Georgia Electrician License: Journeyman & Master (2026)

If you're searching for how to get a Georgia journeyman or master electrician license, you need to know one thing upfront: Georgia does not issue statewide journeyman or master electrician licenses. Instead, Georgia licenses Electrical Contractors through the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) under the Secretary of State. Individual electricians work under a contractor's license rather than holding their own. See our Georgia state exam prep page for practice questions aligned to the Georgia contractor exam.

This is different from most states, and it changes the path entirely. Here's exactly how Georgia licensing works in 2026, what licenses exist, what it takes to get one, and how the exam works.

Georgia Electrician License Overview

Georgia's electrical licensing is administered by the Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors, which operates under the Secretary of State (SOS). The Board is commonly called the CILB, Construction Industry Licensing Board.

The IEC Atlanta chapter confirms it directly: "There is not a journeyman licensing phase in Georgia, however, they do work under the license of an Electrical Contractor." [Source: iecatlantaga.org]

Individual electricians, apprentices, journeymen, work in the field under their employer's contractor license. Once you accumulate enough verified experience, you apply for your own Electrical Contractor license and take the PSI exam.

License Types in Georgia

Georgia's CILB issues Electrical Contractor licenses in two classes [Source: sos.ga.gov/georgia-state-board-electrical-contractors]:

Class I, Restricted. Limited to electrical contracting involving single-phase installations that do not exceed 200 amperes at the service drop or service lateral. [Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 121-3-.01 via law.cornell.edu] Requires the same 4-year experience requirement as Class II.

Class II, Non-Restricted (Unrestricted). The full, statewide electrical contractor license. Authorizes electrical contracting work on any type of electrical system, residential, commercial, and industrial. No limitations on scope of work. If you want to contract without restrictions, this is your target.

Georgia also licenses Low-Voltage Contractors and other specialty categories through the CILB, but these are separate from the standard Electrical Contractor license.

Note on "Journeyman" and "Master" terminology: Some apprenticeship programs (IBEW, IEC, ABC) award journeyman certificates upon completing their programs, but these are program credentials, not state licenses. Georgia has no state-issued journeyman electrician license and no state-issued master electrician license. The contractor license is the only state-issued electrician license in Georgia.

Becoming an Electrician in Georgia: The Path to a Contractor License

Working as an Electrician (Pre-License)

Before applying for a contractor license, most Georgia electricians complete an apprenticeship. The IEC Atlanta program, for example, requires 576 classroom hours and 8,000 on-the-job training (OJT) hours (approximately 4 years) to earn a Journeyman Certificate. [Source: iecatlantaga.org/apprenticeships-new-2024]

During this time you work under a licensed electrical contractor. Your employer's license covers your work, you do not need a personal state license to work in the trade.

Qualifying for the Contractor License

To apply for a Class I or Class II license, you must demonstrate 4 years of verifiable electrical experience working under a licensed electrical contractor. [Source: Georgia Electrical EXAM Application, sos.ga.gov]

Additional requirements:

• Age: At least 21 years old
• Education: High school diploma or GED
• References: Three letters of reference
• Background check: Criminal background check conducted during application
• Licensed employer: Experience must be under a licensed contractor, time under an unlicensed contractor does not count toward the 4-year requirement

Educational or technical training may partially substitute for hands-on experience. Check the current CILB application for precise substitution rules.

Application contact:

• Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors
• 3920 Arkwright Rd., Suite 195, Macon, GA 31210
• Phone: (844) 753-7825
• Website: sos.ga.gov/georgia-state-board-electrical-contractors

The Board must approve your application before PSI will schedule you for the exam.

Fees

Georgia handles fees differently from most states, and it is worth understanding the structure before you budget.

The Board's rules do not publish fee amounts in the rule text itself. Rule 121-4-.02(1) states that "the renewal fees, late fees, and reinstatement fees will be set by the Board. Fees will be published in a separate schedule and will be made publicly available." [Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-4, rules.sos.ga.gov] That separate schedule is the authoritative document, and the Board can revise it without a rule change.

Where to get the current numbers:

• Board fee schedule (authoritative): the Electrical Fee Schedule PDF published on the Board's forms page at sos.ga.gov/georgia-state-board-electrical-contractors
• Application and license fees: paid to the Secretary of State through the GOALS portal at the time you apply
• Examination fee: paid separately to PSI when you schedule, after Board approval. PSI publishes it in the Georgia candidate information bulletin
• Reciprocity applications: filed on the separate Electrical Reciprocity form, which carries its own fee

Three things that catch applicants out:

1. Paper applications are no longer accepted. All applications go through GOALS. Paper submissions are returned to sender.
2. Board approval comes before payment to PSI. You cannot schedule and pay for the exam until the Board has approved your application, so the two fees are separated in time, often by several weeks.
3. The application fee is not refundable if you are found ineligible. Confirm your 4 years of qualifying experience is documented and verifiable before you file.

