STATE LICENSE
RequiredAlabama Board of Electrical Contractors
Code of Ala. § 34-36-13 bars anyone from electrical contracting or working as a master or journeyman electrician without a license from the state board or from the county or municipality where the work is performed. The state license travels: a statewide licensee must be allowed to work in any county or city that has issued the proper building permit and business license. A local license or permit, by contrast, authorizes work only inside the issuing jurisdiction (§ 34-36-16(c)).
Licenses issue only to individuals, never to firms (§ 34-36-7(c)). Electrical contractors take a $165 exam and pay $150 for the license; journeymen pay $115 and $35. Contractors owe 14 hours of continuing education every two years — 2027 is a CE year — and since May 2026 the board accepts CE only as reported by providers through its portal. Act 2024-375 ended new provisional electrical contractor licenses as of May 15, 2024.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Alabama keeps a dual system. Counties and municipalities may license electricians and require their own exam (§ 34-36-13(b)(2)), but a holder of a statewide license must be allowed to work in any county or city once they hold that jurisdiction's building permit and business license. Local licenses work only inside the issuing jurisdiction (§ 34-36-16(c)), and the state board employs no electrical inspectors (§ 34-36-18), so inspections stay with the city or county. Mobile's contractor guide says the city requires an electrical contractor or journeyman license to bid electrical work; Huntsville requires electrical contractors to be state-board certified and to buy trade permits.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Alabama county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
A county or municipal electrical license authorizes work only inside the issuing jurisdiction; only the state license works statewide.
The Act does not apply to systems operating at 25 volts or less — relevant to low-voltage landscape lighting and similar systems.
The board no longer reciprocates with Georgia; it does with Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Louisiana, and Texas, and accepts the NASCLA electrical exam.
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in Alabama. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Soliciting or performing work reserved to licensed electrical contractors without a license is unlawful and punished as a Class A misdemeanor.
The board may fine unlicensed operators, issue cease-and-desist orders, and petition the circuit court to enforce them.
Unlicensed electrical contracting is declared a public nuisance that the board or district attorney may enjoin.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Annual renewal fee amounts and the board's renewal date (§ 34-36-8 says licenses expire annually or as the board designates) · Whether the board requires liability insurance or a bond for licensure (its 303-X rules were not reviewed) · Vendor and format of the electrical contractor trade exam (the Business & Law exam is delivered by Prov)
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.