Trades by State
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Maryland electrical license requirements and insurance

To work for yourself as an electrician in Maryland, you need the Master Electrician license. Maryland has 3 electrical license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. The state's minimum liability insurance is $300,000 for injury and $100,000 for property damage, and workers' comp is required from the first employee. The state does not ask for a bond.

Who it applies to

1Who needs an electrical license in Maryland? What is this?

Master Electrician: anyone who contracts with customers for electrical work or runs an electrical business. One state license works in every county

LicenseWho needs itWhat it covers
Apprentice ElectricianAnyone who helps with electrical work while learning the trade. The board's rules say you need it to become eligible for the journeyperson licenseHelping with electrical work under a master electrician's supervision
Journeyperson ElectricianAn electrician who works for an electrical business. You cannot contract with customers on this licenseElectrical work under the direction of a master electrician
Master ElectricianAnyone who contracts with customers for electrical work or runs an electrical business. One state license works in every countyAll electrical work, including installing, repairing, maintaining and altering wiring, equipment and systems
Who runs it

2Who issues electrician licenses in Maryland? What is this?

Maryland State Board of Electricians, part of the Maryland Department of Labor issues electrical licenses in Maryland.

See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state

NameMaryland State Board of Electricians, part of the Maryland Department of Labor
Websitelabor.maryland.gov
Look up a licensedllr.state.md.us
The lawBusiness Occupations and Professions Article, Title 6
The rulebookCOMAR 09.09 (the Code of Maryland Regulations, Board of Electricians)
Who runs the examPSI
Checked by a person against the official page
·3 official pages
Getting licensed

3How to become an electrician in Maryland What is this?

Maryland has 3 licenses that matter to an electrician: Apprentice Electrician, Journeyperson Electrician, Master Electrician. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.

LicenseExperience requiredExam
Apprentice Electrician—No exam listed by the board
Journeyperson ElectricianAt least 4 years of electrical work under a master electrician. A finished apprenticeship program approved by the state or the federal Office of Apprenticeship counts in fullYes, a board exam run by PSI
Master ElectricianAt least 7 years of electrical work under a master electrician. The board may count up to 3 years of formal electrical schooling. A finished approved apprenticeship program counts in fullYes, a board exam run by PSI. You pass the exam first and then apply for the license
What it costs

4How much does an electrical license cost in Maryland? What is this?

The government fees on this page add up to about $185.5 in Maryland. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

LicenseFirst licenseRenewalExam sitting (paid to PSI)Late renewal, 31 to 60 days lateLate renewal, up to 30 days late
Apprentice Electrician$12$12———
Journeyperson Electrician$18.5$18.5$65——
Master Electrician$25$31.5$65$63$28

Added up

Government fees, added up$185.5

Does not include the $63 local registration fee where a county has one, insurance premiums, tools, a vehicle, or county permits

Our estimate
Insurance

5How much electrical contractor insurance do you need in Maryland? What is this?

The least liability insurance Maryland lets an electrician work with is $300,000 for injury and $100,000 for property damage. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required from the first employee.

Minimum liability insurance$300,000
Minimum liability insurance (property damage)$100,000
Type of policyGeneral liability insurance, plus property damage insurance. The board says umbrella cover is not accepted
Who this applies toA master electrician who contracts with customers. Your employer can buy the policy instead
Who must be named on the certificateThe law does not name one. You send proof of insurance to the board with your application and at each renewal
Workers' comp required?Yes
Workers' comp: what to know
  • Every Maryland employer must carry workers' comp for its employees.
  • A sole owner is not covered unless they choose to be, by writing to the Workers' Compensation Commission and the insurer.
  • Before a state or local office gives an employer a license or permit, it asks for a workers' comp policy number or a certificate of compliance from the Commission.
Workers' comp: if you skip itA fine of up to $10,000 for an employer that does not carry it
Who can opt out
  • An officer of a company, or a member of an LLC, counts as a covered employee if the company pays them for work they do.
  • Some may opt out.
  • An officer of a close corporation may.
  • So may an officer of a professional corporation who owns at least 20 percent of the shares and does professional work.
  • So may a member of an LLC who owns at least 20 percent of the profits.
  • No more than five officers of an ordinary corporation may opt out.
  • The company must send the Commission and its insurer a written notice naming each person who has opted out
Other requirements
  • Your insurer must tell the board about a cancellation.
  • Journeyperson and apprentice electricians working under a master do not need their own policy.
  • A master who is not contracting can ask the board for uninsured status, which costs $63.
Checked by a person against the official page
·8 official pages
Money checks

6Does Maryland check your credit for an electrician license? What is this?

