Massachusetts Electrician License Renewal

Last reviewed October 2026 · 6 min read

Massachusetts master electrician, journeyman electrician, systems contractor and systems technician licenses all expire on July 31 every third year: the next is July 31, 2028. Renewal opens in the Division of Occupational Licensure's eLIPSE platform 90 days before, no renewal notice is mailed, and it costs $78 for a journeyman or systems technician and $117 for a master or systems contractor. Unless you're a journeyman or systems technician licensed in the 90 days before, you can't renew without 21 hours of continuing education taken in the three years before. Let it lapse more than 90 days without that CE and you take the latest 15-hour course and a 6-hour course before reinstating; after more than three years, you must pass the Massachusetts exam.

At a glance

Who needs it: Any person, firm or corporation in the business or occupation of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances for carrying or using electricity for light, heat, power, fire warning or security system purposes. Apprentices employed by a licensee are exempt
Licenses: Master electrician (certificate A), journeyman electrician (B), systems contractor (C) and systems technician (D)
Renews every: 3 years. Every license expires on July 31 every third year, counted from July 31, 1989: the next expiration is July 31, 2028
Renewal window: Renewal opens in eLIPSE 90 days before the July 31 expiration date. No renewal notifications are mailed
Renewal fee: Journeyman electrician or systems technician $78; master electrician or systems contractor $117. Fees are non-refundable
Continuing education: 21 clock hours in the three years before renewal: 15 hours on the Massachusetts Electrical Code (527 CMR 12.00), business, law and related topics with a Board-approved provider, and 6 hours of professional development (Electrical Code, business, law, first aid, safety, Building Code and related topics) that need not be from an approved provider. Without them you can't renew
CE records: Keep the completion certificates for ten years and send them to the Board if it asks
New licensees: A journeyman electrician or systems technician licensed in the 90 days before the renewal date is exempt from CE for that renewal cycle
Renew: Online through the Division of Occupational Licensure's eLIPSE platform, signing in with a MyMassGov account linked to your license, uploading the required documents (including a DOL CORI form) and paying there. For help, call the Welcome Center at 617-701-8895, 9:00am to 5:00pm. A hard copy of the license arrives about 4 to 6 weeks after you submit
Tax hold: If the Department of Revenue has stopped your renewal (a DOR hold), request a Certificate of Good Standing for Professional License Renewal through MassTaxConnect, which DOR sends to the Division
Renewing late: Renewal after July 31 is a deferred renewal: you pay the fee plus the fees that would have been payable had the license been continuously renewed, and you finish the required CE first. The renewed license doesn't make you a licensee for any period before it's issued
Lapsed more than 90 days: If you didn't finish your CE before the license expired, you can't reinstate until you complete the latest Board-approved 15-hour course and a 6-hour professional development course
Lapsed more than 3 years: You must pass the Massachusetts exam for the license you held before it can be reinstated, even if you got it by reciprocity
Your business: An electrical business license names a master electrician (or, for a systems business, a systems contractor) as licensee of record. If that person's license expires, the business is treated as having lost its licensee of record on that date
LLC or LLP insurance: An LLC or LLP licensed by the Board keeps professional liability insurance of at least $50,000 per claim, or $150,000 in the aggregate, multiplied by the number of licensees it employs or who are its officers or partners. If it lapses, stop electrical work until it's back in force and tell the Board within five business days
Working without a license: A fine of $1,000 to $1,500 for a first offence and $1,500 to $2,000 for a second. Each one after that: a fine of $2,000 to $2,500, six months in the house of correction, or both

Every Massachusetts electrician and systems license expires on the same July 31, and no renewal notice is mailed: put the date in your calendar now.

How to renew

Finish your 21 hours of CE before July 31: 15 hours with a Board-approved provider and 6 hours of professional development. Keep the certificates.
When renewal opens in eLIPSE, 90 days before July 31, sign in with your MyMassGov account. Nothing comes in the mail to remind you.
Upload the required documents, including the DOL CORI form, and pay $78 (journeyman or systems technician) or $117 (master or systems contractor).
If you're the licensee of record for an electrical business, renew before July 31: when your license expires, the business loses its licensee of record.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

January of the renewal yearCount your CE hours from the last three years and book the 15-hour Board-approved course and any professional development you still need.
90 days out (early May)Renewal opens in eLIPSE. Link your license to your MyMassGov account if you haven't already.
30 days outRenew online: upload the CORI form and pay $78 or $117. If DOR has put a hold on your renewal, request the Certificate of Good Standing now.
July 31Every license expires today. Renewing after it means a deferred renewal with any back fees, and you aren't licensed in the meantime.

Put this renewal in your calendar

Know your expiration date? Download a free calendar file with reminders before it, no sign-up needed. It's made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us (your browser keeps it only if you follow the sign-up link, for your new ledger). A Google Calendar button sends just that one event to Google.

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your journeymen's licenses, which expire on the same July 31
Your LLC's or LLP's professional liability insurance, if the business is one
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When do Massachusetts electrician licenses expire?

Every license expires on July 31 every third year, counted from July 31, 1989: the next expiration is July 31, 2028. Renewal opens in eLIPSE 90 days before, and no renewal notifications are mailed.

How much does it cost to renew a Massachusetts electrician license?

Journeyman electrician or systems technician $78; master electrician or systems contractor $117. Fees are non-refundable.

How many CE hours do Massachusetts electricians need?

