Rhode Island · electrician licensing · verified July 2026
Rhode Island electrician license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Rhode Island licenses electricians statewide through the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) Division of Workforce Regulation and Safety, under the Board of Examiners of Electricians. The standard path is a DLT-registered indentured apprenticeship, then the Journeyperson Electrician Class B exam (4 years of experience + 576 hours of related instruction required), then after 2+ years as a licensed journeyperson and 6 years total experience, the Electrical Contractor Class A exam. Licenses run 2 years; exams are administered by the state.
Do you need a license to work as an electrician in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island licenses electricians statewide, so one credential is valid across the whole state.
No formal state-to-state reciprocity agreements are stated in the official application materials, out-of-state licensees submit license verification but still take the RI exam. The experience requirement is expressed in years (4/6), not hours, in official materials.
What licenses does Rhode Island issue?
The RI Department of Labor and Training - Board of Examiners of Electricians (Professional Regulation Unit) issues the credentials below for this trade. Boards often list further classes for specialties and business licenses; these are the ones this page covers.
Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.
| License | On-the-job hours | Classroom hours | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indentured Apprentice (registration) | not published | not published | No |
| Journeyperson Electrician (Class B) | not published | 576 | Yes |
| Electrical Contractor (Class A) | not published | not published | Yes |
| Limited and specialty classes (C, D, M, and alarm/sign/burner tiers) | not published | not published | No |
Source: RI Department of Labor and Training - Board of Examiners of Electricians (Professional Regulation Unit) (dlt.ri.gov). Verified July 2026.
Journeyperson Electrician (Class B): At least 4 years of trade experience (via completed indentured apprenticeship for RI applicants)
What exam does Rhode Island require?
Rhode Island Journeyperson Electrician (Class B) examination. Administered by RI DLT Professional Regulation Unit (state-administered; passing score 70).
Rhode Island Electrical Contractor (Class A) examination. Administered by RI DLT Professional Regulation Unit (state-administered; passing score 70).
Source: examination page (dlt.ri.gov). Verified July 2026.
How much does a Rhode Island electrician license cost?
Getting a Journeyperson Electrician (Class B) license in Rhode Island costs $147 in board fees, before any training. That is the application fee and the initial license fee charged once, with renewal charged separately below. No board publishes this total, so it is added up here from the schedule it does publish.
- Application fee$75
- Exam feeincluded
- Initial license fee$72
- Renewal fee (recurring)$72
How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?
Renewal period: 2 years
Continuing education: Renewal-linked continuing education centers on DLT-approved electrical code update courses tied to the state's adopted NEC edition (currently the 2023 Electrical Code Update cycle; DLT publishes approved in-person and online providers). DLT also administers an OSHA 15-hour electrical safety training program with approved trainers and completion certificates. Specific hour totals per renewal cycle are not stated on the pages reviewed.
How does the apprenticeship route work?
Rhode Island runs a formal indentured apprenticeship system through the DLT Apprenticeship Office: apprentices register with DLT, work under a licensed contractor within master-electrician-signed ratio limits, and complete DLT-approved related instruction (576 hours). The DLT-issued Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship is the required proof of the 4-year experience prerequisite for the journeyperson exam for RI-trained applicants.
Which states does Rhode Island have license reciprocity with?
Rhode Island's board states it does not reciprocate. Out-of-state licensees qualify and test on the same terms as in-state applicants.
How does Rhode Island compare to neighboring states?
Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.
| State | Journeyman hours | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | not published | Statewide |
| Connecticut | 8,000 | Statewide |
| Massachusetts | 8,000 | Statewide |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- RI DLT - Board of Examiners for Electricians
- RI DLT - Electrician Application (instructions + full fee schedule)
- RI DLT - Professional Regulation (exams, CE, code update, OSHA 15-hour)
- RI DLT - Trade License Applications & Study Materials
Last verified July 2026. Found an error? Report it and it will be corrected and logged on the corrections page.
Other states with published requirements for this trade: South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska.
Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to electricians overview.
Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with RI Department of Labor and Training - Board of Examiners of Electricians (Professional Regulation Unit) before making decisions. Not legal advice.