To be an electrician and legally perform electrical services in North Carolina one must have 1 of 3 different primary types of government granted licenses. These are granted by North Carolina’s State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors that also sets the regulations for becoming an electrician in North Carolina. Once the person has obtained the corresponding license, he is well on his way to making a career as an electrician in North Carolina!
Electrician Training in North Carolina, NC
The 3 main types of North Caroline licenses mentioned above are as follows:
- Limited – it allows its holder to perform electrical contracting work not exceeding $25 000 per project and at 600 volts or less. The annual license fee is $60. Remember that You must have at least 4 years electrical experience. 2 of the years need to be primary experience and the remainder can be secondary.
- Intermediate – it allows its holder to perform electrical contracting work not exceeding $75 000 per project. The annual license fee is $100. To get this type of license You must have at least 6 years electrical experience. 4 of the years need to be primary experience and the remainder can be secondary.
- Unlimited – it allows its holder to perform any electrical contracting work with unlimited value. The annual license fee is $150. You must have at least 7 years electrical experience. 5 of the years need to be primary experience and the remainder can be secondary. You also need to provide 2 well documented letters of recommendation to the state.
Other license types in North Carolina
Another electrical license that is highly specialized, is a Residential dwelling license. In addition, there are also 6 restricted electrical contracting license classifications in the state of North Carolina that will allow the license holder to do only specific contracting electrical work: Fire Alarm/Low Voltage, Elevator, Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, Groundwater pump, Electric Sign and Swimming Pool. If You have any of these specializations You may want to look further into these options, call (800) 392-6102 to request a North Carolina application for any of these above-mentioned licenses.
Keep in mind You will need to renew your North Carolina license each year. You also need to complete 8 hours of studies, continuing education, with at least half at an in-person classroom or seminar setting. You can carry over any extra study hours for future year requirements if need be. This requirement is to keep license holders skills fresh for safety reasons. North Carolina definitely gives a lot of attention to safety standards when it comes to electricians.
Reciprocity in North Carolina
North Carolina offers reciprocity agreements for the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. For each of these states North Carolina has a reciprocity packet which one must fill out. Just because someone has a license from one of these states does not mean North Carolina will honor it because a lot of other relevant documentation will have to be provided together with the actual license.
View North Carolina’s applications and reciprocity information
Taking the Examination in North Carolina
You have to be approved by NC’s State Licensing Board to take the state’s licensing examination. The exam in North Carolina’s is administered by Promissor or PSI and is based on NEC standards which will be provided to You for reference. However, You are not allowed to bring other documents into the test room. The exam is 6 hours long and created from 100 multiple choice questions. You will need to score of at least 75% to pass the North Carolina exam.
You should study areas such as North Carolina Electrical Contractors Licensing Law, Business & Project Management for Contractors, NC Electrical Contractors Edition and the National Fire Alarm Code.
It is recommended that prior the exam You review North Carolina’s handbook regarding rule and regulations relating to the exam.
Best Cities in North Carolina for Electrical Employment
If You are willing to create an electrician career in the state of North Carolina You should acknowledge which areas will offer You the most work. The population centers with the highest overall electricity consumption are Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Winston Salem. Of course, there are several other cities offering good employment opportunities as well.
Much of North Carolina has a low population density which means that employment seeker is likely to find less promising work. The resident population in these rural parts of North Carolina tend to have less disposable income for electrical projects.
If you have lived in North Carolina for awhile You are likely to know which cities are best for electrical work. Good luck pursuing Your dream of becoming an electrician in the state of North Carolina!
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