Journeyman Electrician 2026: Requirements and Hours by State

Journeyman electrician requirements in four states

As of October 2026. Other states set their own hours, so check your state board.

State	Experience for the journeyman license
Texas	8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas master electrician. You can take the exam at 7,000.
California (General Electrician)	8,000 hours of on-the-job experience, or a state-approved apprenticeship
Washington (01 general journey level)	8,000 hours, no more than 4,000 of them in 4,000-hour specialties, plus 96 hours of basic classroom instruction
Virginia	4 years of practical experience and 240 hours of vocational training, or a longer mix (up to 7 years with 40 hours). A related associate degree with 2 years, or 8 years of experience, also qualifies

Virginia's full list of options →

What's the difference between a journeyman electrician and a master electrician?

Experience. BLS says journey workers may advance to master electrician, and states want journeyman time first:

Texas: a master license needs 2 years as a licensed journeyman and 12,000 hours of on-the-job training.
Virginia: 1 year as a licensed journeyman, or 9 years of practical experience.
Iowa: at least 1 year as a licensed class A or class B journeyman, under state law.
New York City: 7 years of experience, at least 2 of them in the city, for the master license.

The master exam is usually longer. In Texas it has 75 code items and 33 calculation items, against 59 and 26 on the journeyman exam.

New York City master electrician license →

Keeping the license

Texas journeyman and master licenses last one year and are renewed online. A first Washington certificate lasts 25 to 36 months, depending on your exam date and birthday. California's renewal rules are on the cost page.

License and renewal fees →