To be an electrician in Michigan You have to posses a government granted license to legally perform electrical services within the state. Licenses in Michigan are granted by Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) department that define regulations for becoming an electrician in the state. This is true unless You are willing to perform electrician services only in Grand Rapids or Detroit because those cities issue their own licenses. All licenses must be renewed and full documentation of Your work experience is required. Michigan has a continuing education requirement and you can view their documents and programs here.
Electrician Training in Michigan, MI
Electrician License Types
Michigan classifies professional electricians into 3 categories for the purpose of state licensing. One will have to start with a journeyman license before one can become a master electrician . Later on it is possible to advance to an electrical contractor license.
Aspiring journeymen must to be at a minimum 20 years old and have more than 4 000 hours of relevant work experience over a period of at least 4 years with a licensed electrician. They take into account those graduating an associated educational program or ongoing attendance so schooling is encouraged in Michigan. Once You have these credentials, You have to pass a test. Prior receipt of license, fee of $40 must be paid for license issue.
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Application for Journeyman Electrician Examination
Master electricians
are required to be at a minimum 22 years old and have had a journeyman license for at least 2 years. The work experience requirement at this level is 12 000 hours over a period of at least 6 years. There is a different exam for aspiring master electricians which costs $50 not including the cost of the exam which is discussed below.
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Application for Master Electrician Examination
The third type of license You can get is the Electrical Contractor license. Only master electricians can obtain this level after being classes as a mater for at least 1 year. Michigan only issues this to people working in the electrical field full time within the states borders. This license also requires that You take an examination. They charge much more for maintaining this type of license since it is $300 over 3 years.
View Application for Electrical Contractor Examination
Additionally, take a look on other important Electrical Contractor information directly on Michigan’s main government website.
State Reciprocity in Michigan
Michigan does offer reciprocity in general. If You are already licensed in another state You can qualify for taking the test in Michigan after the board signs off that the license You hold is substantially the same as those of Michigan. As it is done on a case by case basis, You ought to provide them with all the facts and documentation necessary to speed up decision making process.
Taking the Examination
A candidate must be approved by the state’s authorities, through the application process, in order to site for the examination regardless of which electrical license candidate is willing to obtain. The exam is based on NEC standards that will be provided to the candidate for reference. Examination administration fee is $100. Candidate must reach at least 75% score to successfully pass it. In case of one failure, do not worry. Test can be retaken. But the second attempt is the last one – if the examination is failed 2 times within 2 years, it will definitely sidetrack ones career. If the candidate studies hard and has a genuine interest in electrical field, there should not be any major obstacles to pass the license test and become fully licensed electrician.
Best Cities in Michigan for Electrical Employment
If Your are planning to become an electrician in the state of Illinois, You should be informed about exactly which areas will offer the best work options. The population centers with the highest overall electricity consumption are Detroit, Warren and Grand Rapids. Several other cities offer good employment opportunities as well, many of them in Oakland county.
Big part of Michigan has a low population density, it has little to no development, thus You will probably find less work. The resident population in the rural parts of the state is really low and the people also tend to have less disposable income for electrical projects. In any case, due to the poor economy in Detroit, much of the state badly needs electrical work as updating and investment have lagged behind.
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