Checked against primary sources 2026-09-05

The license

Georgia Electrical Contractor License: Class I and II

This is the license Georgia actually issues, in two classes, held by a person who passed the exam or by the business that person qualifies. Here's what the board asks for, how the application moves and what happens after you pass.

Test yourself: thirty free questions, timed

What the license covers

The Attorney General quotes O.C.G.A. 43-14-8 as saying no person shall engage in the electrical contracting business as an electrical contractor without a valid license from the Division of Electrical Contractors. That's the reason the license exists and the reason employees don't need one of their own.

Class I is restricted to single phase installations that don't exceed 200 amperes at the service drop or the service lateral, under Rule 121-3-.01. Class II is unrestricted. The board's landing page calls them Restricted and Non-Restricted, and form 44 calls them Class 1 and Class 2.

Low voltage work needs its own statewide license from a different division of the same board, so a Class II license doesn't carry alarm or telecommunications contracting with it.

Who the board is licensing

A person sits the exam and holds the license. A business gets its ability to contract from that qualifying individual, and Board Chapter 121-6 covers business registration.

We could not read Chapter 121-6 in full. The rules PDF truncated in every fetch we made, so we don't state what the business registration asks for. The chapter index lists it, and the board's Licensing Division at 404-424-9966 can confirm the current requirements.

What you have to show

• Age. At least 21, under Rule 121-3-.01(2).
• Experience. Four years of Primary Experience, direct installation of electrical systems, gained under an active licensed electrical contractor. The form counts 2,000 hours as a year.
• Areas. Class II documents all eight experience areas in the rule and installations above the single phase ampere line. Class I documents a subset plus general lighting loads.
• References. Three notarized original reference forms, at least one from a licensed electrical contractor.
• Background. A background check from local law enforcement.
• Identity. Secure and verifiable identification, an affidavit of citizenship and immigration documents where they apply.
• History. Disciplinary history disclosure with court documents where there's anything to disclose.

The board's how-to guide is where that list is printed, and the experience page covers the documentation in detail.

Bond and insurance

Board Chapter 121 carries no insurance, bond or surety requirement for electrical contractors. We read the chapter looking for one and there isn't one at state level.

Local governments can be a different story. Augusta-Richmond County requires a certificate of liability insurance of at least $50,000/$100,000 with the county as certificate holder and a surety bond of at least $20,000 for commercial or $15,000 for residential work as part of its local business license.

Your customers, your general contractors and your insurer will have their own requirements. None of them come from the board.

The application, step by step

1. Check your age against both documents. Rule 121-3-.01(2) sets 21 for a Class I or Class II license, while the affidavit on Form 44, the electrical exam application, has the applicant verify being 18 or older. Plan on 21 and ask the board if your dates sit between the two.
2. Build the experience record and get the three reference forms notarized.
3. Create an account and apply in the GOALS portal. The board says paper applications are no longer accepted.
4. Pay the application and processing fees. The published totals conflict, so check the live schedule in the portal before you pay.
5. Wait for review. The how-to guide says applications are generally processed within 20 business days of receipt, excluding weekends and holidays. That's a general figure, not a cap.
6. Fix any deficiency quickly. The guide says a deficiency letter restarts the 20 day count when the board receives your correct and complete documentation, and an application with deficiencies left unresolved for 60 days may be withdrawn.
7. Once the board approves you, schedule the PSI exam.

The forms worth reading before you start are 44 Application - Electrical EXAM and 44 Electrical - Initial or Reinstatement Lapsed 3+ yrs. The board's form index for the division is here.

The exam

PSI administers it, and the application form names PSI/AMP as the administrator with exams offered on a continuous basis after board approval.

Class I runs 155 items, being 140 scored and 15 pretest. Class II runs 162 items, being 140 scored and 22 pretest. Both split into two parts with four hours each and eight hours allotted overall. The passing scaled score is 70.

Both exams are written to the 2023 National Electrical Code, and only the references on PSI bulletin 4783's list may come in with you. Fail twice and a board approved review course comes before the third attempt, under the bulletin and Rule 121-3-.03(1).

Scores are given in person in print or by US mail, and PSI's official score report to the board can take up to six weeks.

After you pass

The license fee on the board's fee schedule is $75.00. From there the license runs on a two year cycle expiring June 30 of even numbered years, with continuing education of four hours a year. The schedule prints no plain renewal row for electrical contractors, so read the renewal total in the GOALS portal.

Let it lapse and the cost climbs. Under three years means continuing education, a background check and reinstatement fees. Three years or more means passing an exam again before a license is issued, plus work experience documentation, three references, a background check and the fees.

The fees and renewal page carries every published amount, including the three sets that don't agree.

The license is yours, and the responsibility with it

In Georgia the license belongs to the person who qualified for it, and the business contracts on the strength of it. That means the permits, the inspections and the work of everyone under you sit on your number.

It also means your employees don't need licenses. They need a record of their hours under yours, since that's what gets them here in four years.

Questions people ask

How do I get an electrical contractor license in Georgia?

Document four years of installation experience under an active licensed electrical contractor, gather three notarized references and a local background check, apply in the GOALS portal, and pass the Class I or Class II exam at a scaled score of 70.

Can a company hold the license?

A person qualifies and holds the license, and the business contracts on that basis. Board Chapter 121-6 covers business registration, and we couldn't read that chapter in full, so check with the Licensing Division on what registration asks for.

Do Georgia electrical contractors need a bond or insurance?

Not from the board. Chapter 121 has no bond, surety or insurance requirement. Local governments can add their own: Augusta-Richmond County requires liability insurance and a surety bond as part of its local license.

How long does board review take?

The how-to guide says applications are generally processed within 20 business days of receipt, excluding weekends and holidays. That's a general figure, not a cap: a deficiency letter restarts the count when the board has your correct and complete documentation, and an application left deficient for 60 days may be withdrawn.

How much does the license cost?

The board's fee schedule prints a $30.00 application fee plus $10 processing and a $75.00 license fee. It prints no plain renewal row for electrical contractors, and two other official pages print different totals, so check the live schedule in GOALS before paying.

Can I apply on paper?

No. The board page says it's no longer accepting paper applications and directs everything through the GOALS portal. The PDF forms are still useful for seeing what will be asked.

What if I fail the exam twice?

PSI bulletin 4783 and Rule 121-3-.03(1) both require documentation of a board approved review course before you can be scheduled for a third attempt.

What this page cites

• Attorney General Opinion 99-2 Quotes O.C.G.A. 43-14-8 as barring electrical contracting without a license from the Division of Electrical Contractors. source
• Board Rule 121-3-.01 Sets the age, the four years of Primary Experience, the class scopes and the passing score of 70. source
• How-to guide, electrical contractors Lists the application items, the 20 business day review, the 60 day deficiency rule and the reinstatement paths. source
• PSI bulletin 4783 Gives the exam formats, the eight hours in two parts, the allowed references and the review course rule after two failures. source
• Board fee schedule Prints the application, processing, license, renewal and late renewal fees and the June 30 even year expiration. source
• Board landing page States that paper applications are no longer accepted and points applicants to the GOALS portal. source