How to Become an Electrician in North Dakota
North Dakota licenses electricians statewide through the State Electrical Board. The journeyman license takes 8,000 hours (at least three years) as a registered apprentice under a master, plus apprentice training — and a two-year electrical school grants 2,000 hours of credit. There's also a Class B license for farmstead and residential work.
Licensing in North Dakota at a glance
- How it's licensed
- Statewide license through the State Electrical Board (NDSEB)
- Licensing authority
- North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) →
Apprentice — Be 16+, register with the board, and work under constant supervision of a licensed master, class B, or power-limited electrician. Complete 576 classroom hours plus 8,000 practical hours (not obtainable in less than three years).
Journeyman Electrician — 8,000 hours (at least three years) as a registered apprentice under a master, plus completion of apprentice training. A two-year electrical school grants 2,000 hours of credit.
Master Electrician — One year and at least 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman under a contracting master.
Class B Electrician — For farmstead or one-/two-family residential wiring: 3,000 hours plus an exam.
Statewide through the NDSEB
North Dakota's State Electrical Board licenses electricians for the whole state, with a full set of classes — journeyman, master, and a distinctive Class B for rural and residential work.
The journeyman path
The core requirement is 8,000 hours (and no fewer than three years) as a registered apprentice under a master, plus completing apprentice training and its 576 classroom hours. A two-year electrical school earns you 2,000 hours of credit toward the total — a meaningful head start if you've done the schooling.
The Class B option
North Dakota's Class B license is worth knowing about if you're in a rural area: it's built for farmstead and one- or two-family residential wiring, needs 3,000 hours plus an exam, and is a practical credential for that kind of work without the full journeyman path.
Your next step
Register as an apprentice with the NDSEB, get hired under a master, and log your hours and classroom training (claiming any school credit you've earned). Take the journeyman exam when you're eligible. 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 North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB).