How to Become an Electrician in Maine | Electrician Training ME

To be an electrician and legally perform electrical services in Maine one must have a government granted license. There are several license types currently available: Apprentice , Helper Electrician , Journeyman Electrician , Limited Electrician (it is devided in following fields: house wiring, crane technician, gasoline dispending, low energy, outdoor signs, refrigeration, traffic signals and water pump) and Master Electrician .

Electrician Training in Maine, ME

Maine Electrician board

The licenses are provided by the Electricians’ Examining Board , which is found under the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. Their office can be contacted at [email protected]

The board offer a pretty handy online registration/application system, which we would recommend you to use. However, you can also download the application and apply “offline”. Below at each license, you will find more details.

Their contact details are:

State of Maine
Department of Professional & Financial Regulation,
Office of Professional & Occupational Regulation
76 Northern Avenue, Gardiner, Maine
Phone: (207) 624-8603
Hearing Impaired: (888) 577-6690

Maine Apprentice Certification

An apprentice is a person who registers with a board and works under an already licensed electrician to learn the job and receive valuable practical experience. You can apply for an apprenticeship online or download the application and mail it. The application fee is $96.00 . Whether you apply online or offline, the license will be mailed to you and you can’t visit their office to obtain it. If you are applying offline: You can pay via a check made payable to “ Maine State Treasurer ” or by Visa/Mastercard by filling its details on the application. Then you mail the application here:

35 State House Station,
Augusta, Maine
04333-0035

You can also check their website , whether your license has been made active yet. The renewal is biennial, every 2 years since you acquired it. The renewal fee is $50.00 . You can renew it online . Note that if you fail to renew your license on time, you will have to pay an extra $50.00 as penalty. If 3 months pass, since the date on which you should have renewed, you will have to apply again for the same license.

For more information and a useful FAQ you can read the application whether you are applying online or offline.

Maine Helper Electrician License

A helper electrician is making various installations, under the direct supervision of a journeyman, master, limited electrician or a company. You can apply for this license online or download the application and mail it. The application fee is $96.00 . Whether you apply online or offline, the license will be mailed to you and you can’t visit their office to obtain it. If you are applying offline: You can pay via a check made payable to “ Maine State Treasurer ” or by Visa/Mastercard by filling its details on the application. Then you mail the application here:

35 State House Station,
Augusta, Maine
04333-0035

For more information and a useful FAQ you can read the application whether you are applying online or offline.

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Maine Journeyman Electrician License

In order to become a journeyman, you will have to acquire the necessary experience first in the form of training. During your training you will perform electrical work under the supervision of a master, limited or journeyman electrician, or a company.

The requirements of the examinations are listed here (quote from board ):

“Complete at least 8,000 hours of service as a licensed apprentice or helper and satisfactorily complete a program of study comprising 576 hours as approved by the Electricians’ Examining Board or from an accredited institution. The 576 hours shall consist of 225 hours of required study, including an approved course of not less than 45 hours in the current National Electrical Code; and 351 hours of elective study, comprised of all trade-related electives or 225 hours of trade-related courses and 135 hours of degree-related courses;
Be a graduate of an accredited applied technology high school 2-year electrical program, have worked for 8,000 hours in the field of electrical installations under the supervision of a master or equivalent and have completed a course of not less than 45 hours in the current National Electrical Code;
Be a graduate of a Maine community college electrical program or a vocational-electrical program of the Department of Corrections, have worked for 4,000 hours in the field of electrical installations under the supervision of a master or the equivalent and have completed a course of not less than 45 hours in the current National Electrical Code. Persons qualifying under this paragraph may sit for the journeyman’s examination upon graduation if application is made within one year of graduation; or
Be an electrical apprentice registered with the State Apprenticeship and Training Council and have completed 576 hours of related instruction, as defined in this paragraph, prescribed in their apprenticeship program, the 8,000-hour approved program and a course of not less than 45 hours in the current National Electrical Code. Persons qualifying under this paragraph may sit for the journeyman’s examination after completion of the 576 hours of instruction, if application is made within one year of the completion of the instruction.”

Note: One of those requirements will suffice for your exam application.

If you fill the requirements, you may proceed to apply for the appropriate examination. After you take and successfully pass the appropriate exams, you can apply for this license online . The application fee is $196.00 . The license will be mailed to you and you can’t visit their office to obtain it. You can also check their website , whether your license has been made active yet. The renewal fee occurs every 2 years and the price is $150.00 . Your first renewal must be paid 2 years after the date you get your license. You can also renew it online . If you are late renewing it, you will have to pay an extra fee as penalty. More info about these, can be found at the end of this page , at “requirements”.

