Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) · checked 2026-10-21

Minnesota Electrician License Requirements

Statewide electrician licenses issued by DLI under Minn. Stat. §§ 326B.31 to 326B.399, including Class A journeyworker and Class A master electrician. Class A master electrician: 5 years of experience at minimum, plus an exam.

1JW · Class A journeyworker electrician 4 years
2M · Class A master electrician 5 years

Issued by

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI)

Top credential

Class A master electrician

Time to top

5 years

Exams

2 of 2 levels

Reciprocity

none named

License levels in Minnesota

The Minnesota path has 2 steps on this page: Class A journeyworker electrician and Class A master electrician. The source states the time in years.

Level	Experience	Classroom	Time from start	Exam	Fees
JW Class A journeyworker electrician	4 years	—	4 years	Yes	Application and exam $50; License (one year) $20
M Class A master electrician	1 year at the prior level	—	5 years	Yes	Application and exam $50; License (one year) $40

Years from the start of the trade to each Minnesota electrician level, from the hours and years in the source (2,000 hours counted as one full-time year). Bars are to scale.

Class A journeyworker electrician (JW)

At least four years of experience acceptable to the commissioner; one year of credit may be allowed for an approved two-year post-high-school electrical course. Then the license exam. Source: Minn. Stat. § 326B.33, Electrician licenses.

Class A master electrician (M)

At least one year of experience as a licensed journeyworker, or at least five years of experience acceptable to the commissioner, or a four-year electrical degree route; then the master exam. Source: Minn. Stat. § 326B.33, Electrician licenses.

Minnesota also issues narrower classes on the same page: Power limited technician (36 months), Lineman (48 months), Maintenance electrician (48 months), Class A or B installer (one year) and Elevator constructor (36 months) and master elevator constructor (60 months).

Exam

2 of the 2 levels listed here require an exam: Class A journeyworker electrician and Class A master electrician. The source does not print a pass mark.

Fees

Class A journeyworker electrician: application and exam $50, license (one year) $20 ($70 together).
Class A master electrician: application and exam $50, license (one year) $40 ($90 together).

The base license fee in Minn. Stat. § 326B.092 is set by classification: journeyworker $20 a year ($40 for two), master $40 a year ($80 for two); the application and exam fee for a license that needs a commissioner-given exam is $50. A board fee of $4 a year also applies to licenses under §§ 326B.31 to 326B.59. Fee source: Minn. Stat. § 326B.092, License fees.

Reciprocity

The Minnesota sources read for this trade name no reciprocity agreement and no route for out-of-state licensees.

Seen from the other side: Arkansas lists Minnesota among its partners on its own board page (Arkansas). Each state applies its own conditions, so read both pages.

How Minnesota compares

Among the 24 states on this site that state a minimum time to the top electrician credential, Minnesota ranks 12 of 24 from shortest (2 years) to longest (9 years). Massachusetts, Ohio, North Dakota and Virginia set the same 5 years.

Minimum years to the top electrician credential in each state that states one; Minnesota highlighted. Bars are to scale; states whose source gives no floor are not drawn.

Same trade elsewhere: California · Texas · Florida · Ohio · Georgia. All states side by side: Electrician license requirements by state.

Other trades in Minnesota

Plumber: Journeyworker plumber: 4 years of experience at minimum, plus an exam.
General contractor: Residential building contractor: the source states no minimum time, plus an exam.

All covered trades on one page: Minnesota trade licenses.

Background reading: From apprentice to master: how long each state takes · What the license fees add up to.

Questions

Who issues the electrician license in Minnesota?

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Board of Electricity. Statewide electrician licenses issued by DLI under Minn. Stat. §§ 326B.31 to 326B.399, including Class A journeyworker and Class A master electrician.

How long does it take to qualify for the Class A master electrician in Minnesota?

5 years by this site's count. At least one year of experience as a licensed journeyworker, or at least five years of experience acceptable to the commissioner, or a four-year electrical degree route; then the master exam.

Does Minnesota have electrician license reciprocity?

The Minnesota sources read name no reciprocity agreement for this trade.

What are the Minnesota electrician license fees?

Class A journeyworker electrician: application and exam $50, license (one year) $20. Class A master electrician: application and exam $50, license (one year) $40.

Sources and last checked

What	Source	Checked
Issuing authority	Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Board of Electricity	2026-10-21
JW requirements	Minn. Stat. § 326B.33, Electrician licenses	2026-10-21
M requirements	Minn. Stat. § 326B.33, Electrician licenses	2026-10-21
Law cited	Minn. Stat. § 326B.33 (qualifications); § 326B.092 (fees)	2026-10-21

This page summarises what the Minnesota source said on 2026-10-21. It is general information, not legal advice; the board's own page and the statute are the authority and can change. Confirm with Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) before applying. The free official route is the board itself: its page, application forms and staff answer eligibility questions.