Do you need a license to do electrical work in New Jersey?
Yes. In New Jersey, no one may advertise, contract for or work in business as an electrical contractor unless the business holds a business permit and the business, or an officer, partner or employee active in it, holds an electrical contractor’s license from the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors and takes full responsibility for supervising the work. A single job counts as engaging in the business. To qualify, an applicant needs five years in the trade — one as a Class A journeyman electrician and four in an apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor — and must pass the board’s examination. This is N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9.
| What | New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Electrician license | Electrical contractor license and business permit |
Source
N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9
Read the statute in the New Jersey Statutes (New Jersey Legislature): njleg.state.nj.us.
The linked sections open Justia’s free copy of the code, because the state’s own site has no stable address for each section.
Checked against the statute on November 12, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
A contractor on Seayora keeps each license with its issuing state, its expiry date and the last four digits of its number, and the business is warned before one lapses — on the website and both phone apps. A customer finding a pro on Seayora sees whether a license is on file.
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