How to become an electrician in Minnesota

Start as unlicensed individual (registration) the week you are hired (registration only, no exam); journeyman after 8,000 hrs (≈ 4 yrs) and the DLI (state) exam;

Stale. None of the license rows on this page has been verified against its source yet. Confirm with the board before you spend money.

Newest verification: none

0Verified from the board0Board page checked5Research-seeded, not yet verified

What are the electrical license tiers in Minnesota, and what does each require?

Rows checked against Minnesota DLI — Board of Electricity (dli.mn.gov) ↗ · newest — · full re-verify quarterly · heartbeat every 6 h · how labels work

Who licenses electrical here

State-licensed

Minnesota licenses electricians at the state level — the ladder below is the state board's.

Minnesota DLI — Board of Electricity ↗

Scope derived by the importer from the dataset author's notes (derived:is_state_licensed); the board pass confirms it.

No experience
Minnesota publishes no statewide dollar threshold for unlicensed work in the pages we read; the contractor statute and your city decide. Electrical and plumbing work are excluded — they are licensed at any job size.
What you can do for pay this week in Minnesota →
unlicensed individual (registration)
specialty · Minnesota DLI — Board of Electricity
Research-seeded, not yet verifiedno dateMinnesota DLI — Board of Electricity ↗
Experience
— (registration only)
Class hours
—
Prerequisites
Register; work under licensed electrician
Exam
not stated on the pages read
Fees
— application · — exam · — license
Renewal
every year · CE not stated
Reciprocity
CO (specialty) — direction not stated; UT (specialty) — direction not stated; ND (specialty) — direction not stated; SD (specialty) — direction not stated; NE (specialty) — direction not stated; AK (specialty) — direction not stated; AR (specialty) — direction not stated; ID (specialty) — direction not stated; IA (specialty) — direction not stated; MT (specialty) — direction not stated; NH (specialty) — direction not stated; OK (specialty) — direction not stated; WY (specialty) — direction not stated
Not yet checked against the source page. Read this row as a lead, not an answer.
Report an error in this row
maintenance electrician / power limited technician
specialty · Minnesota DLI — Board of Electricity
Research-seeded, not yet verifiedno dateMinnesota DLI — Board of Electricity ↗
Experience
—
Class hours
—
Prerequisites
Specialty
Exam
DLI
Fees
— application · — exam (in the vendor bulletin) · — license
Renewal
every 2 years · 16 CE hrs
Reciprocity
CO (specialty) — direction not stated; UT (specialty) — direction not stated; ND (specialty) — direction not stated; SD (specialty) — direction not stated; NE (specialty) — direction not stated; AK (specialty) — direction not stated; AR (specialty) — direction not stated; ID (specialty) — direction not stated; IA (specialty) — direction not stated; MT (specialty) — direction not stated; NH (specialty) — direction not stated; OK (specialty) — direction not stated; WY (specialty) — direction not stated
Not yet checked against the source page. Read this row as a lead, not an answer.
Report an error in this row
journeyworker Class A
journeyman · Minnesota DLI — Board of Electricity
Research-seeded, not yet verifiedno dateMinnesota DLI — Board of Electricity ↗
Experience
8,000 hrs (≈ 4 yrs)
Class hours
—
Prerequisites
4 yrs (8,000 hrs); degree credits allowed; exam
Exam
DLI (state)
Fees
— application · — exam (in the vendor bulletin) · — license
Renewal
every 2 years · 16 CE hrs
Reciprocity
CO (journeyman) — direction not stated; UT (journeyman) — direction not stated; ND (journeyman) — direction not stated; SD (journeyman) — direction not stated; NE (journeyman) — direction not stated; AK (journeyman) — direction not stated; AR (journeyman) — direction not stated; ID (journeyman) — direction not stated; IA (journeyman) — direction not stated; MT (journeyman) — direction not stated; NH (journeyman) — direction not stated; OK (journeyman) — direction not stated; WY (journeyman) — direction not stated
Not yet checked against the source page. Read this row as a lead, not an answer.
Report an error in this row
master Class A
master · Minnesota DLI — Board of Electricity
Research-seeded, not yet verifiedno dateMinnesota DLI — Board of Electricity ↗
Experience
2,000 hrs (≈ 1 yr)
Class hours
—
Prerequisites
1 yr as journeyworker; exam
Exam
DLI
Fees
— application · — exam (in the vendor bulletin) · — license
Renewal
every 2 years · 16 CE hrs
Reciprocity
CO (master) — direction not stated; UT (master) — direction not stated; ND (master) — direction not stated; SD (master) — direction not stated; NE (master) — direction not stated; AK (master) — direction not stated; AR (master) — direction not stated; ID (master) — direction not stated; IA (master) — direction not stated; MT (master) — direction not stated; NH (master) — direction not stated; OK (master) — direction not stated; WY (master) — direction not stated
Not yet checked against the source page. Read this row as a lead, not an answer.
Report an error in this row

Where are you now? Find your next gate

Where you are nowDocumented trade hours so far

Your next gate

journeyworker Class A

Hours remaining (of 8,000): 8,000 ≈ 4.0 yrs full-time
Exam: DLI (state)
Fees (application / exam): — / —

Minnesota DLI — Board of Electricity →

Apprenticeship, trade school, or community college — which is cheapest in Minnesota?

Route	Cost to you	Time	Counts toward the license?	Where
Registered apprenticeship (union JATC or IEC/ABC open-shop)	Paid from day one (~45% of journeyman scale in period 1)	4–5 years	Yes — every hour	Sponsor pages for this state are not built yet — apprenticeship.gov lists the registered programs
Community / technical college certificate	Tuition (public, usually the cheapest classroom route)	12–24 months	Classroom hours in some states; the credential opens helper/apprentice doors	See the sponsor pages
For-profit trade school	Tuition (often the most expensive)	6–15 months	Same as community college — check the board	Not listed here until IPEDS completions are joined; no school is ranked by what it pays us

No credentials yet?

Minnesota publishes no statewide dollar threshold for unlicensed work in the pages we read; the contractor statute and your city decide. Electrical and plumbing work are excluded — they are licensed at any job size. Start-here page for Minnesota →

Questions people actually ask

Do I need a license to work as an electrician in Minnesota?

Yes — the first state gate is the unlicensed individual (registration) (Minnesota DLI — Board of Electricity). It is a registration with no hours or exam; you can start the week you are hired.

How long does it take to become a journeyman electrician in Minnesota?

8,000 hrs (≈ 4 yrs) of documented experience, then the DLI (state) exam.

What can I do for pay in Minnesota with no license at all?

What does an electrician make in Minnesota?

Statewide BLS figures for electricians in Minnesota are pending; see the metro pay pages.

Apprenticeship, trade school, or community college?

A registered apprenticeship pays you from day one (about 45% of journeyman scale in period 1) and counts every hour toward the license; trade school costs tuition and counts only classroom hours in most states; a community-college certificate (6–24 months) is the cheapest classroom route and often feeds a sponsor. The sponsor pages list every option we can find for your metro.

What changed in this data?

No changes recorded yet for this page.