Trades by State
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Utah electrical license requirements and insurance

To work for yourself as an electrician in Utah, you need the General Electrical Contractor (E200) license. Utah has 4 electrical license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. The state's minimum liability insurance is $1,000,000, and workers' comp is required if you have employees. There is a credit check: no set score. The law asks you to show you can pay your bills, and the division can audit that at any time. The state does not ask for a bond.

Who it applies to

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

General Electrical Contractor (E200): any business that contracts for electrical work in Utah. This is the license that lets you run an electrical company and sign jobs in its name

LicenseWho needs itWhat it covers
General Electrical Contractor (E200)Any business that contracts for electrical work in Utah. This is the license that lets you run an electrical company and sign jobs in its nameElectrical work as the licensing law defines it, on any kind of building. E201 is limited to residential work
Master ElectricianThe person who qualifies an electrical contractor license and supervises other electricians. You need this before your business can hold the E200 licenseAll electrical work, including supervising journeymen and apprentices. A Residential Master Electrician license covers homes only and needs 4,000 hours as a residential journeyman
Journeyman ElectricianLets you do electrical work for a licensed electrical contractor without someone standing over you. It does not let you contract with customers on your ownAll electrical work, residential and commercial. A Residential Journeyman Electrician license covers homes only and needs 4,000 hours and 288 classroom hours
Apprentice ElectricianEveryone learning the trade. Your hours only count toward the journeyman license while you hold this licenseElectrical work under the immediate supervision of a licensed master or journeyman electrician, or the residential versions of either
Who runs it

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

Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), part of the Utah Department of Commerce issues electrical licenses in Utah.

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

NameUtah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), part of the Utah Department of Commerce
Websitedopl.utah.gov
Look up a licensesecure.utah.gov
The lawUtah Code Title 58, Chapter 55 (Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act)
The rulebookUtah Administrative Code R156-55a (contractors) and R156-55b (electricians)
Checked by software against the official page
·3 official pages
Getting licensed

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

Utah has 4 licenses that matter to an electrician: General Electrical Contractor (E200), Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, Apprentice Electrician. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.

LicenseExperience requiredTraining requiredExam
General Electrical Contractor (E200)Two years of full-time paid work in construction, which the rule counts as 4,000 hours. The qualifier also has to hold the master electrician license, which has its own hoursA 25-hour course before you apply, plus a five-hour business and law course. Both must be taught live, not as home study. You can skip them with a construction management degree or a Utah engineer license.Yes, the Utah Contractor Business and Law exam. No separate trade exam for the contractor license. After three failed tries you wait six months between tries
Master Electrician8,000 hours as a licensed journeyman electrician. With an associate degree in applied electrical science it is 4,000 hours. With an electrical engineering degree it is 2,000 hours as a licensed apprentice—Yes, one exam. The Utah Master Electrician Law and Rule Exam, with a pass mark of 75 percent. You may retake it after 30 days, up to six failures, and after 120 days once you have failed more than six times
Journeyman Electrician8,000 hours of full-time work as a licensed apprentice electrician, plus 576 hours of classroom study. Without the classroom study the rule asks for 16,000 hours. No more than 3,000 hours count in any 12 months576 classroom hours of approved electrical study, which is four years at 144 hours a yearYes, two exams. The Utah Journeyman Electrician Written Exam, with a pass mark of 75 percent, and the Utah Electrician Practical Exam. You may be admitted once you have finished your course of study and 6,000 of the required hours. You may retake an exam after 30 days, up to six failures, and after 120 days once you have failed more than six times
Apprentice Electrician——No
What it costs

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

The government fees on this page, added up.

LicenseApplicationRenewalLate renewalTracking your apprentice hours, per hourEducation and enforcement fund payment
General Electrical Contractor (E200)$175$128———
Master Electrician$110$78$20$0.24$5
Journeyman Electrician$110$78$20$0.24$5
Apprentice Electrician$110$78$20$0.24$5

Added up

Government fees, added upNot listed yet

We print no total, because the division does not publish one. Expect to pay for the apprentice, journeyman and master licenses, the exams at each step, the two courses, and the contractor application. Insurance, workers' comp, tools and a vehicle come on top.

Checked by a person against the official page
·2 official pages
Insurance

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

The least liability insurance Utah lets an electrician work with is $1,000,000. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required if you have employees.

