Minnesota Electrician License Requirements: Every Level Explained

Minnesota's Four-Tier Licensing System

Minnesota doesn't hand out a single "electrician license." The Department of Labor and Industry runs a four-tier system, and each tier unlocks a different scope of work. Confusing one for another — or skipping a step — creates the kind of problems that cost months to fix.

Here's what each credential actually authorizes and requires.

Registered Unlicensed Electrician (RE)

This is where every electrical career in Minnesota starts. You register through the DLI's iMS portal, pay $14, and need to be at least 17 years old. Processing takes about a week.

What it allows: Performing electrical work under the direct supervision of a licensed Journeyman or Master Electrician employed by the same company. The supervision ratio is strict — a maximum of two unlicensed workers per one licensed supervisor.

What it doesn't allow: Working unsupervised, pulling permits, or contracting work.

Renewal: Annual, on the last day of the month in which you registered. You need 2 hours of NEC-related continuing education and must submit your Work Experience Verification form (re_exp.pdf) with each renewal. Active renewal costs $19; expired reinstatement costs $24.

The critical detail most people miss: hours worked without active registration don't count toward your license. A lapsed registration isn't just a fine — it's lost time.

Class A Journeyman Electrician (AJ)

The Journeyman license is what separates supervised workers from professionals who can independently perform electrical installations.

Requirements:

• 48 months (8,000 hours) of supervised on-the-job training as a registered unlicensed electrician
• At least 24 months (4,000 hours) must be in direct wiring and installation
• Graduates of Board-approved two-year electrical technology programs receive 12 months (2,000 hours) of education credit, reducing the field requirement to 36 months
• Pass the 80-question, 5.5-hour open-book Journeyman exam with a score of 70% or higher
• $50 exam application fee, $53 initial licensing fee

What it allows: Performing wiring, installation, and repair of electrical systems across all occupancy types — commercial, industrial, and residential.

What it doesn't allow: Contracting, bidding, or planning work independently. A Journeyman must work as a W-2 employee of a licensed contractor or registered employer. You cannot pull permits with this license alone.

Renewal: Biennial, based on your issue date. Requires 16 hours of approved CE (minimum 12 hours NEC, up to 4 hours non-code).

Class A Master Electrician (AM)

The Master license adds planning, layout, and supervisory authority. It's also the credential required to serve as a contractor's Responsible Licensed Individual.

Requirements:

• Hold an active Journeyman license (or a four-year electrical engineering degree, or five years of qualifying experience in planning, layout, and supervision)
• 60 months total electrical experience, including at least 12 months as a licensed Journeyman
• Document at least 2 months each of planning, layout, and supervision experience
• Pass the 80-question, 5.5-hour Master exam with a 70% or higher score
• $50 exam fee

What it allows: Planning, designing, laying out, and supervising electrical installations. Serving as the RLI for one electrical contracting company.

What it doesn't allow: Contracting on your own without a separate Contractor license. A Master license is a personal credential — it doesn't authorize bidding or pulling permits unless attached to a licensed contracting business.

Renewal: Biennial, by the last day of February in odd-numbered years. Same 16-hour CE requirement as Journeyman. First-year licensees are exempt from CE.

Licensed Electrical Contractor

This is a business license, not a personal credential. Any individual or company that bids, contracts, or represents themselves as authorized to perform electrical work in Minnesota needs this.

Requirements:

• Register the business with the Minnesota Secretary of State
• Designate a full-time W-2 employee or owner with an active Master license as the Responsible Licensed Individual (notarized Certificate of Employment required)
• $25,000 surety bond from a Minnesota-licensed surety
• General liability insurance ($100,000 per occurrence / $300,000 aggregate / $50,000 property damage)
• Workers' compensation compliance certificate
• $188 application fee

What it allows: Bidding, contracting, and executing electrical work across Minnesota. Filing permits and requesting inspections through the iMS portal in state-inspected areas.

Renewal: Biennial, on the last day of February in even-numbered years. Must maintain active bond, insurance, and a designated RLI throughout the license period.

The Hierarchy in Practice

The licensing tiers stack but don't substitute for each other. A Master Electrician without a Contractor license can't bid work. A Journeyman's personal license doesn't authorize contracting or pulling permits, but a licensed journeyworker can supervise registered unlicensed electricians when employed by the same entity. An apprentice without active registration is accumulating zero creditable hours.

Understanding where you sit in this hierarchy — and exactly what's required to move to the next level — prevents the most common licensing delays in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Electrician License Guide walks through every tier with step-by-step workflows, hour-tracking templates, and the forms you'll need at each stage.

See more Minnesota guides →