Delaware Electrical License: How To Become An Electrician In Delaware (2024 Guide)

Thomas Hawkins January 27, 2018

Last updated on February 26th, 2024.

If you’re looking to become an electrician in Delaware then you’ve come to the right place.

So if you want to:

Find out where to get an electrical apprenticeship in Delaware
Understand Delaware’s electrical licensing requirements
Learn how to get started as an electrical apprentice in Delaware

Then you’ll love the detailed information in this guide.

Let’s dive right in.

How To Become An Electrician In Delaware

Delaware’s electrical industry is on the rise, with an expected job growth of 18.3% by 2024. This promising trend underscores the robust demand for skilled electricians in the state.

Working as a licensed electrician gives a handful of opportunities for career advancement.

In order to work as an Electrician, you must be familiar with the State of Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners which issues all electricians licenses within the state.

It starts with an apprentice license, then a journeyman license, before offering a master electrician or other advanced licenses to qualified candidates.

To become an electrician in Delaware, you have to decide the type of electrician you want to become. Delaware has five types of electrical licenses:

Master Electrician
Limited Electrician
Master Electrician Special
Limited Electrician Special
Journeyman Electrician

To get started you need to apply for an apprentice electrician license. The application fee is $59.

You’ll also need to get enrolled in an approved electrician apprenticeship program.

IBEW – NECA Electrical Apprenticeship In Delaware

The Delaware Electrical Apprenticeship is supported by Local 313 and is the only apprenticeship in the state.

As their website undergoes updates, details about the program are momentarily sparse. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive overview coming soon.

Delaware Electrical Apprenticeship
814 W. Basin Road
New Castle, DE 19720
Phone: 302-322-5089
Fax: 302-689-4449

An aptitude test forms a crucial part of the application process for the apprenticeship. Achieving a high score not only boosts your ranking among applicants but also sets the stage for your future success in the program.

How to become a Master Electrician in Delaware

To earn the prestigious Master Electrician License, applicants must meet a series of qualifications set forth by the Board of Electrical Examiners, including:

A 6 years’ experience working under the supervision of a qualified master electrician. This must be supported by a filled Verification of Employment form displaying six years of full-time experience. You can also submit a tax form W-2 indicating full-time employment and a letter with a full explanation as to why you cannot obtain the form.
A certificate from an approved training center showing completion of apprenticeship from another state’s genuine and registered apprenticeship program.
Get yourself a fully filled Verification of Employment clearly indicating four years of full-time experience under the close supervision of a licensed master electrician and proof of two years of technical training.

The Board of Electrical examiners must approve before you are eligible to take the exam. After passing the exams and getting the license, you are subjected to a Continuing Education which varies from 0-10 hours. The license must be renewed after every two years.

How to become a Limited Electrician in Delaware

A limited electrician is “a person licensed by the Board to plan, estimate, layout, perform or supervise the installation, erection or repair of any electrical conductor, molding, duct, raceway, conduit, machinery, apparatus, device or fixture, for the purpose of lighting, heating or power, in any structure which contains 4 or fewer dwelling units, as determined by the applicable building code”.

The license is approved by the Board of Electrical Examiners after successfully undergoing the following steps:

3 years of practical experience supported by a filled Verification of Employment form showing three years full-time experience under the close supervision of a licensed master or limited electrician. The tax form W-2 and an accompanying letter explaining why you cannot obtain the form is also used.
The Board of Electrical Examiners must approve your eligibility to take the exam. After successful approval, Prometric sends the exam registration form and you must score at least 75% and above to pass the test. You’ll thereafter receive your license renewable every two even years.

How to become a Master Electrician in Delaware

A master electrician is “a person, licensed by the Board, to plan, estimate, layout, perform or supervise the installation, erection or repair of any electrical conductor, molding, duct, raceway, conduit, machinery, apparatus, device or fixture for any 1 of the following purposes: elevators, swimming pools, electric signs, air conditioning, heating, refrigeration and oil burners, and overhead and underground primary distribution systems”.

The license is issued by the Board of Electrical Examiners. You will have to complete the following steps:

A quote from license requirements and in case you don’t qualify as a Master Electrician but you are knowledgeable in the areas of Electric Signs, Elevators, HVAC, Primary Distribution Systems, Pools or Refrigeration, you may apply for a master electrician Special License.
Show proof of your experience using a Verification of Employment form indicating six years of full-time experience in the areas of specialty under the close supervision of a licensed master electrician or Master electrician special. Form W-2 can also be submitted.
You must pass the Prometric examination and score at least 75% to get your electrical license.

How to become a Limited Electrician Special License Holder

A Limited Electrician Special is “a person licensed by the Board to plan, estimate, layout, perform or supervise the installation, erection or repair of any electrical conductor, molding, duct, raceway, conduit, machinery, apparatus, device or fixture, for any of the following purposes: elevators, swimming pools, air conditioning, heating and oil burners, in any structure which contains 4 or fewer dwelling units, as determined by the applicable building code”.

The license is issued by the Board of Electrical Examiners. To apply for the license, you must undertake the following steps:

A quote from license requirements: in case you do not qualify as a Limited Electrician but knowledgeable in Elevators, HVAC, and Pools specialty areas, you may apply for a Limited Electrician Special License.
You must also produce proof of your experience through obtaining a filled Verification of Employment form showing three years of full-time experience in specialty areas under the supervision of a licensed master electrician, master electrician, or limited electrician special. You can also obtain tax form W-2 indicating your full-time employment and a letter explaining why you cannot obtain the form.

The board holds the discretion to accept the proof. Prometric offers the test and after you pass the exam and receive the license, you are subjected to a further 0-10 hours for Continuing Examination. The license must be renewed every two years.

How to become a Licensed Journeyman Electrician

A journeyperson electrician is “a person who is qualified and skilled to perform electrical work and who has met the requirements to be licensed as a journeyperson electrician”.

To be eligible to be licensed;

You must be at least 20 years of age
You must have over eight thousand hours of full-time experience doing electrical work under the strict supervision of a licensed master electrician, master electrician special, limited electrician, or limited electrician special.
Verification of Employment or a substitute tax form W-2’s for the period.
Must pass the exam with at least a 75 percent.

Licensing exams typically cover a comprehensive range of topics, including, but not limited to: