How to Get a Mississippi Electrical Contractor License

In Mississippi, the license belongs to the company. The company names a qualifier, the Board approves the application, and the qualifier passes two exams: electrical trade and Law and Business.

Choose the company classification

Master Electrical: electrical work under a commercial Certificate of Responsibility. You also need a Mississippi Sales/Use tax number.

Residential Electrical: residential electrical contracting.

The qualifier must be an owner, officer, or managing employee who can do or supervise the work. The MSBOC qualifying-party rules ask for real experience and ability, not a set number of years. The company application asks for your electrical projects and proof of employment.

Apply before testing

1. Send the MSBOC company application, your records, and the application fee.
2. MSBOC sends the qualifier's information to PSI, the state's testing company. Wait for the Board's email before you book.
3. Schedule with PSI. You have six months from approval to pass, with unlimited retakes in that window. After six months, you reapply.
4. Send any remaining insurance and company records so the Board can issue the license.

You can't contract until the license is issued, even after you pass.

Two exams for the state path

Take the trade exam for your classification and Mississippi Law and Business Management. Calculations are part of the trade exam, not a third test.

Master Electrician books: 2020 NEC, OSHA 1926 (latest edition or PSI's selections), and Ugly's Electrical References (2011, 2014, or 2017).

Residential Electrician books: 2020 NEC, International Residential Code (2021), OSHA 1926 (latest edition or PSI's selections), and Ugly's Electrical References (2017).

Law and Business book: NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Mississippi. PSI allows the 5th or 6th Edition, but questions come from the 6th, so study with that one.

PSI's book rules allow highlighting, underlining, and permanent tabs. Handwritten notes, loose papers, and removable tabs are not allowed. Bring a silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator and the ID listed in the bulletin.

NASCLA option for Master Electrical

The NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination can replace the Master Electrician trade exam. You still take Mississippi Law and Business. Apply through NASCLA's exam application.

The NASCLA electrical exam has 100 scored questions plus 10 unscored, a 4½-hour limit, and a 75% passing score. Its book list is much longer, starting with the 2020 or 2023 NEC, OSHA 1926 and 1910, and NFPA 70E.

Reciprocity and renewal

The reciprocity form lists the states and classifications that qualify. Reciprocity waives the trade exam only, for $50 per exam. You still take Law and Business.

Company licenses renew every year. Commercial licenses have no CE. Each qualifier on a residential license needs 2 hours of Board-approved CE every year to renew. The Board FAQ covers renewal, inactive status, and insurance. An inactive company can't bid, contract, pull permits, or work.