Four electrician credentials Wisconsin issues
DSPS lists four electrician credentials. One is held by a business and three are held by people.
| Credential | Held by | Exam | Continuing education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Contractor | Business or organization | None[1] | None[1] |
| Master Electrician | Individual | See DSPS page[3] | 24 hours at renewal[3] |
| Journeyman Electrician | Individual | Open book, 70% to pass[5] | 24 hours at renewal[5] |
| Electrician, Registered | Individual | See DSPS page[6] | 24 hours at renewal[6] |
The authority for the individual credentials is SPS 305.40. For the contractor credential, it's Wis. Stat. 101.862 and SPS 305.41.[2][4] DSPS also keeps a separate Electrical Apprentice, Residential credential page.
For fees, renewal dates and application steps, go to the DSPS page for the credential you want. They differ by credential.
Who must hold an Electrical Contractor license
Any person or business that engages in, or offers to engage in, the business of installing, repairing or maintaining electrical wiring.[1] SPS 305.41 says the same thing. A person or entity may not run that business unless licensed or certified as an Electrical Contractor, except as Wis. Stat. 101.862(4) allows.[10]
This has applied since April 1, 2014. The applicant is the business owner, a partner, or the chairman or chief executive officer.[1]
DSPS says no exam is required and no continuing education applies.[1] So "contractor license exam prep" is not preparing you for a DSPS test for this credential.
A master electrician can be the qualifier for a contractor, which ties the business to a person with an individual credential.[3]
Side by side
Business credential versus individual credentials
Electrical Contractor
- Held by a business or organization
- No exam
- No continuing education
Master, Journeyman, Registered
- Held by an individual
- 24 hours of continuing education at renewal
- Journeyman exam is open book, 70% to pass
Registered, journeyman and master compared
SPS 305.40(1) says any individual who installs, repairs or maintains electrical wiring must hold a license, registration or enrollment as one of these:[4]
- master, residential master or registered master
- journeyman, industrial journeyman or residential journeyman
- registered electrician
- a registered apprentice (industrial, residential or general)
That has applied before doing wiring work since April 1, 2014.[3]
Master Electrician
A master electrician may work without supervision and can be the qualifier for a contractor.[3] Renewal carries 24 hours of continuing education.[3]
Journeyman Electrician
A journeyman installs, repairs or maintains wiring under a master electrician.[5]
DSPS describes the journeyman exam as open book with a 70% passing score. Continuing education is required at renewal, so confirm the current requirements with the licensing board.[5]
Registered Electrician and the residential variants
An enrolled registered electrician is one of the types SPS 305.40(1)(f) accepts for wiring work.[4] Renewal carries 24 hours of continuing education.[6]
Residential master and residential journeyman credentials are limited to wiring on dwellings, dwelling units and detached accessory buildings serving them, such as garages, carports, gazebos and swimming pools.[4]
A residential credential does not cover other buildings.
Exemption for owners working on their own residence
A residential property owner who installs, repairs or maintains electrical wiring on premises the owner owns and occupies as a residence is exempt, unless a local ordinance requires a license or registration.[1][4]
Check the local ordinance clause with the city permit desk before you assume the work is allowed.
Call your city, village or town building inspector before you start. Ask whether your municipality adds its own license or registration requirement and whether the work needs a permit. Our permits by city page links to city permit pages, and the Uniform Dwelling Code guide covers who enforces dwelling rules.
The exemption covers the owner's own home. It does not turn a business into an exempt one.
The city or the building inspector has the final word on what applies to your project.
Verifying an electrician's license and business separately
Check the business and the person separately. A licensed company can send out a worker whose credential you have not seen, and the two kinds of record sit in different places.
The credential look-up treats electrician records as individual records.[7]
- Open the DSPS home page and follow "Click here for Credential Look Up," or go straight to the LicensE look-up.[7][9]
- Search by individual name, organization name, credential number or license type.[11]
- Search the company name to find the Electrical Contractor record, then search the electrician's own name for the individual record.
- Read the credential type, status and expiry. Confirm the type fits the work, for example that a residential credential is being used on a dwelling.[7][4]
The eSLA public look-up is for permits, plan reviews and product approvals, not for checking a contractor.[8] Our contractor look-up guide walks through the search in more detail.
A credential and a permit are separate questions. Ask in writing who is pulling the permit, which permit is needed and when the inspection will happen.
Pro tip
Look up the company and the electrician separately, and ask in writing who is pulling the permit before work starts.
For the wider picture of state credentials, see our Wisconsin license overview.
Quick answers
Does the Electrical Contractor license require an exam?
No. DSPS says no exam is required and no continuing education applies.
How is the journeyman exam described?
DSPS describes it as open book with a 70% passing score.
Can a homeowner do their own wiring?
A residential owner who occupies the home is exempt for work on that home, unless a local ordinance requires a license or registration.
Where do I check an electrician's credential?
Use the DSPS LicensE look-up. Search the company and the individual separately.
Sources
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "Electrical Contractor (license) (DSPS)." https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/electrical-contractor/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Legislature. "Wis. Stat. 101.862; SPS 305.41(1)(a)." https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/administrativecode/SPS%20305.41. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "Master Electrician (DSPS)." https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/master-electrician/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Legislature. "SPS 305.40(1); Wis. Stat. 101.862(4)." https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/administrativecode/SPS%20305.40. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "Journeyman Electrician (DSPS)." https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/journeyman-electrician/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "Electrician, Registered (DSPS)." https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/electrician-registered/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "DSPS credential look-up (LicensE)." https://license.wi.gov/s/license-lookup. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "DSPS eSLA public look-up (permits, plan reviews, product approvals)." https://esla.wi.gov/publiclookup. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "DSPS home page." https://dsps.wi.gov/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Legislature. "SPS 305.41 — Electrical contractors." https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/register/2016/726B/insert/sps305. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "Credentialing and LicensE FAQ." https://dsps.wi.gov/credentialing-and-license-faq/. Accessed October 17, 2026.