General Information

To perform electrical services in Delaware, you are required to hold a Delaware professional license as an electrician. Performing “electrical services” or “electrical work” is defined by the Board to mean any activity that is covered by the National Electrical Code (NEC) as adopted by the Delaware State Fire Commission. Examples are provided in Section 1.0 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations

Types of Licenses

Types of electrician licensure in Delaware include Master, Master Special, Limited, Limited Special, Journeyperson, Residential and Apprentice (24 Del. C. 1408 (a)).

If you have completed all education and experience requirements of an approved apprenticeship program and received your certificate of completion, you may apply for either a Residential, Journeyperson, or other type of Electrician license. Journeyperson Electrician licensure allows you to perform electrical services under supervision while you obtain more experience and master the skills that you will need to pass the examination for the other types of Electrician licensure.

If you do not qualify as a Master Electrician but have knowledge in an area(s) of specialty, you may apply for a Master Electrician Special license in one of these specialty areas:

• Electric Signs
• Elevators
• HVAC
• Primary Distribution Systems
• Pools
• Refrigeration

If you do not qualify as a Limited Electrician but have knowledge in an area(s) of specialty, you may apply for a Limited Electrician Special license in one of these specialty areas:

• HVAC
• Pools

If you have more than one specialty area, you must submit a separate application for each area in DELPROS, our online portal.

Application Types

You may apply for a Master/Limited Electrician license by Exam or by Reciprocity. The way you apply determines what documentation you are required to submit with your application. The information  below should help you determine which way to apply in DELPROS, our online portal, and what documents to submit. DELPROS asks you to answer a few questions in order to determine your pathway to licensure and then it leads you to the correct online application based on your answers. The choices of ways to apply are: examination and reciprocity.

• Apply by examination if you do not hold a current electrical license of the same type for which you are now applying that was issued by another state, U.S. territory or District of Columbia.

• Apply by reciprocity if you hold a current license of the same type for which you are now applying that was issued by another state, U.S. territory or District of Columbia.

Note: In the state of Pennsylvania, electrical licenses are not issued by a state board. If the only current license(s) you hold was issued by a Pennsylvania municipality or other jurisdiction, you must apply by examination.

Information on How to Apply for a License in DELPROS

Applications are processed in DELPROS (Delaware Professional Regulation Online Services). The online license application process is simple and provides you with clear instructions throughout each stage of the application process. We strongly recommend that you understand what the requirements are for the license you are pursuing. Then, request and gather the documents you need before you begin the application process. Most of the information and forms are on this website. For further clarification of requirements, refer to your profession’s License Law and the Rules and Regulations.

In order to apply for a license or service request, you must have a DELPROS account. To create a new account or log into an existing DELPROS account, follow the instructions at the beginning of the application process. As part of the final steps of the application process, DELPROS instructs you to either “attach” or “upload” the required documents directly to your application and/or to “acknowledge” that you will either send them in yourself or make arrangements for “third-party” documents/forms to be sent to the Board office. Examples of “third-party forms” are transcripts from schools, employment verifications from a supervisor, and license verifications from another state. Official license verifications and/or transcripts are acceptable when received electronically directly from the State Board or school/institution. Note that forms requiring a signature, seal, or notary must be MAILED to the Board office directly UNLESS the document specifically indicates to UPLOAD the document. All documents received by mail are scanned and attached to the appropriate license records.

In DELPROS, you have the ability to save your application and return to it to edit/update information or upload documents for up to six months. However, if you do not submit your application within six months, you will have to restart your online application process. The Board office begins processing applications shortly after submission in the portal. You may check the status of your application in the DELPROS system throughout the whole process and we will correspond with you by email. The requirements for this license type are provided in the following section(s).

Requirements for All Applicants

In addition to submitting the application and fee in DELPROS, you must submit:

• Proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000. Your name must be on the insurance document you submit even if your employer holds the policy.
  • If your employer carries general liability insurance of at least $300,000.00 covering its employees, the proof you submit must show that you are covered by your employer’s policy. (See Sections 6.2 and 6.3 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations.)
  • You may take the exam before submitting proof of insurance, but you must submit it after you pass. Your license cannot be issued until the Board office receives proof of insurance.

