Updated for Virginia’s current rules and 2020 NEC exams
Virginia has two separate licensing tracks: the Journeyman or Master Electrician credential belongs to you; the Class A, B, or C contractor license belongs to the business. Most applicants should handle the individual license first, then add the contractor-business license only if they will bid or contract electrical work.
Use this guide to choose the right credential, confirm how you qualify, apply in the right order, prepare for PSI, and understand what comes next.
The short version: your Virginia pathway
First, separate the individual license from the business license
Individual tradesman license
Issued to a person as a Journeyman Electrician or Master Electrician. This is the PSI electrical exam path JCR’s Virginia products support.
Contractor business license
Issued to the company or sole proprietorship as Class A, B, or C, with the Electrical (ELE) specialty. It has separate business, experience, education, and—in Class A or B—exam requirements.
If you want to become licensed as an electrician, start with the tradesman rules. If you want your company to contract directly with customers, pull permits as the contractor, or bid electrical work, plan for both tracks.
Step 1: confirm how you qualify
Journeyman Electrician pathways
Virginia’s current rule lets a Journeyman applicant qualify through 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
Read the controlling rule at 18VAC50-30-39. Gather school records and employer verification before applying; missing documentation can delay approval.
Master Electrician pathways
A Master Electrician applicant generally qualifies by either:
- Holding a valid Journeyman license in the same trade for at least 1 year; or
- Documenting 9 years of practical experience in the electrical trade.
That nine-year path is current. Older pages and study materials sometimes still show a different number.
Step 2: apply to DPOR before scheduling PSI
Virginia is a pre-approval state. Submit the Tradesman Exam & License Application and the required education and experience documents to the Virginia Board for Contractors. After the Board approves your eligibility, schedule with PSI.
Do not register for a random “Virginia electrical exam” before approval. Make sure your authorization, PSI account, and product choice all say the same credential: Journeyman or Master Electrician.
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 |
The exams are open book and are available through PSI at test centers and, when offered for your authorization, by remote proctoring. Fees, delivery options, and rules can change, so confirm the current PSI Virginia candidate bulletin before paying or testing.
Both outlines include 10 questions on Virginia-specific licensure and conduct topics. The remaining questions cover electrical trade knowledge, calculations, and the current exam references. JCR’s exam prep concentrates on the technical portion while pointing candidates to the official Virginia regulation material they must also study.
Step 4: organize the allowed references
The current Virginia exams use the 2020 National Electrical Code, Virginia’s Individual License and Certification Regulations, and the other electrical reference named in the PSI bulletin. Check the exact title and edition shown in your current bulletin instead of relying on an old book list.
- Bring your own approved references; PSI does not supply them.
- Permanent tabs are allowed. Removable tabs are not.
- Highlighting, underlining, and indexing completed before the exam are allowed under the current rules.
- Loose paper and unbound material are not allowed, and you may not write in the references during the exam.
Open book does not mean low pressure. A Journeyman candidate averages three minutes per question; a Master candidate also has calculations and design work competing for that time. The advantage comes from knowing where to look before the clock starts.
Step 5: choose the right preparation format
Virginia self-study
Choose a credential-specific Journeyman or Master bundle with a printed manual, 100 lessons and 20+ hours of instruction, permanent Code tabs, and 500+ practice questions.
Live virtual class
Join a JCR instructor by Zoom for a structured schedule, live Q&A, Code navigation, calculations, and timed problem solving. See upcoming virtual classes.
Raleigh classroom
Virginia students also attend JCR’s in-person exam-prep classes in Raleigh when they want a classroom and direct instructor interaction. See Raleigh classes.
Classroom track record
JCR’s classroom exam-prep students have a 93% pass rate.
A practical study order is: learn the NEC’s structure, work the major calculation types, practice timed lookups, study the Virginia regulation categories, then take full timed mock exams. Most candidates need several weeks of consistent work—not one weekend of cramming.
Step 6: understand reciprocity before paying for an exam
Virginia has specific reciprocity or examination-waiver agreements, but they are not a blanket rule for every license from another state. Current agreements cover certain credentials from Alabama, Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio. The credential level and benefit differ by state.
For example, North Carolina’s Intermediate or Unlimited electrical contractor credential can relate to Virginia’s Master and contractor-business process; it is not a general waiver for every North Carolina electrical credential. Read DPOR’s current reciprocal-agreements chart and ask DPOR to confirm your exact license before buying exam prep.
Step 7: add the contractor-business license if you will contract work
A Master Electrician credential does not, by itself, license a business to contract electrical work. The business applies separately for a Class A, B, or C contractor license and adds the ELE specialty.
- Choose Class A, B, or C based on the project and annual monetary limits that fit the business.
- Name a qualified individual for ELE. For electrical, that person must hold the current Master Electrician credential and meet the specialty experience required for the contractor class.
- Complete 8 hours of pre-license business education. This is required for new contractor applicants in all three classes.
- Handle the designated-employee business exam where required. Class A and Class B have business-exam requirements; Class C does not have that exam requirement.
- Submit the business application with the entity, financial, experience, and other class-specific documentation.
After licensing: Virginia electrical continuing education
Virginia’s current regulation requires 3 hours of Board-approved electrical continuing education during each three-year license term. If you hold both Journeyman and Master Electrician credentials in the same trade, one 3-hour electrical CE course satisfies the renewal CE requirement for that trade.
JCR is a DPOR-approved Virginia electrical CE provider. Attend live virtual Virginia CE or review eligible Raleigh classroom options. Your actual license expiration date controls the deadline, so confirm it in DPOR’s records.
The controlling renewal rule is 18VAC50-30-120. Some older DPOR FAQ language still describes the former two-year term; the current Administrative Code says three years.
Your next move
If you have not applied yet, identify your Journeyman or Master eligibility path and start collecting documentation. If DPOR has already approved you, choose the prep format that matches how you learn. If you already hold the credential and only need renewal credit, go straight to Virginia CE.