How to Become an Electrician in Arkansas
Arkansas licenses electricians statewide through the Board of Electrical Examiners, with a full ladder of licenses (apprentice, journeyman, master, plus residential and specialty classes). The journeyman card comes from an 8,000-hour apprenticeship and a 75% NEC exam.
Licensing in Arkansas at a glance
- How it's licensed
- Statewide license through the Board of Electrical Examiners
- Licensing authority
- Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners (Dept. of Labor and Licensing) →
Apprentice — File an apprentice registration with the Board before starting on-the-job training, and be enrolled in a U.S. Department of Labor-certified apprenticeship or training course.
Journeyman Electrician — Log 8,000 hours (four years) of qualifying experience under a licensed master, or complete an approved apprenticeship. Pass the PSI journeyman exam (NEC-based, 75%).
Master Electrician — Hold your journeyman license and add two more years (4,000 hours) of experience as a licensed journeyman, within the ten years before you apply, then pass the master exam.
Continuing education (2026) — 8 hours covering the 2026 NEC changes at renewal.
A full statewide ladder
Arkansas's Board of Electrical Examiners licenses the whole state and offers more classes than most — beyond journeyman and master, there are residential and specialty (air conditioning, industrial maintenance) licenses. Your journeyman card works statewide.
Register first, then log hours
Arkansas is strict about the order: you file your apprentice registration before you start accumulating hours, and you must be enrolled in a U.S. DOL-certified program. That keeps your 8,000 hours official from day one. From there it's the standard four-year apprenticeship, then the PSI exam at a 75% cut.
Moving up to master
Master requires two additional years (4,000 hours) as a licensed journeyman — so the clock on master really starts once you're licensed, not before. Keep the ten-year experience window in mind when you apply.
Your next step
Get hired, file your apprentice registration with the Board right away, and log your hours through a DOL-certified program. When you finish, take the journeyman exam. The national How to Become an Electrician guide covers the trade overall.
⚠️ Always verify current requirements
Licensing rules change and often vary by city or county. Before you count on anything here, confirm the current requirements directly with Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners (Dept. of Labor and Licensing).