VERMONT · electrician
Journeyman Electrician
Vermont Department of Public Safety — Division of Fire Safety, Electrical Licensing Board →Scope of Work
A Vermont Journeyman Electrician is authorized to perform electrical installations under the direction of a licensed Master Electrician and may supervise an apprentice or an electrician's helper employed by the Master, per 26 V.S.A. Chapter 15. The credential does not authorize contracting for electrical work in the Journeyman's own name; that requires a Master Electrician license. The Electrical Licensing Board sits within the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety. Source: Vermont Division of Fire Safety — Electrical (https://firesafety.vermont.gov/licensing/electrical).
Experience and Training
Standard pathway: completion of a Vermont-registered apprenticeship that includes both instruction and practice, demonstrated through at least 8,000 hours of documented on-the-job electrical experience and 576 hours of classroom instruction covering electrical theory, safety, and code, or equivalent training and experience acceptable to the Board. Apprentice registration and tracking through the Vermont Apprenticeship Program (administered by the Vermont Department of Labor) are prerequisites to counting hours. Source: Vermont Division of Fire Safety — How to Apply (https://firesafety.vermont.gov/fire-building-safety/boards/electrical/apply) and Vermont Apprenticeship Program (https://labor.vermont.gov/apprenticeship).
Exam
The Board accepts applicants who have completed the apprenticeship or equivalent and requires a passing score on the Vermont Journeyman Electrician examination. Content covers the National Electrical Code edition currently adopted in Vermont and the Vermont Electrical Safety Rules. Source: Vermont Electrical Safety Rules (https://firesafety.vermont.gov/sites/firesafety/files/files/rules/dfs_rules_electrical_current.pdf).
Fees
Application fee for Journeyman and specialist licenses is $115 as published by the Division of Fire Safety; the Master Electrician application fee is $150. Verify the current fee on the Division's application page before submitting. Source: Vermont Division of Fire Safety — Apply (https://firesafety.vermont.gov/fire-building-safety/boards/electrical/apply).
Renewal and CE
3-year (36-month) renewal cycle. All Journeyman and Master electricians must complete 15 hours of instruction on the National Electrical Code during the preceding 36-month period as a condition of license renewal. Renewal is processed through the Division of Fire Safety online portal. Source: Vermont Division of Fire Safety — Electrical (https://firesafety.vermont.gov/licensing/electrical).
Reciprocity
The Electrical Licensing Board maintains reciprocal arrangements with specific states for Journeyman and Master licenses obtained by examination. Applicants licensed in another state should submit a license-verification letter and confirm current reciprocity terms with the Board. Source: Vermont Division of Fire Safety — Electrical (https://firesafety.vermont.gov/licensing/electrical).
Union and Non-Union Pathway
Vermont apprenticeships are administered through the Vermont Department of Labor and the Vermont State Apprenticeship Agency. IBEW Local 300 (Montpelier/Burlington) operates a joint apprenticeship with NECA; non-union pathways run through ABC and IEC-registered programs. Community and technical college programs at Vermont Technical College provide related-instruction hours. Presented neutrally; verify current intake with each program.
Scope Limitations
A Journeyman Electrician in Vermont may not contract for electrical work in the Journeyman's own name or act as the permitting principal; those functions require a Master Electrician license, which requires at least 2 years of practice as a Journeyman or comparable experience and a separate Master examination. Source: 26 V.S.A. Chapter 15 and Vermont Electrical Safety Rules.