Virginia Journeyman and Master Electrician licenses
Virginia licenses electricians statewide, through DPOR, the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
- The Journeyman license takes 1 to 8 years of experience, depending on your schooling, or an approved apprenticeship.
- The Master license takes 1 year as a licensed Journeyman, or 9 years of experience.
- Apply to DPOR first. Once you're approved, you pass one open-book PSI exam on the 2020 NEC.
- A Class A, B, or C contractor license is a separate license for a business, and you only need one if your company will contract electrical work.
JCR’s Virginia courses prepare you for the 2020 NEC questions on the PSI Journeyman and Master exams. Each one is $495 and comes with 20+ hours of video lessons, a realistic 500+ question mock exam with digital access, and the proprietary JCR workbook.
| At a glance | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Licenses | Journeyman or Master Electrician (you). Class A, B, or C contractor with the ELE specialty (your business). |
| Experience | Journeyman: 1–8 years, depending on education. Master: 1 year as a Journeyman, or 9 years. |
| Exam | One PSI exam per license (see Step 3) |
| Code books | 2020 NEC, NFPA 70E, and Virginia’s tradesman regulations |
| License fee | $171.75 DPOR application |
| Renewal | Every 3 years, with 3 hours of electrical CE |
What books do I need for the Virginia electrical exam?
The Journeyman and Master exams allow the same three references. PSI does not supply them, so bring your own.
Journeyman and Master Electrician
- 2020 NEC (NFPA 70). Code questions follow this edition only.
- NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, 2024 edition
- Virginia Individual License and Certification Regulations (last updated August 1, 2025), printed and bound
- Not allowed: study guides and sample exams
Book rules: Highlight, underline and index before the exam. A book with any handwriting in it will be turned away. Permanent tabs only. Printouts must be spiral-bound, in a binder, or stapled in the top-left corner. No loose papers. Handheld calculators are not allowed.
Source: Virginia DPOR Individual License and Certification Candidate Information Bulletin, July 23, 2026. JCR checked this list against the bulletin on October 12, 2026. Bulletins change, so open yours the week you book.
Studying for the PSI exam? JCR has a $495 self-study package for each Virginia license, built on the 2020 NEC: a 500+ question mock exam in print and online, 100 video lessons (21 hours), the 152-page JCR workbook and permanent code tabs you can use in the exam. Videos and online practice open right after purchase.
The short version: your Virginia pathway
First, separate the individual license from the business license
Individual tradesman license
Issued to you as a Journeyman Electrician or Master Electrician. This is the PSI electrical exam that JCR’s Virginia courses prepare you for.
Contractor business license
Issued to the company or sole proprietorship as Class A, B, or C, with the Electrical (ELE) specialty. It has its own business, experience, and education rules, and Class A and B also have an exam.
If your company will contract directly with customers, pull permits as the contractor, or bid electrical work, you need both.
Step 1: confirm how you qualify
Journeyman Electrician pathways
You qualify for the Journeyman exam with any one of these education-and-experience combinations:
- Related engineering bachelor’s degree + 1 year of practical experience
- Associate degree or certificate from at least a two-year trades-related program + 2 years
- 240 hours of formal vocational training + 4 years
- 160 formal hours + 5 years
- 80 formal hours + 6 years
- 40 formal hours + 7 years
- No formal vocational training + 8 years of practical experience
The rule is 18VAC50-30-39. Gather school records and employer verification before you apply, because missing paperwork delays approval.
Master Electrician pathways
You qualify for the Master exam with either:
- A valid Journeyman Electrician license held for at least 1 year, or
- 9 years of practical experience in the electrical trade.
Step 2: apply to DPOR before scheduling with PSI
Send the Tradesman Exam & License Application with your education and experience documents to the Virginia Board for Contractors. Once the Board approves you, book your exam with PSI, the state’s testing company. Make sure your approval, your PSI booking, and your prep course all name the same license: Journeyman or Master.
Step 3: know the exam you are taking
| Exam | Questions | Time | Passing score | Current PSI fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | 70 | 210 minutes | 49 correct | $100 |
| Master Electrician | 90 | 270 minutes | 63 correct | $125 |
Both exams give you 3 minutes per question. You can test at a PSI center or, if you choose remote proctoring when you book, online. The PSI Virginia candidate bulletin has the full rules, and JCR’s Virginia electrician exam guide covers booking, retakes and online testing.
What the exams cover (PSI content outline)
The first six topics are Virginia licensing rules, 10 questions on each exam. Study them from the regulations. The rest are electrical trade knowledge, code, and calculations.
| Topic | Journeyman | Master |
|---|---|---|
| Standards of Practice | 3 | 3 |
| Standards of Conduct | 2 | 2 |
| Renewal and Reinstatement | 2 | 2 |
| Definitions | 1 | 1 |
| Qualification for Licensure | 1 | 1 |
| Revocation of Licensure | 1 | 1 |
| General Electrical Knowledge | 3 | 4 |
| Requirements for Electrical Installations | 2 | 3 |
| Electrical-Electronic Fundamentals | 2 | 5 |
| Branch Circuits | 4 | 7 |
| Service and Feeders | 5 | 8 |
| Grounding and Bonding | 6 | 8 |
| Conductors and Cables | 7 | 7 |
| Raceways and Boxes | 7 | 7 |
| Special Occupancies | 3 | 4 |
| Special Equipment | 2 | 2 |
| Electrical Signs and Outline Lighting | 1 | 2 |
| Motors and Controls | 5 | 8 |
| Utilization Equipment | 4 | 5 |
| Lighting | 2 | 2 |
| General Low Voltage Requirements | 1 | 1 |
| Communication Systems | 1 | 1 |
| Fire Detection and Alarm Systems | 1 | 2 |
| Safety | 4 | 4 |
| Total questions | 70 | 90 |
Step 4: organize the allowed references
The Virginia electrical exams use the 2020 National Electrical Code, NFPA 70E (Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, 2024 edition), and Virginia’s Individual License and Certification Regulations. Code questions are based only on the 2020 NEC, so use that edition.
