Electrical Licensing & Continuing Education for Electricians

In addition to offering a 4-year electrician apprenticeship program with hands-on labs, we are a BICSI certified training center and we offer continuing education classes. For those looking for CEU’s to renew their electrical license, all of our continuing education courses are approved for Ohio and Kentucky credit hours.

Need CEU hours to renew your Ohio or Kentucky electrical license? IEC of Greater Cincinnati offers approved continuing education courses for both states. View the Course Catalog or call (513) 542-0400.

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Electrical Licensing Varies From State to State

Ohio
Kentucky

Ohio

In Ohio, a license is required if you are:

  • An electrical contractor doing work in the State of Ohio
  • Working in the City of Middletown or Hamilton
  • Working on fire alarm systems

State of Ohio

For more information about the Ohio Contractor license including the application process, the test application packet, maintaining your license or to look up your continuing education credit hours, click here.

In order to maintain your license in Ohio, you must complete 10 hours (at least 5 must be in code) of continuing education per year and complete the renewal application.

City of Middletown or Hamilton

The cities of Middletown and Hamilton require all journeyman electricians to be licensed. The two cities reciprocate on licensing therefore, a passing test score in either city allows the journeyman to purchase the license to work in each city.

Middletown License

The Middletown journeyman licensing exam is offered by IEC once per year. For upcoming exam dates at IEC, visit our schedule of continuing education courses or contact Kevin Collins, training director, (513) 542-0400, ext. 203.

For information about additional testing times, dates and locations, contact the City of Middletown at (513) 425-7973.

Hamilton License

For testing information for the Hamilton journeyman license, contact the City of Hamilton at (513) 785-7353.

Ohio Fire Alarm

Journeyman electricians that work on fire alarm systems in Ohio are required to be licensed.

The Ohio fire alarm exam is offered by IEC twice each year. For upcoming exam dates at IEC, visit our schedule of continuing education courses or contact Kevin Collins, training director, (513) 542-0400, ext. 203.

License Renewal Credit Hours

  • Ohio Contractor 10 hours (at least 5 must be in code) per year
  • Ohio Inspector 30 hours of code every 3 years

Kentucky

In Kentucky, a license is required if you are:

  • An electrical contractor doing work in the State of Kentucky
  • A journeyman electrician

There are three Kentucky license classifications:

Electrical Contractor (CE)

As a professional electrical contractor in Kentucky you must have an electrical permit to work on public electrical work. However, before you get an electrical permit you need an electrical contractor (CE) license. CE license requirements include:

  • $200 application fee
  • Completed application
  • Passport sized photo
  • Proof of Worker’s Compensation insurance
  • Proof of $500,000 General liability insurance
  • Pass International Code Council exam
  • Proof of two years of experience as an electrical contractor in Kentucky.

Master Electrician (ME)

A master electrician supervises all electrical work and is responsible for electricians working under them. An electrical contractor must have at least one master electrician. To become a master electrician you must have a master electrician (ME) license. ME License requirements include:

  • $100 application fee
  • Completed application form
  • Passport sized photo
  • Pass the required International Code Council exam
  • Six years verifiable experience as an electrician in Kentucky

Electrician (EE)

All electrical work must be performed by, or under the supervision of, a licensed electrician or master electrician. In order to work unsupervised, an electrician must be licensed.  To qualify for the license you need:

  • Four years verifiable experience as an electrician in Kentucky
  • Completed application form
  • $50 application fee
  • Passport sized photo
  • Pass the required International Code Council exam

Online application and testing forms

Exams are administered by Pearson VUE and Prov

Department of Housing, Buildings, & Construction
Division of Fire Protection
Electrical Licensing
101 Sea Hero Drive, Ste 100
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
(502) 573-0364 | website

License Renewal Credit Hours

  • Kentucky Electrician 6 hours of code per year, up to 2 hours may be substituted in safety
  • Kentucky Master 6 hours of code per year, up to 2 hours may be substituted in safety
  • Kentucky Contractor 6 hours of business per year, up to 2 hours may be substituted in safety

NOTE: You may not use the credit hours earned from one class to satisfy more than one KY license.

See Our Safety Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How many continuing education hours do I need to renew my Ohio electrical contractor license?

Ohio contractors need 10 hours a year, and at least 5 of those have to be code. Once you've finished the hours, submit your renewal application. Our continuing education courses are approved for Ohio credit, so they'll count toward that total.

How many CEU hours does Kentucky require for an electrician license?

Kentucky electricians and master electricians both need 6 hours of code a year, though you can swap up to 2 of those for safety hours. Contractors are a little different: 6 hours of business per year, again with up to 2 hours available in safety.

Do I need a license to do electrical work in Ohio?

It depends on the work. You'll need one if you're contracting anywhere in the state, working in Middletown or Hamilton, or touching fire alarm systems. Both of those cities require journeyman electricians to be licensed, and anyone working on Ohio fire alarm systems needs a license too.

What are the three Kentucky electrical license classifications?

Kentucky breaks it into Electrical Contractor (CE), Master Electrician (ME), and Electrician (EE). Take the EE as an example: you'll need four years of verifiable experience in Kentucky, a completed application, a $50 fee, a passport-sized photo, and a passing score on the International Code Council exam.

Does IEC of Greater Cincinnati offer approved continuing education courses?

We do, and they're approved for credit in both Ohio and Kentucky. Beyond CE, we're a BICSI certified training center and run a four-year apprenticeship program with hands-on labs. Take a look at the course catalog or give us a call at (513) 542-0400 to get registered.