We do not publish specific Georgia dollar amounts here because the Board's fee schedule is the only authoritative source for them and it is revised independently of the rules. Pull the current PDF from the Board page above before you budget. If you want fee figures you can compare across states, see our electrician exam cost by state breakdown.

How to Apply: Step by Step

1. Accumulate and document 4 years of qualifying experience under a licensed electrical contractor. Time under an unlicensed contractor does not count. Keep employer names, license numbers, and dates, because the application asks for verifiable detail rather than a summary.
2. Confirm you meet the baseline requirements, at least 21 years of age and a high school diploma or GED.
3. Line up three letters of reference. The Board requires them as part of the application package.
4. Choose your classification. Class I if your work stays within single-phase installations at 200 amperes or less, Class II if you want unrestricted scope. The experience requirement is the same either way, so most applicants who qualify apply for Class II.
5. Create a GOALS account and file the application online at sos.ga.gov, with the application fee. Paper applications are returned unprocessed.
6. Clear the criminal background check, which is conducted as part of the application review.
7. Wait for Board approval. Applications are generally processed within about 20 business days of receipt, excluding weekends and holidays. PSI will not schedule you until approval is issued.
8. Schedule with PSI once approved, at (800) 733-9267 or candidate.psiexams.com, and pay the examination fee.
9. Sit both parts on the same day. Regulations and Laws, then Technical Functions, 4 hours each with a break, 8 hours total. You need 70 percent on each part.
10. Receive your license after passing. Renewal then falls on June 30 of even-numbered years.

If you are applying on the basis of an existing license from another state, skip to the reciprocity section below, the path and the form are different.

Local Licensing Note

Georgia's CILB issues a statewide contractor license, valid across the state. However, municipalities including Atlanta, Savannah, and Augusta may require separate permits or local contractor registration in addition to the state license. The City of Atlanta, for example, requires presentation of your state-issued contractor license card to obtain local building permits. [Source: atlantaga.gov online permitting]

Before starting work in any specific city or county, confirm local permit and registration requirements directly with that jurisdiction, requirements vary.

The PSI Exam

Exam Vendor

The Georgia Electrical Contractor exam is administered by PSI Exams. Contact PSI at (800) 733-9267 or candidate.psiexams.com. You must receive Board approval before scheduling. [Source: mikeholt.com/statelicense.php?id=GA, citing sos.ga.gov]

Exam Format

The exam consists of two parts, both taken on the same day with a break:

Pre-test (unscored) questions: 22 for Class II, 15 for Class I. Total exam time: 8 hours. Passing score: 70% on each part. [Source: mikeholt.com/statelicense.php?id=GA; 70% passing score per Georgia proposed rule R 121-2-.01, sos.ga.gov]

Open-Book, Reference Materials Allowed

The Georgia electrical contractor exam is open-book. You may bring your NEC codebook and other approved reference materials. However, books with excessive markings or alterations may be rejected at the testing center. Tab and organize your references carefully before exam day.

NEC Edition

As of 2026, PSI tests the 2023 NEC for Georgia contractor exams. Georgia adopted the 2023 NEC statewide effective January 1, 2025, and PSI transitioned to it for Georgia exams on June 20, 2025. [Source: mikeholt.com/statelicense.php?id=GA]

How to Prepare

The Georgia electrical contractor exam is open-book, but open-book doesn't mean easy. With 140 questions across two parts in 8 hours, finding the right NEC section quickly is critical. Candidates who walk in without knowing the code architecture waste time hunting and run out of clock.

The Georgia contractor exam is administered by PSI and tests the 2023 NEC, the same code used on journeyman and master exams in other states. GetLicenseReady has 1,600+ NEC 2023-aligned practice questions in exam mode: 100 questions, timed, same format as the real PSI test. You practice NEC lookup speed under pressure, which is exactly what the exam tests.

Try 15 questions free at getlicenseready.com/free-practice-test, no account required. Create a free account to unlock 25 questions.

Effective preparation also means:

• Tabbing and indexing your 2023 NEC, know the article structure cold before you walk in
• Practicing timed open-book questions, you should be able to locate and confirm answers in seconds, not minutes
• Reviewing Georgia regulations, the Regulations/Laws part covers state-specific administrative rules, not just the NEC

Renewal Requirements

Georgia Electrical Contractor licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years and must be renewed every two years. [Source: mikeholt.com/statelicense.php?id=GA, citing CILB]

Continuing education (CE) requirements before renewal:

• Licensed 2 or more years: 8 hours of CE (4 hours per year)
• Licensed more than 1 year but less than 2 years: 4 hours of CE
• Licensed 1 year or less: No CE required for the first renewal

CE must be completed before submitting your renewal. Renewal is processed through the Board's website at sos.ga.gov/georgia-state-board-electrical-contractors.

