What Electrical Contractors Need to Know About PA’s New Statewide Electrical Licensure Law

Pennsylvania has adopted its first statewide electrical licensure law. The Electrical Services Licensure Act (Act 108 of 2026) was signed into law on October 22, 2026, replacing a patchwork of local, municipal electrical license requirements with a single, uniform system administered at the state level. For electrical subcontractors, this is a significant change, and one worth preparing for now.

What Does the Law Require?

The act creates a new State Board of Electrical Licensure within the Department of State. Once the licensing requirement is in force, an individual generally may not perform electrical services for compensation, or hold themselves out as authorized to do so, unless licensed by the board. The law establishes licensure requirements for electrical contractors, electricians, residential electricians, apprentice electricians and probationary electrical workers, each with its own qualifications.

Businesses engaged in the electrical contracting trade are also covered by the act: a company may not contract to provide electrical services unless it holds an electrical contractor license. Further, businesses may not contract with anyone to provide electrical services if that person is not licensed.

How Do You Get Licensed?

To become a licensed electrical contractor, the applicant must:

• Be at least 23 years old.
• Be of good moral character (if the applicant has a criminal conviction, the board conducts an individualized assessment).
• Show the required training background (i.e., proof of either completing a program as a licensed apprentice electrician, completing a board-recognized training program or equivalent training and experience as determined by the board regulation).
• Document at least 10,000 hours of work in electrical services.
• Pass the board-approved examination.
• Carry professional liability insurance in an amount set by the board.
• Submit the application and pay the fee set by the board.

When Do You Need to Comply?

By December 21, 2026, a State Board of Electrical Licensure will be established, which includes professional members from both union and non-union electrical companies. Within the next 18 months, the board will issue regulations to administer the licensure law.

Ultimately, electrical contractors have time to comply with the licensing mandate, as the requirement that individuals be licensed, along with the enforcement and penalty provisions, does not take effect for two years. That runway gives the Board time to organize and issue regulations, and electricians time to comply.

What Exemptions Exist for Existing Electricians?

Experienced electricians can be licensed without sitting for the examination. The board must waive the exam for anyone who applies within one year of the effective date (i.e., within the next three years), meets the age and character standards and pays the fee. Qualifying electricians must show a current municipal license, at least 10,000 hours of prior experience or a completed registered apprenticeship; residential electricians need a municipal license, 6,000 hours or a registered apprenticeship.

When is a License Not Required?

The act exempts certain work, including replacing lamps and fuses; work on one’s own home or farmstead; elevators and escalators; railway and federal facilities; communications and broadband systems; and in-house work by a facility’s own employees. Importantly, that in-house exemption does not reach independent contractors, electrical contractors, subcontractors or their employees.

Bottom line: if you perform electrical work as a subcontractor, you will need to be licensed.

We will continue to track the board’s rulemaking. In the meantime, we recommend gathering proof of experience and any existing municipal licenses now, so you are positioned to use the no-exam window as soon as it opens.

If you have any questions, reach out to Joseph Sine in our Construction Group.