Short answer: The Board of State Examiners of Electricians issues the Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician license (certificate B). On the standard Massachusetts apprenticeship path, you need 8,000 qualifying work hours over at least four years under a Massachusetts-licensed journeyman, 600 hours of Board-approved classroom education and a 15-hour Code Update course. Qualifying out-of-state or military education and experience may count, subject to the Board’s documentation and review. After the Board approves your application, you pass both parts of the open-book PSI exam with at least 70% on each, then pay the license fee to receive your license.
Part II is where Massachusetts law shows up. 9 of its 30 questions are on Massachusetts amendments and licensing law; the other 21 cover Ohm’s law (5), schematics (5), materials (5) and troubleshooting (6). Our Massachusetts law module is an independent printable study supplement for the state law and amendment topics in Part II: 40 original practice questions on M.G.L. chapter 141, 237 CMR and 527 CMR 12.00, each with the official citation, plus 4 printable drills and the PSI Part II outline. It does not cover the other 21 questions or replace NEC study. Instant download, US$19 once.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, the Division of Occupational Licensure or PSI. NEC is a registered trademark of NFPA. This page summarizes the official pages we opened in October 2026. Confirm every requirement with the Board before you apply.
Who issues the license
Massachusetts law creates four electrical licenses. Certificate B is the “journeyman electrician’s license”, issued to a person who passes the exam given by the state examiners of electricians (M.G.L. c. 141, § 3). The Board sits inside the Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL), and all applications and renewals go through DOL’s eLIPSE system (Board page).
How to apply, in order
- Complete and document 8,000 qualifying work hours over at least four years under a Massachusetts-licensed journeyman.
- Complete 600 hours of Board-approved education and the 15-hour Code Update course.
- Gather your documents: diploma or equivalent, education records, work forms, the notarized CORI form and a passport-style photo (full checklist below).
- Apply in eLIPSE and pay the $31 application fee. Wait for Board approval before you schedule with PSI.
- Pass both parts of the PSI exam ($135 for both parts) with at least 70% on each, within 12 months of your approval.
- Pay the $104 license fee and get your printed photo license before you do electrical work for hire as a journeyman.
Each step below is explained in its own section further down.
Massachusetts journeyman electrician license requirements
| Requirement | What the Board asks for |
|---|---|
| Work experience | 8,000 clock hours in no less than four years, as an apprentice under the direct supervision of a Massachusetts licensed journeyman |
| Systems experience | Up to 4,000 hours of systems work can count |
| Age of education and experience | Work experience from more than 20 years before the application does not count. Education counts as expired 20 years after its start date (PSI Bulletin 493). If your training is older, ask the Board what it will accept. |
| Classroom | 600 clock hours of Board-approved education; at most 300 of them from a public vocational school program |
| Code class | A 15-hour course on the current Massachusetts Electrical Code from a Board-approved provider, completed before you apply for the exam. It is separate from the CE you take at each renewal |
| School | High school diploma or equivalent |
Source: 237 CMR 13.03 and the Board’s apply page.
Before you apply: Massachusetts journeyman exam checklist
The Board’s application checklist asks you to have these ready before you submit on eLIPSE:
- Education form(s) from your school (for example Forms 222 to 225, or the out-of-state form) with your name, the program, the total education hours, the school seal and an authorized signature.
- Work experience form(s) (for example Form 272, or the out-of-state form) with every start and end date (“present” is not accepted), the supervising licensee’s signature and Massachusetts license number, the employer’s signature and license number, time worked in years, months and days, and total hours.
- A CORI form that is legible, signed and notarized.
- Your 15-hour continuing education completion certificate.
- A passport-style photo.
- Proof of your high school diploma or equivalent. The Board’s rules require it (237 CMR 13.03), and PSI Bulletin 493 lists it with the education documents. The Board’s online checklist does not list it separately, so ask the Board where to upload it in eLIPSE.
- If they apply to you: a DD214 for veteran credit, the military spouse affidavit, an ADA accommodation request, or out-of-state license verification.
You pay the $31 application fee on eLIPSE. An incomplete application stays open for 180 days, then counts as abandoned. Once the Board approves you, you schedule with PSI, and the approval lasts 12 months. The Board’s checklist is the final word; out-of-state and military applicants have extra rules there.
