STATE LICENSE
RequiredMassachusetts Board of State Examiners of…
M.G.L. c. 141, § 1A bars any person or business from installing wires, conduits, devices, or fixtures for light, heat, power, fire warning, or security purposes without a license from the state examiners of electricians. Section 3 creates four certificates: A (master electrician), B (journeyman electrician), C (systems contractor), and D (systems technician). A journeyman applicant needs 600 hours of Board-approved education, a 15-hour code-update class, and 8,000 hours of work over at least four years under a licensed Massachusetts journeyman; a master needs the journeyman license, a year of experience, and 150 more hours of education.
Fees on the Board's current pages: journeyman/systems technician $31 application + $104 license; master/systems contractor $66 application + $155 license; PSI exams $135 for both portions. Licenses expire July 31, renewing at $78 (journeyman) or $117 (master), and 237 CMR 17.00 requires 21 hours of continuing education in the three years before renewal. A business must have a master or systems contractor as its Licensee of Record.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Licensing is statewide; municipal wiring inspectors issue electrical permits and inspect. Wiring alone does not require HIC registration per OCABR's chart, but structural cutting or notching brings in a CSL and building permit.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Massachusetts 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.
Corporations and LLCs apply for an electrical/systems business license naming a master or systems contractor as Licensee of Record, filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
OCABR's job chart lists wiring as licensed-trade work that does not require HIC registration; a CSL and building permit are needed only if you cut or notch structural elements.
The Board maintains a reciprocity agreement with New Hampshire; other out-of-state applicants qualify through the standard exam route.
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in Massachusetts. 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.
Engaging in electrical work or business without complying with c. 141 — applies to the person, the firm, and its officers individually.
Misstating experience or qualifications on a journeyman or systems technician application — or vouching for a misstatement.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
| County · City | Permit office | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Hampden County Springfield (consolidated gov.) | City of Springfield Department of Code Enforcement — Building Division ↗ | Springfield Building Permit Lookups (OpenGov) ↗ |
| Suffolk County Boston (consolidated gov.) | City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD) ↗ | ISD Online Permits and Licenses ↗ |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Exact renewal cycle length for electrician licenses (the Board states a July 31 expiration and a three-year CE window, but the cycle length was not stated on the pages retrieved) · Business license fee: the Board's page lists a $233 application and $155 license fee but also a '$221 License' table row — which governs was not resolved · Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor license term — DLS's fee table reads both 'every 5 years' and 'annually' for the $375 fee
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.