Although the state of South Carolina does not require obtaining an electrician license, you may still become a licensed specialist to support your career. That is why you should see the steps of licensure and try to complete them towards the goal of obtaining a license.
In the state of South Carolina, you may obtain a journeyman electrician license or a residential electrician license. The former allows you to do all types of electrical work, while the latter only permits working in residential homes.
To be eligible for licensure, you must:
Another key step of the licensing process is taking and passing the electrical licensing exam. To clarify, you must go through this link, create an account and register for the journeyman electrician exam. You will need to provide your full legal name, as well as personal and contact information.
You can also register for the exam by phone, calling at (855) 340-3701. To do so, you will need a VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card.
What comes to the nature of the exam, it contains multiple-choice questions, which typically cover electrical definitions, service and equipment, feeders, and wiring methods. Some questions also touch on electrical materials, generators, control devices and renewable energy technologies.
Once you are ready, you must submit the application or directly apply online. The license application fee is $25.
The same way as for the journeyman electrician license, you can obtain either a master electrician or a master residential electrician license in South Carolina. It demonstrates that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform work in the electrical industry.
Before you start the licensing process, you must have at least four years of work experience as a journeyman electrician. You should also have legit verification of legal work experience as an electrician.
To receive the master electrician license, you must take and pass the master electrician exam. Therefore, you should register for the exam, schedule a sitting and pay the $100 examination fee.
Note that you can cancel or reschedule the examination day without forfeiting the paid fee. Otherwise, you will lose the fee and need to pay again the next time you register for the exam.
Equally important is paying the fee before you sit for the exam, as the testing facility will not let you take the test without having paid it.
The exam comprises of questions, which cover general electrical knowledge, service, feeders, branch circuits, grounding, bonding, conductors and cables. It also includes material like raceways and boxes, special occupancies, equipment, electrical power, motors, low voltage and lighting.
After successfully passing the electrical licensing exam, you are to submit the application for the South Carolina master electrician license.
While completing the application, you should answer all the questions carefully, without providing false information. If you answer “yes”, you should also attach relevant information about you, which will support the answer.
In case you do not answer any one the question, then the Department will return or reject the application. Thus, you must make sure that you have answered all the questions correctly before you submit the application.
South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
Residential Builders Commission
Synergy Business Park, Kingtree Building
110 Centerview Dr., Suite 102
Columbia, SC 29210
(803) 896-4696
Fax: 803-896-4404