Maryland does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you needNone. The board does not check your credit, net worth or bank balance for an electrician license
If your score is lowerNot needed
How we knowThe electricians law asks for experience, an exam and insurance. The board's rules cover fees, class hours and applications, with no section on credit, net worth or a financial statement.
About home improvement licenses
  • The Maryland Home Improvement Commission does check finances for its own license.
  • The home improvement law leaves out a licensed electrician who stays within electrical work.
  • If you also sell other home improvement work, that license and its money check apply to you.
Checked by software against the official page
·4 official pages
Bonds

7Does an electrician need a bond in Maryland? What is this?

Maryland does not require a state bond for this license. Some cities ask for one before they issue permits.

Does the state require a bond?No
AmountNot listed yet

The state does not ask an electrician for a bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish the job). The law also says proof of your state insurance may stand in for a bond a county or city asks for.

Checked by a person against the official page·mgaleg.maryland.gov
Showing your number

8Where must a Maryland electrician show the license number? What is this?

In Maryland: a master electrician must display the license and its number where people can see it at the main place of business.

On adsEvery ad must show a name and a license number. They belong to the master electrician, or to the licensed journeyperson the master employs and names to direct the work
The ruleA master electrician must display the license and its number where people can see it at the main place of business
On your vehiclesEvery vehicle you use on the job must show your state license number, or your county or city registration number. A county or city cannot make you add a second number on top of that
On quotes, contracts, and invoicesNo rule read asks for the number on invoices or quotes
If you forgetThe board can fine you up to $5,000 for each violation of the electricians law
Checked by a person against the official page
·4 official pages
Tax

9Does an electrician charge sales tax on labor in Maryland? What is this?

In Maryland, no sales tax. Maryland taxes only a short list of services, and electrical work on a building is not on it. The rest of the rules are below.

See how this compares in every state: Can you charge sales tax on labor? The rule in 25 states

Who pays tax on materials
  • You.
  • Maryland makes anyone who builds, alters or repairs a building pay sales tax on the materials that become part of it.
  • Your supplier charges you when you buy wire, conduit, panels, breakers and fixtures.
Materials you bill to the customerYou do not add sales tax to the customer's bill. Build the tax you paid into your price. Writing "tax included" or "tax exempt" in the contract changes nothing.
LaborNo sales tax. Maryland taxes only a short list of services, and electrical work on a building is not on it.
Homes versus businessesSame rule for a home and a business
New buildingsSame rule as repairs. You pay tax on the materials when you buy them
Working for a tax exempt customerWork for the government is still taxed on your materials. For some charities, schools and churches you can buy materials tax-free with the customer's exemption certificate and your signed statement to the supplier.
Equipment and materialsTools and equipment you use on the job but do not leave in the building are always taxed when you buy them
Tax rate6 percent statewide. Maryland has no local sales tax
Checked by software against the official page
·4 official pages
Getting paid

10Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a Maryland electrician What is this?

If you are not paid in Maryland, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: you have 120 days after doing the work or delivering the materials to give the owner written notice of an intention to claim a lien. Giving it counts when you send it by registered or certified mail with a return receipt, or hand it to the owner. If the owner cannot be found, you may post it on the front of the building in front of a witness, still inside the 120 days.

The order things have to happen in, counted in days
  1. Day 0
    Your first day on the job

    The clock starts here.

