North Dakota Journeyman Electrician License
The 8,000-Hour Threshold
The North Dakota journeyman electrician license requires 8,000 hours of supervised practical experience, completed over a minimum of three calendar years. There's no shortcut around either number — you can't compress five years of part-time work into the hour count if you haven't hit the three-year floor, and you can't substitute classroom time for field hours beyond what the education tracks allow.
Every one of those 8,000 hours must be completed while you hold an active apprentice registration with the State Electrical Board. Hours worked during a registration lapse are permanently forfeited, which means the 8,000 total is really 8,000 verified, continuously-registered hours.
Education Requirements Run in Parallel
Hours alone don't make you exam-eligible. You also need to complete one of three approved education pathways:
Related Training requires 576 hours of board-recognized classroom instruction alongside your 8,000 practical hours. This is the path most North Dakota apprentices take — the Dakotas Area JATC and several trade schools offer qualifying programs.
PEAP is designed for experienced workers. If you already have 8,000 hours before starting formal education, the Professional Electrician Apprenticeship Program requires 372 classroom hours plus 4,000 additional supervised field hours over at least two years. Total hours on this track: 12,000 practical plus 372 classroom.
Two-Year Degree from a board-accepted electrical technology program earns a 2,000-hour credit toward your experience requirement. You then need 6,000 field hours over at least three years.
The critical detail: the board evaluates education programs on its own accepted list. A degree or certificate from a program the board hasn't approved doesn't satisfy the requirement, regardless of how rigorous the coursework was. Verify your program's status with the NDSEB before investing time and money.
The Application and Exam Process
Once you've completed both your hours and your education, you submit your application package to the NDSEB: Form SFN 11858 (the license application) plus signed, notarized SFN 11845 employment verification forms from every supervising master.
The board reviews applications at scheduled meetings — roughly every two months — in Bismarck. After approval, they mail you an exam invitation. You call the board office to schedule your preferred date from the available testing windows.
The exam is administered in person at the NDSEB office at 1929 N. Washington Street, Suite A-1, Bismarck. No remote testing, no third-party centers. The test has two parts:
- Closed-book section: 1 hour covering electrical theory and North Dakota laws
- Open-book section: 3.5 hours covering the National Electrical Code
The board provides all materials — NEC books, calculators, scratch paper, pencils. You can't bring your own references. Passing score: 70%.
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If You Don't Pass
Your score determines how long you wait before retesting:
| Score Range | Waiting Period |
|---|---|
| 60%–69% | None — schedule the next available date |
| 50%–59% | 3 months |
| Below 50% | 6 months |
You'll need to file a re-exam application and pay the testing fee again. The board doesn't allow exam reviews — you won't see which questions you missed or get a detailed score breakdown.
What Your Journeyman License Authorizes
As a licensed journeyman, you can install, alter, and repair electrical wiring, apparatus, and equipment. But you must work under the employment and supervision of a contracting master or master of record. A journeyman cannot independently contract with the public, advertise electrical services, pull permits, or operate as an independent business.
Renewals are due March 31 each year, with a $25 fee and 8 hours of continuing education (minimum 4 hours on NEC code updates).
If you're working toward your journeyman and want a system to track your hours, manage the SFN 11845 timeline, and keep your apprentice registration current, the North Dakota Electrician License Guide covers every step with built-in tracking worksheets.
Get Your Free North Dakota — Electrician License Path Checklist
Download the North Dakota — Electrician License Path Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.