Minimum liability insurance$1,000,000
Most the insurance pays in a year, all claims together$2,000,000
Type of policyPublic liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 for any one claim and $2,000,000 for all claims in a year. These amounts began on 20 April 2026 and apply to every contractor classification
What changed recentlyThe old amounts were $100,000 for each incident and $300,000 in total. They went up on 20 April 2026, so anything written before that date is out of date
Who this applies toThe contractor license, meaning the business. The policy must cover the kind of work you do and stay in force the whole time the license is active
Who must be named on the certificateThe Division of Professional Licensing must be named as a certificate holder
Workers' comp required?Yes, if you have employees. You file proof of coverage with the division before the license is issued
Who can opt out
  • A sole owner or a partner is not counted as an employee unless they choose to be covered.
  • A corporation can leave out up to five directors or officers by telling its insurer in writing.
  • That applies only to a registered Utah corporation.
  • A limited liability company is treated like a partnership, so its members may ask for a waiver.
Workers' comp: if you skip it
  • At least $1,000.
  • The state can also go to court to stop you trading, and you lose the protection that normally keeps an injured worker from suing you.
  • Getting in the way of a worker's claim carries a separate fine of up to $5,000.
Checked by a person against the official page
·6 official pages
Money checks

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

Utah checks your finances before it trusts you with a license. The rule: no set score. The law asks you to show you can pay your bills, and the division can audit that at any time.

Credit score you needNo set score. The law asks you to show you can pay your bills, and the division can audit that at any time
What you have to show
  • In an audit the division can ask for a current credit report and proof of how you pay your debts.
  • It looks at judgments, tax liens, collections, child support and bankruptcies.
  • It also looks at the owners' own money history.
If your score is lowerIf the division decides you are not on firm footing, it can ask for a license bond instead of turning you down
Checked by a person against the official page
·2 official pages
Bonds

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

Utah 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

Not for everyone. The division asks for a license bond only when it finds a contractor's finances are weak. The rule then sets $50,000 for general contractor classes, $25,000 for one residential class, and $15,000 for the rest. If you owe $1,000 or more in unpaid debts, the bond is 30 percent of that total when that is higher. The rule does not say plainly which group the General Electrical Contractor license falls in.

Checked by software against the official page
·2 official pages
Showing your number

8Where must an Utah electrician show the license number? What is this?

In Utah: we found no state rule that makes an electrical contractor print the license number on ads, quotes, invoices or trucks. The rules do say you must give a copy of your license or its number to anyone who asks while you are on a job.

The ruleWe found no state rule that makes an electrical contractor print the license number on ads, quotes, invoices or trucks. The rules do say you must give a copy of your license or its number to anyone who asks while you are on a job.
On quotes, contracts, and invoicesNo state rule found
On adsNo state rule found
On your vehiclesNo state rule found. The one vehicle rule in the licensing law covers sign contractors only
If you forget
  • Not giving your license number when asked is unprofessional conduct.
  • The rule itself sets no fine.
  • The licensing law has a general scale, up to $1,000 for a first offense and up to $2,000 for a second, then up to $2,000 a day while it continues
Checked by a person against the official page
·3 official pages
Tax

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

In Utah, no sales tax on labor done on a building or the land. 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.
  • Utah treats a contractor as the final user of wire, conduit, panels, breakers and fixtures that become part of a building.
  • You pay sales tax when you buy them and you do not charge the customer tax on them.
  • It works this way whether you quote one price, time and materials, or cost plus.
LaborNo sales tax on labor done on a building or the land
Homes versus businessesNo difference. Utah looks at whether the item becomes part of the building, not at who owns the building
New buildings versus repairsNo difference. Materials that become part of the building are taxed when you buy them either way
Things that are not part of the building
  • Things that stay movable are treated differently.
  • The rule lists items attached only for a while, factory equipment, and trade fixtures that come out without real damage.
  • Repairs to movable items are taxed, labor included.
Working for a tax exempt customerA job for a church or charity is tax-free on materials only in two cases. Either the institution pays the supplier itself, or the materials are clearly marked and set aside for its building.
Sales tax licenseYou need a sales tax license only if you also sell goods apart from your building work
Tax rate
  • The state part is 4.85 percent, made of a 4.70 percent sales and use tax and a 0.15 percent Medicaid rate.
  • Cities and counties add their own on top.
  • Check the Tax Commission rate chart for the job site
Checked by a person against the official page
·5 official pages
Getting paid

10Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for an Utah electrician What is this?

If you are not paid in Utah, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: file your preliminary notice within 20 days of your first day of work on the property (first day on October 5 means you file by October 25). If you file late, your lien only covers work from five days after you file.