Holders of a journeyman license are subject to a continuing education course of 15 hours per 3 years, on current National Electrical Code (NEC) updates. These are the course providers .

Maine has reciprocity with New Hampshire, Vermont, North Dakota, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming, but in order to be eligible for reciprocation, you must have held your state’s license and actively practice it for at least 6 years. Here you can find the application for reciprocity.

Maine Master Electrician License

The requirements of the examinations are listed here (quote from board ):

“Complete at least 4,000 hours of service as a journeyman electrician or at least 12,000 hours of experience in electrical installations, as defined in section 1101, and complete a program of study comprising 576 hours as approved by the Electricians’ Examining Board or from an accredited institution. The 576 hours shall consist of 450 hours of required study, including a course of not less than 45 hours in the current National Electrical Code and 126 hours of degree-related courses”.

Maine has reciprocity with New Hampshire and Vermont, but in order to be eligible for reciprocation, you must have held your state’s license and actively practice it for at least 6 years. Here you can find the application for reciprocity.

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Maine Limited Electrician License

The requirements in order to take part in the examinations, vary depending on the specific limited sub-license you are interested in acquiring. For the specific requirements of each of the following:

House Wiring
Crane Technician
Gasoline Dispensing
Low Energy
Outdoor Signs
Refrigeration
Traffic Signals
Water Pump

You are advised to read the requirements at the board . If you fill the requirements, you may proceed to apply for the appropriate examination. After you take and successfully pass the appropriate exams, you can apply for a license online . The application fee is $196.00 . The license will be mailed to you and you can’t visit their office to obtain it. You can also check their website , whether your license has been made active yet. The renewal fee occurs every 2 years and the price is $150.00 . Your first renewal must be paid 2 years after the date you get your license. You can also renew it online . If you are late renewing it, you will have to pay an extra fee as penalty. More info about these, can be found at the end of this page , at “requirements”. Holders of a limited electrician license are subject to a continuing education course of 15 hours per 3 years, on current National Electrical Code (NEC) updates. These are the course providers .

Main Electrician License Exams

Regardless of the license you want to be tested for, you will first have to apply for an exam (considering you suffice the requirements listed above). Fill the application form , attach the fee of $25.00 in the form of check made payable to “Maine State Treasurer”, or fill your Mastercard/Visa number in the application. Do NOT send cash! Do a last check that everything is there, by following the bullets at the end of the application. If everything is ready, seal the envelope and mail it to:

35 State House Station,
Augusta, Maine
04333-0035

Then you will have to wait for the Board to approve your application. After it is approved, you may proceed with scheduling the exam.

The test provider is Prometric. You can schedule your exam either via phone at 1-800-343-6001 Monday through Friday, between 8am and 9pm or online . The exam fee is $75.00 . For more information regarding payments and registration, jump to page 5 of candidate information bulletin . If you require special accommodations, contact Prometric at 888.226.9406. For more information check page 7 of the candidate information bulletin.

The exams take place 6 days a week. In order to pass the test, you will need a score of 70% or more. Failed examinees can retake the test after 14 days.

Test consists of multiple-choice questions and it is open book. The number of questions and field, depend on the license. Details:

Journeyman – You will have to answer 80 questions, in 4 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as a reference with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check page 10 .

Master – You will have to answer 100 questions, in 4 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as a reference with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check page 10 .

Limited:

Low Energy – You will have to answer 50 questions, in 3 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” and “NFPA 72 – National Fire Alarm Code, 2002 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as references with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check pages 10-11 .
House Wiring – You will have to answer 50 questions, in 3 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as a reference with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check page 11 .
Gasoline Dispensing – You will have to answer 50 questions, in 3 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” and “NFPA 30A – Code for Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages, 2003 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as references with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check page 11 .
Outdoor Signs – You will have to answer 50 questions, in 3 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” and “Stallcup’s Electric Signs and Outline Lighting Book, 2002 Edition, 2003 copyright issue, Grayboy Publishing” as references with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check pages 11-12 .
Refrigeration -You will have to answer 50 questions, in 3 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as a reference with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check page 12 .
Traffic Signals – You will have to answer 50 questions, in 3 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as a reference with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check page 12 .
Water Pumps – You will have to answer 50 questions, in 3 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 20 – Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection, 2003 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” and “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as references with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used to generate the questions, check pages 12-13 .
Crane Technician – You will have to answer 50 questions, in 3 hours. You are allowed to have “NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, National Fire Protection Association” as a reference with you. For the fields of the questions and other books that were used t o gener ate the questions, check page 13 .

After you pass the appropriate test, you will be notified to proceed by applying for your license and including the relevant fees and exam results. For the detailed steps, jump to the license which is of interest to you and keep reading after the exam part.

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How To Become An Electrician