “CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS” of the Electrician Requirements textbook.

New Jersey Qualified Journeyman Electrician License Renewal

As a qualified journeyman electrician you shall renew your certificate of registration for a period of three years from the last expiration date. You shall remit a renewal application to the Board, along with the relevant renewal fee , prior to the date of registration expiration. If you submit a renewal application within 30 days following the date of registration expiration, you shall submit the renewal fee, as well as the relevant late fee. If you don’t submit a renewal application within 30 days of registration expiration shall have his or her certificate of registration suspended without a hearing.

If you have had your certificate of registration suspended due to expiration, you may apply to the Board for reinstatement within five years following the date of certificate of registration expiration. In this case, you shall submit a renewal application, all past delinquent renewal fees and the reinstatement fee, as well as evidence of having completed all continuing education credits, consistent with the requirements mentioned before, for the current triennial registration period within three years prior to the date of application for reinstatement.

A licensee may renew his/her license by choosing inactive status. For more information on inactive status check the section N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.3 of Electricians Regulations.

The following fees shall be charged by the Board:

1) Application fee (non-refundable) $10000
2) Initial license fee:

  • If paid during the first year of a triennial renewal period $15000
  • If paid during the second year of a triennial renewal period $10000
  • If paid during the third year of a triennial renewal period $5000

3) Triennial license renewal $15000
4) Late renewal fee (within 30 days) $5000
5) Reinstatement fee $10000
6) Initial business permit:
If paid during the first year of a triennial renewal period $7500
If paid during the second year of a triennial renewal period $5000
If paid during the third year of a triennial renewal period $2500
7) Triennial business permit renewal $7500
8) Late renewal fee, permit $2500
9) Initial/replacement seal press $2500
10) Duplicate license/business permit fee $2500
11) Replacement wall license/business permit $4000
12) Verification of licensure $2500
13) Qualified journeyman electrician registration fee:

  • If paid during the first year of a triennial $6000
  • If paid during the second year of a triennial $4000
  • If paid during the third year of a triennial $2000

14) Qualified journeyman electrician registration renewal $6000
15) Telecommunications wiring exemption – application fee and issuance of identification card (non-refundable) $12000
16) Continuing education sponsor fee $10000

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