Two rules shape your apprenticeship. A journeyman may supervise only one apprentice at a time (237 CMR 18.01), so a shop with three journeymen can carry three apprentices, not six. And the 8,000 hours cannot be squeezed into less than four years, even with overtime. If you are comparing how other states count hours, see our journeyman hours by state guide.
The Massachusetts journeyman electrical exam
PSI runs the exam for the Board. Candidate bulletin 493 (effective 9/30/2026) describes it as open book, computer based and in two parts. Each part is scored on its own, and you must pass both. You can take the two parts on the same day or on separate days; on the same day, once you start Part II you cannot go back to Part 1. Pass both within 12 months of your application approval, or you reapply and retake both parts (PSI bulletin 493).
| Part 1 | Part II, Applied | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 80 | 30 |
| Time | 180 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% (56 correct) | 70% (21 correct) |
| PSI fee | $80 | $55 |
| Main permitted references (full list in the PSI bulletin) | NEC and NFPA 72 | 527 CMR 12.00, 237 CMR 12.00 to 23.00, M.G.L. c. 141 and the NEC |
Part 1 is a code exam. Its largest areas are Wiring Methods and Devices (18 questions) and Services (11), and it also has Alarm Systems (6), Solar (6) and Battery Storage (4). Part II is not a business exam for journeymen. It covers Ohm’s law circuit calculations (5), schematics and plans (5), materials and components (5), troubleshooting and testing (6), Massachusetts Amendments (5) and Licensing Laws and Regulations (4).
You must test at a Massachusetts PSI site; the bulletin lists Auburn, Boston (Charlestown), Fall River, Lawrence and West Springfield. A silent, non-programmable calculator is allowed. PSI allows tabbed reference books with highlighted or underlined original text. Its bulletin effective September 30, 2026 conflicts on handwritten notes: one answer says they are not allowed, while the exam-room list allows margin notes written before the exam. Ask PSI before you add notes, and follow the full exam-room rules in PSI Bulletin 493, not just the short list in this article. Ugly’s Electrical References is listed as a question source, but it is not allowed in the exam room.
NEC edition: 527 CMR 12.00 adopts the 2026 NEC
The Massachusetts Electrical Code, 527 CMR 12.00, is the 2026 NEC with Massachusetts amendments. The Department of Fire Services says it took effect April 24, 2026 (DFS Massachusetts Electrical Code page). The amendments change several sections you will be tested on, such as GFCI and AFCI rules and the NM cable article, so study the amendment document next to your NEC, not just the NEC. Adopting a new code and updating PSI’s item bank are separate events, so confirm the edition your exam uses in the current PSI bulletin.
Watch the item bank timing. PSI bulletin 493 and 237 CMR 14.02 say new items for a newly adopted code may be added seven months after its enforcing date. That is a window for adding new items, not a date when the whole exam switches, and we found no official switch date. Ask PSI which edition your items use before you test.
Fees for the Massachusetts journeyman electrical license application
| Fee | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Application | $31 | DOL, when you apply |
| License | $104 | DOL, after approval |
| Exam, both parts | $135 ($80 + $55) | PSI, when you schedule |
| Retake, Part 1 only | $80 | PSI |
| Retake, Part II only | $55 | PSI |
| Retake, both parts | $135 | PSI |
| Renewal, every three years | $78 | DOL |
Sources: the apply page and the renewal page. First license cost if you pass both parts on your first attempt: $31 application + $104 license + $135 exam = $270. PSI prices each part separately (PSI Bulletin 493), so if you retake only one part, you pay for that part.
After you pass: getting your Massachusetts license
PSI reports your passing results to the Division of Occupational Licensure. Pay the license fee and follow the instructions in eLIPSE to receive your license. Under the current PSI bulletin, you need both passing results and your printed photo license in hand before you do electrical work for hire as a journeyman (PSI bulletin 493).
Renewal and continuing education
Journeyman licenses expire on July 31 every third year (M.G.L. c. 141, § 3). Renewal opens in eLIPSE 90 days before that date, and no paper notice is mailed. Each three-year cycle needs 21 clock hours: 15 hours on 527 CMR 12.00 and related topics with a Board-approved provider, plus 6 hours of professional development you choose from the Electrical Code, business, law, first aid, safety, the Building Code and related topics; those 6 hours do not have to come from a Board-approved provider (237 CMR 17.01).
