How to get a Georgia electrical contractor license: Class I or Class II, step by step

If you have been wiring houses in Georgia for a few years and want your own name on the permit, here is the path. It is shorter than most people think and it has one trap at the end.

Georgia licenses contractors, not electricians

The State Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Electrical Contractors issues two licenses under O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14:

• Class I (Restricted): residential work on multifamily buildings of not more than two levels and single-family homes of up to three levels, with single-phase service not exceeding 400 A at the service drop or lateral. That 400 A figure is the statute as re-enacted on July 1, 2026. The older Board rule, 121-3-.01, still says 200 A, and so do most study guides. Expect either number on an exam question and read which source it names.
• Class II (Unrestricted): any electrical work in Georgia, any size.

There is no journeyman card. A licensed contractor supervises the crew; the license is what lets you bid, contract and pull permits statewide (43-14-8). Working or advertising without one is a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 and six months, 43-14-17(g)), and a cease-and-desist order counts each day as a separate violation.

Step 1: count your experience the way the Board does

The Board approves you to test before you can book a seat. It looks for one of three routes:

• Experience. Class I: 3 years full-time on NEC-type installations, showing at least five of the seven listed work areas plus load, branch-circuit and conductor calculations. Class II: 4 years full-time, at least 2 of them on three-phase systems (work above single-phase 200 A).
• Education. Class I: a two-year electrical diploma or certificate plus 2 years of experience. Class II: the same diploma or certificate plus 4 years, 2 in three-phase.
• Apprenticeship. Class I: a US Department of Labor apprenticeship. Class II: a US DOL apprenticeship plus 1 year of three-phase.

The listed work areas are the NEC subject headings: raceways and boxes; conductors, cords and splices; service entrances, metering, panelboards and switchboards; motors and generators with their feeders and controls; switches, disconnects and lighting and appliance controls; special-occupancy equipment; and bonding and grounding electrodes.

Your experience goes on a sworn affidavit signed by the licensed contractor who supervised you (an architect, professional engineer or electrical engineer can sign instead). One affidavit per supervisor. The Board's decision on qualifications is conclusive absent fraud (43-14-8(h)), so make the affidavit match the work areas exactly.

Step 2: the application

Everything goes through GOALS, the Secretary of State's licensing portal. The checklist for a first license:

• Completed, signed and notarized application with the $110 fee
• Background check from your local law enforcement agency
• Work experience affidavit(s)
• Three reference forms, at least one from a licensed electrical contractor
• A secure and verifiable identity document (driver's license or passport) with the lawful-presence affidavit
• Court documents and a letter of explanation if you have a record to disclose

You must be at least 21. Applications are generally processed within 20 business days. A deficiency letter restarts the clock, and an application left incomplete for 60 days is withdrawn. Georgia does not license by reciprocity (Board FAQ, effective May 2026), so an out-of-state license does not skip the exam.

Step 3: the PSI exam

Once the Board approves you it sends an Exam Approval Letter, valid for one year. PSI then emails booking instructions; you schedule at test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco or by phone at 855-898-0711, Monday through Saturday at PSI centers across the Southeast.

Both exams have the same shape:

• Part 1, Regulations, Laws and Administrative Functions: 30 scored questions. Workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, Circular E payroll, the Licensing Board, sales and use tax, business license (10). OSHA 1926, the NEC, NFPA, UL listing, permits and inspections (9). Bonds, insurance, cash flow, bookkeeping, accident reports, estimating, contracts (6). Drawings, submittals, inventory, scheduling (5).
• Part 2, Technical: 110 scored questions. The counts differ by class. Class II gives 21 to transformers and 16 to rotating equipment; Class I gives 30 to interior systems and 22 to controls and devices.

Four hours per part with a break between. Plus 15 (Class I) or 22 (Class II) unscored pretest questions mixed in, so answer every one. Open book, but only the seven references on PSI's list: the American Electricians' Handbook, the NASCLA Georgia contractors guide, Circular E, 29 CFR 1926, the 2023 NEC, Printreading Based on the 2020 NEC, and Ugly's. Tabs yes, notes no.

The minimum passing scaled score is 70. The Board does not publish the raw number that equals 70.

The trap: two fails and you go back to class

Board Rule 121-2-.06: fail the exam twice and you must complete a Board-approved review course before you are allowed to test a third time. Every attempt is a new PSI fee, a new day off, and another wait for a seat. The way to avoid it is boring and it works: take a full 140-question mock under the clock, find the sections that cost you points, fix those, and do not book until you have passed two mocks in a row above 70 percent.

The Class I and Class II exam guides carry every number above with the date it was read. The free 20-question exam tells you where you stand today.

After the license

Licenses renew every two years, online in GOALS, by June 30 of even-numbered years. Late renewal runs July 1 to July 31 with a late fee. Continuing education is four hours a year, eight per cycle, and the Board audits. Let it lapse for three years and you are back to the exam.