• State/Jurisdiction Licensure Verification sent directly to the Board office from each state or jurisdiction in which you currently hold or have ever held a license.
  • If the license issued by another jurisdiction was a license for an electrical business that encompassed all its employees, instead of your own license as an individual, it is not necessary to obtain a license verification for that business.

Additional Requirements for Examination Applicants

If you need to take the examination for an original license, the Board of Electrical Examiners must approve you to sit for the examination. You must submit the supporting documentation below at least 45 days before the scheduled test date (Section 4.0 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations.)

In addition to submitting the application, fee, and supporting documentation required in the previous section, in DELPROS, you must also submit the following:

• • Proof of experience. The experience requirement depends on which kind of license you are applying for (Master, Limited or any Special license)and if you have or have not completed a registered/approved Apprenticeship program of any state, U.S. territory or D.C.
    • If you have completed a registered/approved apprenticeship program and you are applying for Master, Limited or any Special license, you only need a copy of your Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship.
    • If you have not completed a registered/approved Apprenticeship program and you are applying for Master, Limited or any Special license, submit a Verification of Employment form from each employer. This form must show your years of full-time experience under the supervision of a licensed master or limited electrician. The minimum experience and/or education for the license type you are applying for now is listed below.
    • Master – six years full-time experience OR four years full-time experience under a Master Electrician only AND an official transcript showing two years of technical training.
    • Limited – three years full-time experience under Master or Limited Electrician supervisor.
    • Master Electrician Special – six years of full-time experience in the area(s) of specialty under Master Electrician or Master Electrician Special supervision).
    • Limited Electrician Special – three years of full-time experience in the area(s) of specialty under Master Electrician or Master/Limited Electrician Special).
    • If you cannot obtain the required Verification of Employment form from the supervising licensed electrician, submit tax form W-2 showing full-time employment and a letter explaining why you cannot obtain the form. Acceptance of proof other than the Verification of Employment form is at the discretion of the Board.

To receive credit for any experience you obtained in Delaware after June 30, 2012, you must have been licensed as an Apprentice or Journeyperson Electrician at the time.

When the Board approves your application, the Board office will send you the examination registration form. For more information, see Exam Information.

Additional Requirements for Reciprocity Applicants

The Board of Electrical Examiners has determined the states that do and do not have licensure standards “substantially similar” to those of Delaware. Depending on whether your state is substantially similar or not determines what additional item(s) (if any) you are required to submit:

In addition to submitting .the application, fee, and supporting documentation required in the section above for all applicants section in DELPROS, you must also submit proof of experience if:

• You are currently licensed in Arkansas, Colorado, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, or West Virginia – a Verification of Employment form proving and describing at least five years after licensure. These state’s licensure requirements have been determined NOT substantially similar to Delaware’s.
  • If you cannot obtain the required form from the supervising licensed electrician, you may substitute tax W-2 forms showing full-time employment. Include a letter explaining why you cannot obtain the form.
  • For periods of self-employment, you may submit tax form Schedule C as proof of experience.
• You are currently licensed in Michigan or Wyoming, you do not need to submit proof of experience. These state’s licensure requirements have been determined to be substantially similar to Delaware’s.

• You are not currently licensed in any state listed above, your state’s licensure standards must be evaluated by the Board. You must submit a copy of or links to your state’s laws and regulations.
  • The determination of substantial equivalence may change based, for example, on changes in the other jurisdiction’s law or regulations.
  • If none of the jurisdictions where you hold a current license (of the same type for which you are now applying) has licensure standards “substantially similar” to those of Delaware and if you do not have the required five years of experience, you must meet the requirements for licensure by examination as explained under Requirements for Examination Applicants above. You cannot be licensed by reciprocity.