New as of January 1, 2026: CE Broker reporting. Georgia licensees are now required to register with CE Broker and report their continuing education there. [Source: mikeholt.com/statelicense.php?id=GA, citing CILB] Completing the hours is no longer sufficient on its own, they have to show up in your CE Broker record before renewal. If you took courses in 2026 and did not report them, do that before the renewal window rather than during it.

The 2026 renewal cycle closed June 30, 2026, with a late renewal period following it. Confirm current cycle dates and the late renewal window on the Board page before assuming you are inside it, because a lapsed license moves you into reinstatement rather than renewal.

Reciprocity: Licensing in Georgia With an Out-of-State License

Georgia does grant licensure by reciprocity, and it is a genuinely different application path with its own form and fee rather than a shortcut through the standard one.

Rule 121-2-.03 provides that a license may be issued to an applicant who submits a completed application and fee along with evidence that they hold a current out-of-state license, and who demonstrates through documentation that they meet the prerequisite experience requirements. [Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-2, rules.sos.ga.gov] The experience requirement does not go away under reciprocity, you still have to document it. What you avoid is the examination.

States commonly cited as having reciprocity with Georgia: Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. [Source: mikeholt.com/statelicense.php?id=GA] The North Carolina side of that is independently confirmed: the NCBEEC lists Georgia among its reciprocal states in Rule .0701 of the PSI examination handbook. [Source: NCBEEC PSI Exam Book]

How to apply by reciprocity:

1. Confirm your current license is in good standing in a state Georgia recognizes.
2. Use the Electrical Reciprocity application, not the Electrical EXAM application. It is a separate form on the Board's forms page with its own fee.
3. Provide license verification from your home state board. Georgia charges a fee for outgoing verifications too, so budget for the same in reverse if another state asks you.
4. Document your qualifying experience. Rule 121-2-.03 requires it regardless of your out-of-state license.
5. File through GOALS, the same as a standard application.

One caution. Reciprocity lists change, and they are agreements between boards rather than statutes. Confirm your specific state is currently recognized by calling the Board at (844) 753-7825 before you pay a reciprocity application fee. If you are mapping a multi-state path, our electrician license reciprocity guide covers how these agreements work across all 50 states.

FAQ

Does Georgia have a journeyman or master electrician license?

No. Georgia does not issue statewide journeyman or master electrician licenses. The Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses Electrical Contractors (Class I and Class II). Individual electricians work in the field under their employer's contractor license. [Source: iecatlantaga.org, sos.ga.gov]

What is the difference between a Class I and Class II license?

Class I (Restricted) is for limited-scope electrical contracting, generally residential and light commercial. Class II (Non-Restricted) is the full, unrestricted contractor license with no limitations on the type or size of electrical systems. Both require the same 4-year experience requirement and PSI examination.

Can I bring my NEC codebook to the exam?

Yes. The Georgia electrical contractor exam is open-book. You may bring your NEC and other approved reference materials. Books with excessive markings may be rejected at the testing center, confirm PSI's specific guidelines when you schedule your exam.

How do I apply for the Georgia Electrical Contractor license?

Submit your application (with fee, references, and documentation) to the Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors at 3920 Arkwright Rd., Suite 195, Macon, GA 31210, or online through the SOS. Once the Board approves your application, PSI will contact you with exam scheduling information. Visit sos.ga.gov/georgia-state-board-electrical-contractors for current applications and fees.

All requirements in this guide are drawn from the Georgia Secretary of State, the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (sos.ga.gov), the Board's rules at rules.sos.ga.gov, and PSI Exams. Last verified August 2026. Georgia licensing requirements are subject to change, always confirm at sos.ga.gov before submitting any application.

A note on fees: we deliberately do not publish Georgia dollar amounts. The Board sets fees in a schedule that is separate from its rules and revises it independently, so any figure republished elsewhere goes stale without notice. The Electrical Fee Schedule PDF on the Board's page is the only authoritative source.

• Compare electrician license requirements by state

Practice and Free Tools for the Georgia Exam

The Technical Functions part is 110 questions in 4 hours, so speed on the calculation types matters more here than on shorter exams.

• Full-length Georgia exam simulator, timed to the real question count and pass mark, with a score report against the actual passing score. The first 10 questions are free.
• Georgia practice questions, every answer citing its exact NEC article.
• Georgia exam facts page, format, fees, vendor, and the NEC edition tested, with the date each was last verified.

Free NEC calculators, no account required:

• Standard method dwelling load calculator, Article 220 Part III load calcs, the highest-point-value technical topic.
• Motor circuit calculator, Article 430 conductor and OCPD sizing.
• Grounding and bonding conductor calculator, Tables 250.66 and 250.122, consistently the lowest-scoring article.

All eleven are on the free electrician tools page, each with the method, a worked example, and the code sections it comes from.

Related guides:

• What's actually on the electrician license test?
• How to pass the electrician exam: 6 NEC articles that cover 60%
• Grounding vs bonding: the NEC 250 question most get wrong
• Box fill calculations: the #1 reason electricians fail NEC 314.16
• Journeyman vs master electrician: what's the difference?