To be an electrician in Florida you need a professional government granted license to legally perform electrical services within the state. This license is granted by Florida’s Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board which is part of the state’s Department of Business Professional Regulation.
Once you obtain the proper license, you are well on your way to making a career for yourself as an electrician in Florida.
FL License Types
Depending on your situation and skill set, you can apply for several different variations of Florida’s electrician licenses which are specialized for very specific types of electrical work as follows:
Certified Electrical Contractor (EC)
Registered Electrical Contractor (ER)
Certified Alarm System Contractor I (EF)
Registered Alarm Contractor I (EY)
Certified Alarm Contractor II (EG)
Registered Alarm Contractor II (EZ)
Certified Electrical Specialty Contractor (ES)
Registered Electrical Specialty Contractor (ET)
The EC license allows you to practice almost all types of electrical work.
In addition, there are actually two types of documents you can obtain in Florida for each of the above classifications. You can be either certified or registered in FL. Keep in mind, only the certified type allows you to perform work anywhere in the state of Florida. Being just a registered electrician in FL will only allow you to perform work in the geographic area for which you were approved.
Required Electrical Experience in Florida
The Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board for the state of Florida requires the following before you can be granted one of the above electrician licenses:
3 years of management experience in the electrical trade within the last 6 years immediately preceding the filing of the application;
or
4 years of experience as a foreman, supervisor or contractor in the electrical trade within the last 8 years immediately preceding the filing of the application;
or
Be licensed as an electrical professional engineer for 3 years within the last 12 years;
or
6 years of comprehensive training, technical education or broad experience associated with an electrical contracting business within the last 12 years immediately preceding the filing of the application;
or
6 years of technical experience in electrical work with the United States Armed Forces or a governmental entity within the last 12 years immediately preceding the filing of the application;
or
Have a combination of any of these electrician qualifications totaling 6 years of experience.
Florida Reciprocity
Florida doesn’t offer a great a path to being granted an electrician license based on your work in other US states. They do recognize certain licenses from Georgia, California and North Carolina. However, there may be others but you need to prove that the standards in the other state are very similar to Florida’s. The FL Board will make that determination so be sure to provide as much documentation as possible in order to make your best case for reciprocity.
Regardless, if you are being endorsed you need to provide proof of employment including any W2 forms. If you were self-employed you will need to get 3 notarized letters vouching for your electrical work. Endorsement applications can take a long time to be completed so be patient while FL processes your application.
Your exam result in another state may also be valid but you have to check with the state as nothing is guaranteed regarding such reciprocity. Usually they are helpful so don’t stress, instead work with them as you go through the formal steps for beginning your career path.
Electrician License Fees in Florida
Florida imposes high fees for going through the process to become a licensed electrician in the state. The fee for the application is $327.50 and the actual licensing fee is $300. Keep in mind, you’ll need to renew the license every two years for a fee of $300.
View, download or print Florida’s applications for becoming a licensed electrician
Taking the Florida Exam
Pearson VUE handles the electrical exam for the state of Florida. You will pay Pearson directly in the amount of approximately $70 for administering the examination. A score of at least 75% is required in order to be successful. The test is based on the National Electrical Code (NEC) and is made up of 2 parts.
Both sections of the exam are open book meaning you will have access to reference materials which is great. The test contains a business section which is 50 questions and a technical section which is 100 questions. Be sure to properly study and take the exam seriously so as not to delay your new career.
Best FL Cities for Electrical Work
If you are planning a career as an electrician in the state of Florida you should know which areas will offer you the most work. The population centers and highest overall electricity consumption are in Southeast Florida and the other population centers in FL. You are likely to do well in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Orlando. There are several other cities which require lots of electrical work.
Since Florida continues to enjoy strong population growth, the job market should prove to be steady for electricians for the foreseeable future. Best of luck pursuing your electrician career in the great state of Florida!