How to Renew an Electrical License in Maryland

A lot is changing for the Maryland Board of Electricians and the professionals who get licensed through them. Thanks to the passage of Senate Bill 762 – Maryland Electricians Act, which went into effect mid-2021, the state now issues apprentice and journey licenses along with master electrician licenses. And that means that more people than ever need to be in the know about the requirements to renew a state-issued electrical license.

With that in mind, let’s look at all of the to-dos master and journey electricians need to check off to renew their licenses with the Maryland Board of Electricians.

Get continuing education

The Annotated Code of Maryland requires both journey and master electricians to complete continuing education (CE) as a condition for renewal. Let’s look at how many hours you need by license type:

Journeyperson electricians need 5 CE hours
Master electricians need 10 CE hours

This requirement applies to your full two-year renewal cycle, so you technically have 24 months to knock these hours out.

For your hours to count, they need to focus on the National Electrical Code (NEC), other state-adopted codes and rules from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), or requirements outlined in the Annotated Code of Maryland. Fortunately, if you choose a state-approved provider, you can rest easy knowing that your CE hours will count.

You can take up to five of your CE hours online. That means journey licensees can knock out all of their CE this way, and master electricians can at least limit what they need to do in-person to a single day.

Submit your renewal online and on time

All electrical licenses stay good for two years from the date of issue. That means there’s no fixed expiration date for all electricians. Instead, your renewal deadline is unique to you. Check your current license issue date and jump forward two years to figure out when your renewal is due.

You should get a renewal reminder from the Board in the mail, complete with instructions on how to renew. To make sure you get it, keep your address updated.

The Board sends out the reminders about 60 days before expiration. If you didn’t get one and you’re only a month away from your deadline, you can call (410) 230-6231 to request it be sent to you.

Then, make sure you complete the renewal process on time. You can use the state’s online portal for this. If you’ve never set up an account there before, click the “Create My Password” button in the bottom left of the screen. If you forgot your password, use the “Forgot My Password” button in the middle.

When you sit down to complete your renewal, have a payment method handy. The fee to renew a Maryland electrical license is $25.

A quick note about local requirements

Before SB 762, a lot of local jurisdictions had requirements for electrician licensing and renewal, including CE hour mandates. The Senate Bill repeals cities’ and counties’ ability to issue electrical licenses, but they’re still able to issue registrations.

In other words, things are changing, but you may still be subject to certain requirements on a local level. Keep an eye on what you need to do to not just comply with the state but also with the applicable county and city regulations.