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 20
    Send your notice

    File your preliminary notice within 20 days of your first day of work on the property (first day on October 5 means you file by October 25). If you file late, your lien only covers work from five days after you file.

  3. Day 180
    File your lien

    Record your lien with the county recorder within 180 days after the whole job is finished (finished on March 1 means you record by August 28). If a notice of completion is filed on the registry, you get 90 days from that filing instead.

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 notice
  • Everyone who wants to keep the right to file a lien.
  • That includes you when the owner hired you directly.
  • You do not mail this notice.
  • You file it online on the State Construction Registry, the state's website for building projects.
Send your notice byFile your preliminary notice within 20 days of your first day of work on the property (first day on October 5 means you file by October 25). If you file late, your lien only covers work from five days after you file.
File your lien byRecord your lien with the county recorder within 180 days after the whole job is finished (finished on March 1 means you record by August 28). If a notice of completion is filed on the registry, you get 90 days from that filing instead.
Copy to the ownerWithin 30 days after you record the lien, deliver a copy to the owner or send it by certified mail.
Homes the owner lives in
  • A subcontractor often cannot keep a lien on a home the owner lives in.
  • That is the case when the owner had a written contract with a licensed contractor and paid it in full.
  • You go after the contractor who did not pay you instead.
  • If a court judgment still leaves you unpaid, you can apply to the state's Residence Lien Recovery Fund within one year.
Checked by software against the official page
·5 official pages
Keeping it

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

The General Electrical Contractor (E200) renews every two years, on November 30 of odd-numbered years. You need 6 hours of training each renewal.

LicenseRenewalTraining hours each renewal
General Electrical Contractor (E200)Every two years, on November 30 of odd-numbered years—
Master ElectricianEvery two years, on November 30 of even-numbered years—
Journeyman ElectricianEvery two years, on November 30 of even-numbered years—
Apprentice ElectricianEvery two years, on November 30 of even-numbered years—

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 Utah What is this?

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

  • The person and the business each need a Utah license. The General Electrical Contractor license, E200, only goes to a business that names a licensed master electrician as its qualifier.
  • Classroom time halves the road to journeyman. With 576 hours of approved study you need 8,000 hours as a licensed apprentice. Without it the rule asks for 16,000.
  • Every electrician license has three exams, on code, on theory, and a hands-on practical. Code and theory need 75 percent, and after three failed tries you wait 120 days.
  • On a commercial job one licensed electrician can supervise only two apprentices. On a home job the limit is three.
  • Utah's $7,000 handyman exception stops at the panel. Work on an electrical system needs a licensed electrical contractor, though a journeyman may swap a switch, an outlet or a fixture.
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. secure.utah.gov/llv/search/index.html
  2. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/commerce/title-R156/rule-R156-55b
  3. dopl.utah.gov/electrical/
  4. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-301
  5. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-58-occupations-and-professions/ut-code-sect-58-55-302/
  6. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-302b
  7. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-302a
  8. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-302f
  9. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-1-308a
  10. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-303b
  11. commerce.utah.gov/dopl/dopl-fee-schedule/
  12. dopl.utah.gov/contracting/
  13. adminrules.utah.gov/public/rule/R156-55b/Current%20Rules
  14. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55b-302a
  15. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55b-302b
  16. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55b-304
  17. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55b-401
  18. laborcommission.utah.gov/divisions/industrial-accidents/employers/
  19. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-302d
  20. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-34a-utah-labor-code/ut-code-sect-34a-2-104/
  21. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-306
  22. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-58-occupations-and-professions/ut-code-sect-58-55-306/
  23. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-602
  24. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R156-55a-501
  25. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-58-occupations-and-professions/ut-code-sect-58-55-501/
  26. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-58-occupations-and-professions/ut-code-sect-58-55-503/
  27. tax.utah.gov/business/sales-tax/sales/rates/
  28. law.cornell.edu/regulations/utah/Utah-Admin-Code-R865-19S-58
  29. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-59-revenue-and-taxation/ut-code-sect-59-12-103/
  30. tax.utah.gov/forms/pubs/pub-42.pdf
  31. tax.utah.gov/sales/rates
  32. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-38-liens/ut-code-sect-38-1a-501/
  33. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-38-liens/ut-code-sect-38-1a-502/
  34. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-38-liens/ut-code-sect-38-11-107/
  35. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-38-liens/ut-code-sect-38-11-204/
  36. secure.utah.gov/scr/
  37. codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-58-occupations-and-professions/ut-code-sect-58-55-305/