NC Electrical License: Requirements & How to Get Licensed (2026)

North Carolina licenses electrical contractors statewide, through the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC). There is no state journeyman license. Pick one of three classes by job size: Limited (3,000 hours of experience, jobs up to $60,000), Intermediate (5,750 hours, up to $150,000) or Unlimited (9,000 hours, no limit).

Apply to NCBEEC with your employer statements. Once you're approved, you have 90 days to take the PSI exam: 100 questions, 6 hours, open book on the 2020 NEC, with 70 needed to pass. After you pass, file the license application.

Step 1: Pick the Right License

You must be at least 18 and meet the experience requirements for your classification. North Carolina has three main electrical contracting classifications:

Limited: 3,000 hours of experience, including at least 2,000 primary hours. Project limit: up to $60,000, on equipment rated 1,000 volts or less. The voltage limit rose from 600 to 1,000 volts on January 1, 2025 (G.S. 87-43.3).

Intermediate: 5,750 hours of experience, including at least 5,000 primary hours. Project limit: up to $150,000.

Unlimited: 9,000 hours of experience, including at least 8,000 primary hours. No project value limit.

There are also special restricted classifications, such as single-family dwelling, fire alarm/low voltage, plumbing and heating, elevator, electric sign, swimming pool, and groundwater pump.

Licensed outside North Carolina, or planning to work in more than one state? See our state-by-state requirements for NEC exams and continuing education.

Current NCBEEC license classifications

Step 2: Document Your Experience Correctly

Your experience has to be documented on the Board's Employer Statement Form. Use a separate form for each employer, and make sure the hours are listed in the right category.

The Board separates experience into primary and secondary experience. Primary experience generally means work directly involved in installing electrical wiring and equipment governed by the NEC, or work activities directly related to that installation. Secondary experience can include related training or support work, but the Board applies different credit percentages depending on the type of experience, so not every hour counts the same.

For all exam applicants, NCBEEC also requires two Character Statement Forms, signed by people who know you and vouch for your character. Unlimited applicants must also submit two Supervise & Direct Statement Forms. On each one, a co-worker, employer or professional associate states that you can supervise and direct all the electrical work of an Unlimited contracting business.

Start gathering these forms early. Waiting on paperwork from old employers is one of the easiest ways to lose time.

Step 3: Submit Your Exam Application

Once your paperwork is ready, submit the examination application to NCBEEC with the current exam fee. The regular qualifying exam fee is $125 as of October 2026.

If approved, you will receive a Notice of Approval. That notice lists the classification you are approved for and your 90-day authorization period.

That 90-day window matters. You have to schedule and take the exam within those 90 days. Start studying before your approval arrives if you can.

Step 4: Schedule the Exam With PSI

PSI sends your eligibility email 48–72 hours after your 90-day authorization period begins. You need the Test Taker ID in that email to book your exam.

You will choose your own test date and testing location through PSI. Do not wait until the last week of your authorization period. Good dates can fill up, and if something goes wrong, you want time to fix it.

For the Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited, SP-SFD and SP-FA/LV exams, bring your own 2020 NEC and 2013 NFPA 72. Your JCR permanent tabs can go into the exam with you. Apply them at least 48 hours ahead. Check the Board's tab rules and current exam handbook before test day.

Also bring the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management: North Carolina Electrical Edition. It's one of the three books the handbook allows, and business and law is tested in every classification. Bring the current (14th) edition of the NASCLA North Carolina Electrical guide. No other books are allowed in the exam room.

Schedule the NCBEEC exam through PSI

Step 5: Study the Right Way

The NEC portions are open book, but you do not have time to learn the book while the clock is running. You need to know how to navigate the code book efficiently above all else.

What the exam draws from:

• The 2020 NEC
• The 2013 NFPA 72, for the classifications that require it
• NC electrical licensing law and NCBEEC Board rules
• Business and law topics from the NASCLA Contractors Guide, North Carolina Electrical 14th edition

A good study plan should focus on navigation, common NEC tables, services, feeders, grounding, bonding, motors, overcurrent protection, conductor sizing, plan reading, North Carolina laws and rules, business material, and plenty of timed mock-exam practice.

Do not try to read the NEC cover to cover. Instead, learn how it is organized. Know where to go. Then work practice questions until finding the right section feels automatic. Start with JCR’s free NC electrical license practice test.

And do not memorize answers to sample questions. That is a trap students fall into when they try to absorb too much too fast. The exam rewards knowing the process of finding answers in the code, not recalling answers you have seen before.

