STATE LICENSE
RequiredRhode Island Department of Labor and Trai…
R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-2 bars any person, firm, or corporation from engaging in, soliciting, advertising, bidding for, or working at the business of installing, maintaining, servicing, or testing electrical wiring and apparatus without a license issued by the state board of examiners of electricians in the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) Division of Professional Regulation, and the contractor's license number must appear on ads, contracts, bids, and permits. A Certificate A lets the business contract for electrical work through a member or officer who passed the exam, but does not by itself let the holder do the work; a Certificate B (journeyperson) is issued after an exam (§§ 5-6-8, 5-6-9). Apprentices register immediately on hire and must log 8,000 hours over at least four years plus 144 hours of related instruction per year (§ 5-6-24).
Section 5-6-16 sets fees of $240 for a Class A contractor license and $72 for a Class B journeyperson license; licenses expire on the licensee's birthday and renew for two years at the same fee (§ 5-6-20), with 15 clock hours of continuing education required for Class A and B renewals (§ 5-6-20.1). DLT-licensed businesses are exempt from CRLB registration except for its insurance requirement (§ 5-65-2(a)(10)). Owner-occupied single-family homes are exempt from the requirement to use a licensee for permitted work, except for removing and reattaching meters (§ 5-6-2(b)).
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 state-only through DLT; cities and towns run electrical permitting and inspection. Anyone who must pull a local permit for work requiring an electrical license must have it performed by a licensee (§ 5-6-2(b)), and the contractor license number goes on the permit (§ 5-6-2(a)(2)). Rhode Island has no county layer.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Rhode Island 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.
Electrical licenses expire on the qualifying licensee's birthday and renew for two years; a license not renewed within two years of expiration is forfeited and requires re-examination (§ 5-6-20).
DLT-licensed businesses working within their license are exempt from CRLB registration except for the insurance requirement (§ 5-65-2(a)(10)).
The chapter allows one registered apprentice electrician working under the direct personal supervision of a licensed journeyperson (§ 5-6-24(a)).
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in Rhode Island. 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 business or work without complying with the chapter; each individual acting in violation is a separate offense.
On complaint from the chief investigator, the DLT director may order the violator to stop and impose penalties against the violator and the contractor.
Fines must be paid within 30 days of notice or licenses are revoked; unlicensed violators face injunction proceedings.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Providence County Providence (consolidated gov.) | City of Providence Department of Inspection and Standards (DIS) ↗ | Providence e-Permitting (ViewPoint Cloud) ↗ |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Experience prerequisites for the Class A contractor exam and exam fees under § 5-6-17 (not read) · Apprentice registration fee amount · Whether the 15-hour CE applies once per two-year renewal cycle as DLT administers it (statute ties it to each renewal)
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.