Idaho Electrical Contractor License: Requirements, Insurance, and Application

Not the Same as Individual Licensing

Holding a Journeyman or Master Electrician license in Idaho lets you perform electrical work. It does not let you bid on projects, sign contracts, or pull permits as a business. For that, you need a separate Electrical Contractor license from DOPL — and the requirements go well beyond trade skills.

Step 1: Form Your Business Entity

Register your company with the Idaho Secretary of State's office before you touch the DOPL application. This can be a sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation. Your business entity must be legally established before DOPL will process your contractor application.

Step 2: Designate a Supervising Electrician

Every electrical contracting company must have a full-time "supervising electrician" on staff. This person must hold either an active Idaho Master Electrician license, or an active Idaho Journeyman license with at least 2,000 hours of documented journeyman-level experience.

If you are a sole proprietor with the matching credential, you serve as your own supervising electrician. If not, you must hire someone who qualifies and formally designate them with DOPL.

This role carries real consequences. If your supervising electrician leaves the company, you must notify DOPL in writing within ten days and immediately stop all bidding, contracting, and electrical work. Operating during a designee vacancy is a major violation that can result in permanent license revocation.

Step 3: Pass the Contractor Exam

Your designated supervising electrician must register for and pass the Idaho Electrical Contractor Business and Law Exam through PSI. The exam covers business management, Idaho labor laws, trade safety regulations, lien laws, and contract administration. The passing score is 70%, and the exam fee is $75.

Reference materials must be printed and bound — the DOPL Contractors' Business and Law Reference Manual is the primary allowed text. Silent, non-programmable calculators are permitted.

Step 4: Secure Insurance

Idaho requires two types of insurance for electrical contractors:

General liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $300,000 for products and completed operations. This is non-negotiable — DOPL will not process your application without a certificate of insurance showing this minimum.

Workers' compensation insurance covering all employees. If you have no employees, you must submit a signed DOPL Workers' Compensation Exemption Form instead.

Step 5: Submit and Pay

Once you have your entity registration, designated supervising electrician, passing exam score, and insurance certificates assembled, submit the complete application through DOPL's online portal. The total initial cost is $140 — a $15 application processing fee plus a $125 license fee.

Contractor licenses currently renew annually at $100, though DOPL is transitioning to a biennial cycle that will double the renewal fee to $200. If your license lapses, reinstatement costs $125.

Do Not Confuse Two Boards

Idaho has both an Electrical Board (under DOPL) and a separate State Contractors Board. The Contractors Board handles general contractor registration for builders working on projects over $2,000 — that is a different registration from your Electrical Contractor license. If your company does both general construction and electrical work, you may need registrations with both boards.

The Idaho Electrician License Guide maps out the full contractor setup sequence and includes a document-assembly checklist so you can submit a complete application packet the first time.

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