STATE LICENSE
RequiredUtah Division of Professional Licensing (…
Under Utah Code § 58-55-302, a general electrical contractor's qualifier must be a licensed master electrician and a residential electrical contractor's qualifier a master or residential master electrician. Individuals are licensed as apprentice, journeyman, master, residential journeyman, or residential master electricians; a journeyman needs four years of approved apprenticeship or eight years of experience, and a master four years as a journeyman (or a degree path).
Electrical work is carved out of the $7,000 handyman exemption: system work must be done by a licensed electrical contractor, while a licensed journeyman may swap components like outlets and switches. Individual electricians complete 16 hours of continuing education per two-year cycle; contractor licenses add the standard six hours.
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 exclusively state (DOPL); § 58-55-301(1)(c) bars cities and counties from adding contractor licenses. Local building officials issue electrical permits and inspect under the state-adopted code.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Utah 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 business holds E200 or E201; its qualifier must be a master electrician; everyone wiring holds an individual electrician license.
Even under $7,000, electrical system work must go to a licensed electrical contractor; component swaps may be done by a licensed journeyman.
DOPL rule treats class 2 and class 3 power-limited circuits as not requiring a contractor license.
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in Utah. 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 a construction trade or acting as a contractor without the appropriate license (or an exemption) is unlawful conduct; DOPL may cite instead of prosecuting, and citations escalate.
A contractor may not sue in a Utah court to collect compensation for licensed work without alleging and proving it was licensed when the contract was made and when the claim arose.
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: Individual electrician license renewal fee (DOPL fee schedule lists $110 and $78 for 'Electrician — All Classifications' without labeling which is renewal) · Exam vendor and fees for journeyman and master electrician exams · Current text of the R156-55a power-limited (class 2/3) exemption — last confirmed in the 2019 rulemaking
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.