Reciprocity
Massachusetts has reciprocity only with New Hampshire, and only for New Hampshire licenses earned by exam (Board FAQ). Licensed somewhere else? You apply, document your hours and education under 237 CMR 13.00, and take the Massachusetts exam.
Where candidates get stuck
- Retake limits. You have 12 months from approval to pass a failed part. After three failed attempts you must show extra education, such as an exam prep course or the 15-hour code course, before you sit again. After six, you repeat the full education hours (237 CMR 14.02). Wait at least 24 hours between attempts.
- Code change after a fail. If you failed and the item bank then moves to a new code, you must finish a 15-hour course on the current code before you retest.
- Handwritten notes. Bulletin 493 gives conflicting instructions: its quick-reference section bans handwritten notes, while its exam-room section mentions notes in book margins. Do not assume notes are allowed. Ask PSI before you mark your books, and follow the test center’s instructions.
- Part II surprises. Many candidates prepare only for state law and lose points on Ohm’s law, schematics and troubleshooting, which make up 21 of the 30 questions.
Moving to Texas later? The Texas path is different: TDLR, 8,000 hours and a two-part exam. See our Texas journeyman license guide.
Massachusetts electrical exam questions: check yourself
Our own practice questions. Answers below each.
- You score 58 of 80 on Part 1 and 20 of 30 on Part II. Have you passed both parts? Answer: No. Part 1 passes, but Part II needs at least 21 correct. Retake Part II within 12 months of your approval date. After you pass both parts, you still complete the licensing steps and receive your printed photo license before you do electrical work for hire as a journeyman.
- A shop has two journeymen. How many apprentices can they supervise at once? Answer: Two, one per journeyman.
- How many CE hours per renewal cycle, and how many on the code? Answer: 21 hours; 15 on 527 CMR 12.00 and related topics.
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NEC study reference: confirm your exam edition
NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC), 2026 Edition, softbound. The 2026 NEC is the base of the current Massachusetts Electrical Code. Before you buy it or bring it to your PSI exam, confirm in the current PSI instructions which NEC edition your exam uses, because code adoption and exam question updates can follow different schedules. Study it with the free 527 CMR 12.00 Massachusetts amendments from DFS.
FAQ
How many hours do you need for a journeyman electrician license in Massachusetts?
The standard path requires 8,000 qualifying work hours over at least four years under a Massachusetts-licensed journeyman, 600 hours of Board-approved education and a 15-hour Code Update course. Qualifying out-of-state or military experience is reviewed under the Board’s rules.
How many questions are on the Massachusetts journeyman electrical exam?
Two parts: Part 1 has 80 questions in 180 minutes and Part II has 30 questions in 60 minutes. You need 70% on each part.
Is the Massachusetts electrical license test open book?
Yes. PSI lists the NEC and NFPA 72 among the permitted references for Part 1, and 527 CMR 12.00, 237 CMR, M.G.L. chapter 141 and the NEC for Part II. Check the current PSI bulletin for the full list and the book-marking rules before exam day.
Does Massachusetts have reciprocity for journeyman electricians?
Only with New Hampshire, and only for New Hampshire licenses earned by exam. Everyone else takes the Massachusetts exam.
Sources checked October 2026
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/board-of-state-examiners-of-electricians
- Apply for an individual electrical or systems license (requirements and fees): https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-an-individual-electrical-or-systems-license
- Renew your electrician license (renewal fee): https://www.mass.gov/how-to/renew-your-electrician-systems-technician-or-systems-contractor-license
- Electricians FAQs for applications (reciprocity): https://www.mass.gov/info-details/electricians-faqs-for-applications
- PSI candidate bulletin 493, effective 9/30/2026: https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/493
- DFS Massachusetts Electrical Code page: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-electrical-code
- M.G.L. c. 141, § 3: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter141/Section3
- 237 CMR 13.00, eligibility: https://www.mass.gov/doc/237-cmr-13-eligibility-criteria-for-initial-licensure-0/download
- 237 CMR 14.00, examinations: https://www.mass.gov/doc/237-cmr-14-examinations-for-licensure/download
- 237 CMR 17.00, continuing education: https://www.mass.gov/doc/237-cmr-17-mandatory-continuing-education/download
- 237 CMR 18.00, rules governing practice: https://www.mass.gov/doc/237-cmr-18-rules-governing-practice/download
