Arkansas Electrician License

Apprenticeship licensing is managed by the Arkansas State Board of Electrical Examiners, which also issues journeyman and master electrician licenses. You’ll be able to qualify for an electrical contractor license via the Arkansas State Licensing Board of Contractors after completing these licensing processes.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to get an electrician license in Arkansas.

Step 1: Complete the necessary work experience and technical training to work as an electrical journeyman.

To obtain an electrical journeyman license in Arkansas, you must have at least 8,000 hours of experience and 800 hours of classroom professional training.

You may start acquiring the necessary hours by enrolling in a technical program at a vocational school or directly enrolling in an apprenticeship program:

Vocation-Technical School

With the help of your technical program, you will work with a licensed electrician and will get on-the-job training, also you will be able to complete the experience requirement. To make the training process easier some tech schools provide work placement assistance, but in other schools, there are special training courses that consist of several hours of work experience as a part of the class.

Union or Non-Union Apprenticeship

In this job experience, you’ll work as an assistant, for an electrician in various jobs while earning a percentage of the apprentice’s salaries.

In Arkansas, a handful of units that provide apprenticeship programs for electricians are Electrical Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committees (JATCs)

Also, you have an opportunity to take a non-union program via the Mid-South Chapter of the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC).

In order to find all the programs that provide electrical apprenticeships and are approved by the Board look at the directoryArkansas Apprenticeship.

To be able to take one of the programs, you must meet some basic requirements.

• Be 18 years or older
• Have a High school diploma or GED
• Have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Be able to pass a general aptitude exam testing knowledge in math and reading.
• Provide a copy of a high school or college official transcript proving that you’ve passed a standard algebra class.

You must register as an apprentice through the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners once you have completed your program.

As a result of your apprenticeship, you will have a minimum of 4 years (8,000 hours) of full-time work and 800 hours of technical training.

Step 2. Pass the Examination Required to get a license.

Having a journeyman license means that you can operate electrical installations in compliance with the applicable code of practice.

To be eligible for this license, you must meet the following criteria:

• Have a certificate provided for your apprenticeship or 4 years of full-time work experience as an electrician.
• Pass a journeyman exam.

In order to register for the exam complete this application. Then submit it to the board, once it is approved, you can make an appointment for your exam. To complete the exam, you have 3 hours. It consists of 60 questions, and it is open book. You have an opportunity to consult the most recent National Electrical Code during the exam.

After passing the exam you need to pay the license fee. You can renew it in a year. And after it, you have a choice when you want to renew it. Depending on your choice you have to meet the corresponding continuing education requirement.

Step 3. Get a Master Electrician Certificate or License in Your Area.

Once you have worked as a journeyman electrician, you have an opportunity to advance your license and become a master electrician.
Electricians do electrical work without restrictions and are often the supervisors of the electrical contractors for where they work.

To be able to advance your license you must meet one of these requirements:

• 2 years of construction-related training AND an electrical engineering degree
• Six years of experience working in the building industry on both residential and commercial properties, as well as two years as a journeyman electrician
• Any type of experience that the Board approves

Step 4. Consider Becoming Licensed as an Independent Electrical Contractor.

You are able to obtain a license and work as an independent electrical contractor, once you have worked for a few years as a master electrician. This guide will walk you through the process of obtaining a commercial contractor’s license for an electrical specialty. The holder of this license is permitted to operate on residential premises.

To be eligible for this license, you must be a master electrician or employ one with at least 5 years of experience. You must also complete the Business and Law test, as well as a master level exam.

Register for and pass the Business and Law test to begin the procedure. The exam can be registered online. The test lasts two hours and consists of 50 questions. And also it is open book. On the test, you can use the Arkansas Fourth Edition of the Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law, and Project Management as a guideline.

Once you have passed the exam, you need to complete the application and submit the next documentation.

• Proof of passing the Business and Law exam
• A $10,000 surety bond to the State of Arkansas
• Worker’s compensation insurance evidence
• There are three referrals from previous jobs, totaling 5 years of experience.
• An accounting review from a Certified Public Accountant that is no more than a year old.

After your application is approved, you can work as an electrician.

You must renew your license every year. 60 days before the expiration date you will get a mail about it.