How to Become an Electrician in Idaho
Idaho licenses electricians statewide through DOPL's Electrical Board. The journeyman card comes from a board-approved apprenticeship (8,000 hours plus four years of schooling) or 16,000 hours of experience, then the state exam. A nice perk: Idaho dropped continuing education for renewals in 2025.
Licensing in Idaho at a glance
- How it's licensed
- Statewide license through the Idaho Electrical Board (DOPL)
Apprentice — Register with DOPL and train under a licensed journeyman or master.
Journeyman Electrician — Complete a board-approved apprenticeship (8,000 hours of work plus four years of schooling), or document 16,000 hours of work experience, then pass the state exam. (Idaho's specialty exams move from DOPL to PSI in early 2026.)
Master Electrician — Hold an active journeyman license for four years and pass the NASCLA exam.
Continuing education — None required for renewal (as of 2025).
Statewide through DOPL
Idaho's Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, through the Idaho Electrical Board, licenses electricians for the whole state. You need a valid DOPL license to do electrical work anywhere in Idaho.
Two routes to journeyman
The main path is a board-approved apprenticeship — 8,000 hours of work plus four years of related schooling. Idaho also recognizes a pure-experience path: 16,000 hours (about eight years) of work without the formal schooling. Either way, you finish with the state journeyman exam (moving to PSI in early 2026).
Master and a nice perk
Master requires four years as a licensed journeyman and the NASCLA exam. And a bonus that saves you time and money: as of 2025, Idaho no longer requires continuing education to renew a journeyman or master license.
Your next step
Register with DOPL, get hired, and log your apprenticeship hours and schooling. 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 Idaho Electrical Board — Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL).