Utah has five total types of licenses for electricians. There are apprentice electricians, journeyman electricians, residential journeyman electricians, master electricians and residential master electricians. With the exception of apprentice electricians, each type requires a certain combination of education and experience as an electrician. Most categories also require an applicant to pass a Utah electrician exam.
Application Details:
Regardless of how you qualify or what level of Utah electrician you are applying to become, you can get an application online at the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. Go to the link in the Resources section below to access the application.
You must also pay a fee to get a Utah electrician license. As of 2010, the fee is $110.
Exam Details:
Utah uses PSI to administer all of the electrician exams. There are written and practical exams for both of the master and journeyman electrician licenses. There is no exam for an apprentice electrician in Utah. You can find an information bulletin online from PSI (look in the Resources section to find the link).
Use the information in the bulletin to find out what to study and how to register. Of course, you are going to need some practical experience to pass the practical exam. This is why it is so important to have successfully completed your education and gotten some experience in the real world as an apprentice of a licensed Utah electrician. As of 2010, the exam fee is $72.
You first need to send in an application. You will then receive an authorization from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing to sit for the exam. Look inside the bulletin to see which kinds of tools you need to bring to the practical exam. PSI does not supply these tools for your practical electrician exam.
Qualifications for Each Level of Utah Electrician License:
1. Apprentice Electrician
There are no specific requirements for this other than the fact that you need an actual licensed electrician to act as your supervisor. You will need to find an apprenticeship program for this purpose.
2. Journeyman Electrician
If you complete an approved educational apprenticeship program, then you must also complete four years as a licensed apprentice. If you do not complete such a program, you can still qualify as a Utah journeyman electrician with 8 years and 16,000 hours of experience in the wiring, installation and repair of electrical apparati and equipment for heat, light and power.
3. Residential Journeyman Electrician
The requirements are the same as the regular journeyman license except that you cut the experience requirements exactly in half.
4. Master Electrician
If you have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited electrical engineering program (EAC/ABET accreditation), then all you need is at least one year of experience as a licensed apprentice electrician.
If you have an associate of applied sciences degree from an approved electrical trade school, then you need 2 years of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician. However, if you complete an approved electrical trade school that does not grant the associate degree, then you need 4 years as a licensed journeyman electrician.
Note: Always contact the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing to ensure that an electrical trade school is approved.
5. Residential Master Electrician
You need two years of experience as a licensed residential journeyman electrician.
Note that each year of experience means at least 2000 hours. If you work more than 2000 hours in a year, that still counts as only one year of experience.
Resources:
Utah Electrician Exams PSI Candidate Information Bulletin
Utah Electrician Application