- Bring your own approved references. PSI does not supply them.
- Permanent tabs are allowed. Removable tabs are not.
- You can highlight, underline, and index your books before the exam.
- Books with any handwriting in them are not allowed. Printed regulations must be spiral-bound, in a binder, or stapled in the top-left corner. Loose paper, study guides and sample exams are not allowed.
Step 5: choose the right prep course
Pick the package that matches your exam:
- The Virginia Journeyman package for the 70-question exam
- The Virginia Master package for the 90-question exam
Each one trains NEC lookups, calculations and exam timing so you walk into PSI ready for the 2020 NEC questions. JCR teaches this material in its classrooms (93% pass rate for JCR classroom students). Study the Virginia rules topics from the regulations, since the course doesn’t cover them.
Want a baseline first? Try 25 free 2020 NEC practice questions.
Each $495 Virginia package is a full self-study system:
- A 500+ question realistic mock exam with paper and online versions
- JCR’s proprietary 152-page workbook
- 100 video lessons (21 hours)
- Permanent code tabs you can use in the exam
Your videos and online practice are ready right after purchase. The workbook leaves the same business day, and Shop Pay installments are available.
Prefer a live class? Take JCR’s 2020 NEC exam prep live on Zoom: four 4-hour sessions on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings (Eastern). Or join a two-day workshop in Raleigh, NC for $845.
Study plan
Learn the NEC’s layout, work the main calculation types, practice timed lookups, study the Virginia rules, then take full timed mock exams. How long to study: Most students who pass study 6–8 weeks, about an hour a night.
Raleigh classroom
Virginia students also come to JCR’s live exam-prep workshops (two full days) in Raleigh, NC, for in-person teaching. See Raleigh classes.
Step 6: understand reciprocity before paying for an exam
Virginia has reciprocity or exam-waiver agreements for certain electrical licenses from Alabama, Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio. Each covers specific license levels, not every license from that state.
For example, a North Carolina Unlimited or Intermediate electrical contractor license can lead to Virginia’s Master Electrician license and a Class A or B contractor license. Other North Carolina electrical licenses aren’t covered. Read DPOR’s reciprocal-agreements chart and ask DPOR about your license before you buy exam prep. JCR’s guide to Virginia electrical license reciprocity covers each partner state.
Step 7: add the contractor-business license if you will contract work
A Master Electrician license does not license a business to contract electrical work. The business applies separately for a Class A, B, or C contractor license with the ELE specialty.
- Choose Class A, B, or C based on the project and yearly dollar limits that fit the business.
- Name a qualified individual for ELE. That person must hold a current Master Electrician license and meet the experience required for the contractor class.
- Complete 8 hours of pre-license business education. All three classes require it for new applicants.
- Pass the business exam if your class requires it. Class A and B have one. Class C does not.
- Submit the business application with the entity, financial, experience, and class-specific documents.
After licensing: renewal and CE
Virginia requires 3 hours of Board-approved electrical continuing education during each three-year license term (18VAC50-30-120). Deadlines, fees and late rules are in JCR’s guide to Virginia electrical license renewal.
JCR CE classes are approved by Virginia DPOR, and every JCR CE course counts for Virginia CE. Take one in person in Raleigh or live on Zoom. Upcoming Zoom classes:
- Feb 11–12, 2027 (Bonding & Grounding)
- May 13–14, 2027 (Nav & Use)
- Aug 12–13, 2027 (VFD/PLC)
- Nov 11–12, 2027 (Bonding & Grounding)
Each class is two 4-hour sessions, 12–4 p.m. ET on day 1 and 9 a.m.–1 p.m. ET on day 2, and you must attend both. See all Virginia CE classes.
Virginia electrical license FAQ
How do I become an electrician in Virginia?
Get 1 to 8 years of practical experience, depending on your schooling. Then apply to DPOR and pass the open-book PSI Journeyman exam on the 2020 NEC. Complete an apprenticeship approved by Virginia Works, and you skip the exam.
What are the Virginia journeyman electrician license requirements?
Experience matched to your schooling: 1 year with a related engineering degree, up to 8 years with no formal training. DPOR must approve your $171.75 application. Then you pass PSI’s 70-question Journeyman exam with 49 correct.
What are the Virginia master electrician license requirements?
A Journeyman license held at least 1 year, or 9 years of practical experience. After DPOR approves you, pass PSI’s 90-question Master exam with 63 correct.
Do I need a contractor license with a Virginia master electrician license?
Only if your company will contract electrical work. The business needs its own Class A, B or C contractor license with the ELE specialty, and its qualified individual for that specialty must hold a Master Electrician license.
More Virginia guides
- Virginia electrician exam
- Virginia electrical license reciprocity
- Virginia license renewal and CE
- Virginia electrical practice test: five free questions and answers
Other guides: Electrical license requirements in other states · North Carolina · Maryland · Journeyman electrician exam
Your next move
Not applied yet? Start collecting your experience paperwork. Already approved? Pick your course. Licensed in another state too? Compare license requirements by state.
Official sources to check before applying or testing
JCR re-checked the experience rules, application fee, PSI exam details and CE hours against DPOR, the Virginia Administrative Code and PSI’s bulletin on October 21, 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with DPOR before you apply.