21 clock hours in the three years before renewal: 15 hours on the Massachusetts Electrical Code, business, law and related topics with a Board-approved provider, and 6 hours of professional development that need not be from an approved provider.

What if my Massachusetts electrician license expired?

Renewal after July 31 is a deferred renewal: you pay the fee plus the fees that would have been payable had the license been continuously renewed, and finish the required CE first. If you didn't finish your CE before the license expired and it lapsed more than 90 days, you complete the latest Board-approved 15-hour course and a 6-hour professional development course first. After more than 3 years, you must pass the Massachusetts exam.

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, Renew Your License

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Massachusetts guides

All Massachusetts guides on one page

Electrician guides for other states

Compare electrician license renewals across states

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for electricians

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet

Massachusetts Electrician License Renewal

Last reviewed October 2026 · 6 min read

At a glance

Who needs it: Any person, firm or corporation in the business or occupation of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances for carrying or using electricity for light, heat, power, fire warning or security system purposes. Apprentices employed by a licensee are exempt
Licenses: Master electrician (certificate A), journeyman electrician (B), systems contractor (C) and systems technician (D)
Renews every: 3 years. Every license expires on July 31 every third year, counted from July 31, 1989: the next expiration is July 31, 2028
Renewal window: Renewal opens in eLIPSE 90 days before the July 31 expiration date. No renewal notifications are mailed
Renewal fee: Journeyman electrician or systems technician $78; master electrician or systems contractor $117. Fees are non-refundable
Continuing education: 21 clock hours in the three years before renewal: 15 hours on the Massachusetts Electrical Code (527 CMR 12.00), business, law and related topics with a Board-approved provider, and 6 hours of professional development (Electrical Code, business, law, first aid, safety, Building Code and related topics) that need not be from an approved provider. Without them you can't renew
CE records: Keep the completion certificates for ten years and send them to the Board if it asks
New licensees: A journeyman electrician or systems technician licensed in the 90 days before the renewal date is exempt from CE for that renewal cycle
Renew: Online through the Division of Occupational Licensure's eLIPSE platform, signing in with a MyMassGov account linked to your license, uploading the required documents (including a DOL CORI form) and paying there. For help, call the Welcome Center at 617-701-8895, 9:00am to 5:00pm. A hard copy of the license arrives about 4 to 6 weeks after you submit
Tax hold: If the Department of Revenue has stopped your renewal (a DOR hold), request a Certificate of Good Standing for Professional License Renewal through MassTaxConnect, which DOR sends to the Division
Renewing late: Renewal after July 31 is a deferred renewal: you pay the fee plus the fees that would have been payable had the license been continuously renewed, and you finish the required CE first. The renewed license doesn't make you a licensee for any period before it's issued
Lapsed more than 90 days: If you didn't finish your CE before the license expired, you can't reinstate until you complete the latest Board-approved 15-hour course and a 6-hour professional development course
Lapsed more than 3 years: You must pass the Massachusetts exam for the license you held before it can be reinstated, even if you got it by reciprocity
Your business: An electrical business license names a master electrician (or, for a systems business, a systems contractor) as licensee of record. If that person's license expires, the business is treated as having lost its licensee of record on that date
LLC or LLP insurance: An LLC or LLP licensed by the Board keeps professional liability insurance of at least $50,000 per claim, or $150,000 in the aggregate, multiplied by the number of licensees it employs or who are its officers or partners. If it lapses, stop electrical work until it's back in force and tell the Board within five business days
Working without a license: A fine of $1,000 to $1,500 for a first offence and $1,500 to $2,000 for a second. Each one after that: a fine of $2,000 to $2,500, six months in the house of correction, or both

Every Massachusetts electrician and systems license expires on the same July 31, and no renewal notice is mailed: put the date in your calendar now.

How to renew

Finish your 21 hours of CE before July 31: 15 hours with a Board-approved provider and 6 hours of professional development. Keep the certificates.
When renewal opens in eLIPSE, 90 days before July 31, sign in with your MyMassGov account. Nothing comes in the mail to remind you.
Upload the required documents, including the DOL CORI form, and pay $78 (journeyman or systems technician) or $117 (master or systems contractor).
If you're the licensee of record for an electrical business, renew before July 31: when your license expires, the business loses its licensee of record.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

January of the renewal yearCount your CE hours from the last three years and book the 15-hour Board-approved course and any professional development you still need.
90 days out (early May)Renewal opens in eLIPSE. Link your license to your MyMassGov account if you haven't already.
30 days outRenew online: upload the CORI form and pay $78 or $117. If DOR has put a hold on your renewal, request the Certificate of Good Standing now.
July 31Every license expires today. Renewing after it means a deferred renewal with any back fees, and you aren't licensed in the meantime.

Put this renewal in your calendar

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your journeymen's licenses, which expire on the same July 31
Your LLC's or LLP's professional liability insurance, if the business is one
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When do Massachusetts electrician licenses expire?

Every license expires on July 31 every third year, counted from July 31, 1989: the next expiration is July 31, 2028. Renewal opens in eLIPSE 90 days before, and no renewal notifications are mailed.

How much does it cost to renew a Massachusetts electrician license?

Journeyman electrician or systems technician $78; master electrician or systems contractor $117. Fees are non-refundable.

How many CE hours do Massachusetts electricians need?

What if my Massachusetts electrician license expired?

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, Renew Your License

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Massachusetts guides

All Massachusetts guides on one page

Electrician guides for other states

Compare electrician license renewals across states

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for electricians

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet