How Do I Renew a Kentucky Electrical License?

Happy birthday to you. Every year during your birth month, you need to worry about getting your electrical license renewed with the Electrical Division of the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction (DHBC). To be precise, that renewal is due by the last day of your birth month on a yearly basis.

How, exactly, do you renew your Kentucky electrical license? Because the process varies for electrical, master electrical, electrical contractor, and electrical inspector licensees, it pays to take a closer look.

The continuing education requirement

This is where it can get a little tricky. To help, let’s break down the continuing education (CE) requirements for each license type:

Electrical and master electrical licenses

Your CE requirement is the most straightforward. You need six hours every year and they need to focus on the following topics:

Job safety
Electrical codes
Topics directly related to the electrical trade

Electrical contractor licenses

You also need six hours, but they need to focus on business or job safety. Fortunately, there are six-hour CE courses tailored specifically for your license’s requirements.

The worst part is that if you have two licenses — like the master electrical license required for your electrical contractor license — you can’t apply any of the hours you take for your other license to the hours you need. Instead, you need to take six hours specifically dedicated to your inspector license. Fortunately, you can find some 12-hour courses designed to cover all of your bases.

Electrical inspector licenses

You need a total of 12 CE hours each year. Your topics are the same as electrical and master electrical licenses, which means your CE needs to cover:

Job safety
Electrical codes
Topics related directly to the electrical trade

General CE rules

First up, know that you can’t apply more than two hours on safety practices each year.
Secondly, make sure you’re taking your CE from a DHBC-approved provider. If you don’t, they might not count toward your requirement.
Third, be aware that you can take your hours at your own pace online. There’s no need to go sit in some seminar or take a day off work to get your CE knocked out. With online Kentucky electrical CE, it’s easy to get your hours done each year.
Finally, know that you need proof of your CE. You’ll need to send in a certificate of completion with your renewal application, so make sure you get that from your CE provider when you finish any hours.

The renewal form and fee

Once you have your CE done, you’re ready to submit your renewal application. Don’t panic. It’s only a one-page form. Again, though, the requirements are a little different for each license type.

Electrical and master electrical licenses

Here’s your renewal application. At the top, make sure you check the box indicating it’s a renewal application and marking your license type (electrician or master electrician).

Make sure you include your CE certificates of completion showing you have six hours done. And if you have a provisional license, include your work experience verification, too.

Electrical contractors

We’ve got your renewal form here. Make sure to include your electrical CE certificates of completion, your current insurance certificate, and the master electrical license number associated with your electrical contractor license.

Electrical inspectors

Here’s your application. Be ready with information about your inspection territories and don’t forget to include your certificate(s) of completion for your CE hours.

Submitting your renewal

Make sure you sign the bottom of your renewal form. Then, package it up with any required documentation (like your CE certificate of completion) and mail it to:

Public Protection Cabinet

Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction

Licensing Branch

500 Mero Street

Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Include a check or money order made out to “Kentucky State Treasurer” for your renewal fee. It’s:

$50 for electricians
$100 for master electricians
$200 for electrical contractors
$50 for electrical inspectors

This is all due by the last day of your birth month, so mark your calendar. If your birthday tends to be busy, it might help to get a jump on your renewal process early.