  2. Day 120
    Send your notice

    You have 120 days after doing the work or delivering the materials to give the owner written notice of an intention to claim a lien. Giving it counts when you send it by registered or certified mail with a return receipt, or hand it to the owner. If the owner cannot be found, you may post it on the front of the building in front of a witness, still inside the 120 days

  3. Day 180
    File your lien

    You have 180 days after the work was finished or the materials delivered (last work on March 1 means you file by August 28). You file a petition in the circuit court of the county where the property is.

Each day count is counted from the day the rule beside it names, which is not always the same day. Read the sentence under each one.

Who has to send a noticeA subcontractor, meaning anyone hired by the contractor and not by the owner. If the owner hired you directly, you do not send this notice.
Send your notice by
  • You have 120 days after doing the work or delivering the materials to give the owner written notice of an intention to claim a lien.
  • Giving it counts when you send it by registered or certified mail with a return receipt, or hand it to the owner.
  • If the owner cannot be found, you may post it on the front of the building in front of a witness, still inside the 120 days
File your lien byYou have 180 days after the work was finished or the materials delivered (last work on March 1 means you file by August 28). You file a petition in the circuit court of the county where the property is.
The small-job exceptionA repair or rewire only gives you lien rights if the work on the building adds up to at least 15 percent of the building's value. New buildings have no such floor.
Homes the owner lives inOn a single-family home being built for the owner to live in, a subcontractor's lien cannot be more than what the owner still owes the contractor on the day your notice arrives. Send it early.
Checked by a person against the official page
·3 official pages
Keeping it

11How do you renew an electrical license in Maryland? What is this?

The Master Electrician renews every two years. You must show proof of insurance and your class hours each time. You need 10 hours of training each renewal.

LicenseRenewalTraining hours each renewal
Apprentice ElectricianEvery two years—
Journeyperson ElectricianEvery two years—
Master ElectricianEvery two years. You must show proof of insurance and your class hours each time—

Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.

Watch out

12What catches people out in Maryland What is this?

The things people get wrong or do not expect about Maryland, in a few sentences.

  • One state master electrician license lets you contract anywhere in Maryland. Some counties still run their own registration, and you have 60 days after the state license to sign up where you live or have your office.
  • The master license takes seven years of work under a master electrician. Schooling can stand in for up to three of them.
  • A licensed master or journeyperson must be on site at every job where electrical work is done. An apprentice cannot be left alone on a job.
  • The first master license costs $25, which is less than the $65 exam. Renewal is $31.50 every two years, with 10 hours of classes.
  • The board will not take an umbrella policy as proof of insurance. You need $300,000 of general liability and $100,000 of property damage cover in their own right.
Checked by a person against the official page
·5 official pages

13Where these numbers come from

The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.

  1. labor.maryland.gov/license/elec/
  2. regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/09.09
  3. labor.maryland.gov/license/elec/elecexam.shtml
  4. labor.maryland.gov/license/elec/elecaff.shtml
  5. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-101&enactments=false
  6. regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/09.09.03
  7. labor.maryland.gov/license/elec/elecrenew.shtml
  8. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-304&enactments=false
  9. regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/09.09.02.01
  10. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-601&enactments=false
  11. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-103&enactments=false
  12. labor.maryland.gov/license/elec/eleclicfaqs.shtml
  13. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-310&enactments=false
  14. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-604&enactments=false
  15. wcc.state.md.us/Gen_Info/FAQ%20Employers.html
  16. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gle&section=9-227&enactments=false
  17. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gle&section=9-206&enactments=false
  18. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gle&section=9-105&enactments=false
  19. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbr&section=8-301&enactments=false
  20. labor.maryland.gov/license/mhic/mhiclicreq.shtml
  21. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-301&enactments=false
  22. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-606&enactments=false
  23. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-608&enactments=false
  24. regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/03.06.01.19
  25. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtg&section=11-101&enactments=false
  26. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtg&section=11-104&enactments=false
  27. marylandtaxes.gov/forms/Business_Tax_Tips/bustip8.pdf
  28. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp&section=9-104&enactments=false
  29. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp&section=9-105&enactments=false
  30. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp&section=9-102&enactments=false
  31. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo&section=6-605&enactments=false