How long to study: Most students who pass study 6–8 weeks, about an hour a night. Treat your study plan like an exercise routine and commit to it rather than cramming.

Pick the format that fits how you learn. Book a workshop or Zoom class 1–8 weeks before your exam.

Option	Price	Format	Good fit if	Link
In person	$845	Two full days with a JCR instructor in one of four NC cities	You learn best in a classroom	See dates
Live on Zoom	See Zoom dates	Four 4-hour live sessions with a JCR instructor	You want a live instructor without the drive	See dates
Self-study	$495	Videos, workbook, mock exam and tabs. Start right after purchase	You want to set your own pace	Get self-study

Bring your own NFPA 70 and NFPA 72 books. In-person workshops also count for 16 classroom CEUs in NC.

Step 6: Pass the Exam, Then Apply for Your License

You need a 70 out of 100 to pass. PSI gives you your score the same day you finish.

Passing the exam does not automatically issue the license. It makes you a "qualified individual," meaning the Board has certified you in that license class (G.S. 87-41.1). After you pass, you still have to file the New License Application with NCBEEC and pay the license fee for your classification.

Current annual license fees are $100 for Limited, $150 for Intermediate, $200 for Unlimited, and $100 for Special Restricted licenses. Intermediate and Unlimited licenses also require a statement of bonding ability: a form from a bonding company saying it would bond you above $60,000 (Intermediate) or $150,000 (Unlimited). Use NCBEEC's Intermediate or Unlimited form.

New qualified individuals must complete the Board's free four-hour Laws and Rules course in the 90 days before or the 12 months after they become qualified. See Rule .1101 and the Board's class schedule.

Want help with the paperwork? JCR License Management starts with a free license check.

Already Licensed in Another State?

North Carolina has reciprocal electrical licensing agreements with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

Reciprocity does not hand you a license. You still apply to NCBEEC and pass its 25-question laws and rules exam. See JCR's North Carolina reciprocity guide for which licenses NC accepts and where an NC license transfers, or the 50-state reciprocity guide.

What Happens If You Fail?

If you fail the exam, you have to wait three months before taking the same classification again. You also have to reapply and pay the exam fee again.

That is why preparation matters. A failed attempt costs money and time.

What About Continuing Education?

Once you are licensed, you have to keep up with renewal and continuing education.

Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited, and SP-SFD qualifiers currently need 8 hours of continuing education each year. The other special restricted classifications require 4 hours. At least half of the required hours must be classroom hours. Live Zoom CE counts as classroom. Only pre-recorded video CE does not.

Hours above the minimum carry forward for up to two renewal periods. CE you take before you qualify by exam won't count for renewal. You can look up the CE hours on your record with NCBEEC's CE credit search.

JCR's NC CE classes run 8 hours for $230 in Raleigh, Asheville and Mooresville, or live on Zoom.

Current NCBEEC continuing education rules · NC electrical continuing education requirements · JCR NC continuing-education classes

NC Electrical License FAQ

What are the requirements for an NC electrical license?

You must be at least 18 and have the experience hours for your class: 3,000 for Limited, 5,750 for Intermediate or 9,000 for Unlimited. Then you pass the 100-question PSI exam with a score of 70 or better.

How do I get an electrical license in NC?

Document your hours on NCBEEC's Employer Statement Form, apply for the exam, and take it with PSI within 90 days of approval. After you pass, file the New License Application and pay the yearly license fee for your class.

Where is the NC electrical license application?

NCBEEC posts both forms online. Start with the Examination Application ($125 exam fee). After you pass, file the New License Application with the yearly fee: $100 Limited, $150 Intermediate or $200 Unlimited.

What do I need for an Intermediate electrical license in NC?

5,750 hours of experience, at least 5,000 of them primary, and a passing exam score. Intermediate covers jobs up to $150,000, costs $150 a year and needs a statement of bonding ability. See JCR's NC Intermediate electrical license requirements.

Prepare with JCR

The $495 North Carolina self-study package puts JCR's classroom curriculum on your schedule:

• 100 video lessons (21 hours)
• JCR's proprietary 152-page workbook
• A realistic 500+ question mock exam with paper and digital versions
• Permanent NEC/NFPA 72 tabs

You'll also need the 2020 NEC (NFPA 70) and 2013 NFPA 72 code books. You can start the videos and online practice right after purchase. The workbook ships the same business day, and Shop Pay lets you pay in installments.

Classroom students also get full access to JCR instructors. Not sure where you stand? Take the free 25-question practice exam.

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Last checked October 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the NCBEEC website before you apply.