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How to get an electrician license in Colorado

Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority — sourced from Colorado's official board.

Master pathways corrected: DORA lists a degree/2,000-hr path and a trade-school/8,000-hr path; the '10,000 hr / 5 yr' figure was not confirmed on the official source. Added the 24-hr per-cycle CE requirement.

Issuing authority: Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), State Electrical Board (Division of Professions and Occupations). Official page: https://dpo.colorado.gov/Electrical

License levels in Colorado

Colorado electrician licensing at a glance

RequirementsResidential Wireman: 4,000 hrs over 2+ years of qualifying experience. Journeyman: 8,000 hrs over 4+ years, including at least 288 hours of training (safety, NEC and applications) from the last 8 years of experience. Master: bachelor's in electrical engineering + 2,000 hrs (min 1 year) construction experience, OR trade-school/community-college graduation + 8,000 hrs (min 4 years). All require passing the applicable exam.
ReciprocityNot detailed on the fetched pages.
RenewalEvery 3 years. Active journeyman/master/residential wireman must complete 24 hours of CE per 3-year cycle (at least 4 hours on NEC changes; no more than 4 in safety), waived for the first renewal after passing the licensing exam.
NotesMaster pathways corrected: DORA lists a degree/2,000-hr path and a trade-school/8,000-hr path; the '10,000 hr / 5 yr' figure was not confirmed on the official source. Added the 24-hr per-cycle CE requirement.

Questions

Do you need a license to work as an electrician in Colorado?
Master pathways corrected: DORA lists a degree/2,000-hr path and a trade-school/8,000-hr path; the '10,000 hr / 5 yr' figure was not confirmed on the official source. Added the 24-hr per-cycle CE requirement.
What electrician license levels does Colorado have?
The levels are Residential Wireman, Journeyman Electrician, Master Electrician, Electrical Contractor.
How do you get licensed as an electrician in Colorado?
Residential Wireman: 4,000 hrs over 2+ years of qualifying experience. Journeyman: 8,000 hrs over 4+ years, including at least 288 hours of training (safety, NEC and applications) from the last 8 years of experience. Master: bachelor's in electrical engineering + 2,000 hrs (min 1 year) construction experience, OR trade-school/community-college graduation + 8,000 hrs (min 4 years). All require passing the applicable exam.
Does Colorado have electrician license reciprocity?
Not detailed on the fetched pages.

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Sources: dpo.colorado.gov · dpo.colorado.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.

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