NEW-YORK · electrician
NYC Master Electrician (no statewide license)
NYC Department of Buildings — Licensing & Exams Unit →No Statewide License
New York does not license electricians at the state level. The NYS Department of State Division of Licensing Services regulates professions such as notary public, real estate, security, cosmetology, and barber, but does not license general electricians (https://dos.ny.gov/licensing-services). Electrical licensing in New York is municipal: New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and many counties each set their own rules. A worker licensed in one city is not automatically authorized to contract in another.
NYC Master Electrician
Within New York City, the Department of Buildings issues the Master Electrician license, the credential required to contract for electrical work and pull electrical permits. Per DOB, an applicant must have had, during the ten years immediately preceding application, at least 7.5 years (or equivalent, with a minimum of 10,500 hours) of satisfactory experience in the installation, alteration and repair of wiring and appliances for electric light, heat and power in buildings or comparable facilities. The 10-year look-back does not apply once an applicant has 5 or more years of qualifying experience within that window; the remaining 2.5 years may fall outside the 10-year period. Source: NYC DOB Master & Special Electricians (https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/master-electricians-special-electricians.page) and NYC Admin Code § 27-3010 (https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-208099).
NYC Special Electrician
The Special Electrician license is a scope-restricted credential for employees of a building owner, authorizing electrical work only on electrical systems of buildings owned or operated by that employer. A Special Electrician may not contract for the public or perform electrical work outside the employer's property. Experience, exam, and background-investigation standards mirror the Master Electrician track. Source: NYC DOB (https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/master-electricians-special-electricians.page).
Exam
Applicants must pass both a written and a practical Master/Special Electrician Exam and clear a background investigation. Written-exam application fee is $585 per DOB's published fee schedule. As of February 23, 2026, all Master and Special Electrician license applications, renewals, card re-issuance, and information changes are processed through DOB NOW: Licensing. Source: NYC DOB Obtain a Master & Special Electrician License (https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/obtain-a-master-and-special-electrician-license.page).
Upstate Municipalities
Each upstate city sets its own rules. Buffalo requires 11 years (22,000 hours) of electrical construction experience (4 years, 8,000 hours, as a journeyman apprentice plus 7 years, 14,000 hours, additional), a passing score on the ICC G-16 Master Electrician exam within one year of application, a $100 application fee, and general-liability and workers'-comp certificates (https://www.buffalony.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15181/Updated-Master-Electrician-Application). Rochester's Master (Journeyman) license requires at least 4 years (6,000 hours) of practical field experience, an ICC exam, and application through the OneStopROC portal under the Electrical Examining Board (https://www.cityofrochester.gov/departments/neighborhood-and-business-development/electrical-examining-board). Syracuse requires 10 years of industry experience with 5 years on installation/maintenance (3 of those on new commercial or industrial construction) and passage of the Board of Electrical Examiners exam (https://www.syr.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/2-departments/codes/documents/2020electricallicenseapplication.pdf). Smaller jurisdictions vary; verify locally before working.
Local Union Pathway
The NYS Department of Labor registers apprenticeship programs, including the standard Electrician program at 60 months duration and the Electrician (Housewire or Residential) program at 36 months (https://dol.ny.gov/apprenticeship/apprenticeship-trades). In NYC, IBEW Local 3 operates the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies apprenticeship jointly with the New York Electrical Contractors Association; non-union pathways include IEC and ABC programs and experience accrued directly under a licensed Master Electrician. DOB accepts qualifying hours regardless of union affiliation.
Scope Limitations
Only a licensed Master Electrician (or the firm employing one as the licensee of record) may pull NYC electrical permits and contract for electrical work in NYC. A Special Electrician is confined to the employer's property. A worker without a DOB license may perform electrical work only under the direct supervision of a licensed Master or Special Electrician. Out-of-state licensees have no automatic authority in NYC; they must qualify and test directly.