STATE LICENSE
RequiredBoard of Electrical Examiners of the Stat…
Under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-28-304, no one may perform electrical work or hold out as an electrician without a license from the Board of Electrical Examiners, administered by the Department of Labor and Licensing. A journeyman needs a completed four-year USDOL-registered apprenticeship or eight years (16,000 hours) of experience; a master needs six years in the industry including two as a licensed journeyman, or an electrical engineering degree plus two years. Licenses renew annually ($50 master, $25 journeyman) and require eight hours of continuing education per National Electrical Code cycle.
Act 746 of 2025 repealed the separate HVAC/R electrician license and lets any state HVACR licensee run line-voltage wiring up to 75 feet from a disconnect to an outdoor unit. Cities may require permits and inspections but may not examine or license state-licensed electricians (§ 17-28-305). An owner may wire his or her own primary residence unless local rules say otherwise.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Ark. Code Ann. § 17-28-305 bars cities and counties from examining or licensing state-licensed electricians, but lets them adopt non-conflicting material standards and run permit and inspection systems; electrical inspectors are themselves licensed by the board.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Arkansas 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.
Act 746 of 2025 removed the HVAC/R electrician license; HVACR licensees may run line voltage up to 75 feet from a disconnect to the outdoor unit.
A license not renewed within 36 months of expiration costs back fees plus an additional $1,000 penalty (§ 17-28-301(b)(4)).
Cities and counties may not examine or license a state-licensed electrician (§ 17-28-305(a)).
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in Arkansas. 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.
The Department of Labor and Licensing may assess civil penalties for violating the electrician licensing law, the Arkansas Electrical Code Authority Act, or board rules.
The Secretary may ask a court to enjoin anyone performing electrical work without a license.
Bidding or performing work of $50,000 or more (labor and materials) without a license or registration in the proper classification is a crime, and the Board may also assess a civil penalty after a hearing.
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: Whether any separate state electrical-contractor business registration applies below $50,000 (§ 17-28-101 defines 'electrical contractor', but the 2025 statute compilation shows no contractor-license section and § 17-28-302 is repealed) · The ADLL electrical page still lists an 'air conditioning electrician' class; the Department's Aug. 2025 memo says Act 746 of 2025 repealed the HVAC/R electrician license — the memo (current law) is followed here · Apprentice registration fee · Exam vendor administering BOEE exams
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.