STATE LICENSE
RequiredMaryland State Board of Electricians — Ma…
Maryland finished moving electricians to a statewide license under the Maryland Electricians Act: the Board began licensing apprentices and journeypersons on July 1, 2021, alongside the master license it already issued. An individual may not provide, assist in providing, or offer electrical services for compensation without the appropriate license, or beyond its scope (Bus. Occ. § 6-607).
The local layer did not go away. Each county must either regulate and register electricians at least as stringently as the State or require the State license (§ 6-301); participating jurisdictions require local registration within 60 days of State licensure (§ 6-601), and must waive their own exam for State licensees (§ 6-602). At least one licensed master or journeyperson must be on every job site (§ 6-605(b)).
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Two-tier system: the State license is mandatory everywhere; counties and municipalities either register electricians under standards at least as stringent as the State's or simply require the State license (Bus. Occ. § 6-301). Local jurisdictions keep permits, fees and inspections, must waive local exams for State licensees (§ 6-602), and may not demand extra vehicle numbers beyond § 6-301(c).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Maryland 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.
The State master license is $25 original / $31.50 renewal; each county or city that registers electricians sets its own registration fee.
Masters may hold uninsured status ($63) but then may not pull electrical permits or supervise journeypersons or apprentices.
Reinstatement is $28 within 30 days of expiration, $63 at 31–60 days, and $126 after 60 days.
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in Maryland. 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.
Any person, including a company officer, who violates the prohibited-acts subtitle — unlicensed work, working beyond scope, skipping a required permit — commits a misdemeanor.
Contracting to provide electrical services without the § 6-604 insurance is a separate misdemeanor.
In addition to criminal penalties, the Board may fine each violation.
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: Continuing-education hours for master/journeyperson renewal (secondary sources cite 10 hours for masters; not confirmed on a fetched Board page) · PSI exam fees for master and journeyperson exams (set by the testing service) · Which counties and municipalities currently hold § 6-103 authorization to issue local registrations, and their local fees
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.