Electrician Licensing in NJ

[Ken_S]

The Board has known about this bill for several years. It was brought before the State senate, passed and was sent to the Governor for his signature. It was signed and is now the law.

Now, this is just my opinion and I have no facts to back it up, but I believe IBEW circumvented the Board and went right to the State legislature. IBEW has their own lobbyists and lawyers and had the ability to make this happen. The Board was informed about this after it was introduced to the legislature. I believe they were just as shocked as we all are. That said, my reasoning for my opinion is this :

• The State has a Board of Examiners established by the State to vet, test and license all applicants that they deem have a minimum qualification to install or maintain electrical equipment and materials
• The Board has been in existence for many years
• The Board is constantly being bombarded with representatives from HVAC, plumbing, alarm, landscape and home theater contractors asking to allow them to install any type of wiring they deem necessary for their trade
• None of us EC's (or at least very few of us) have made an appearance before the Board to protest or voice our opinions regarding other trades being allowed to install wiring
• None of us EC's (or at least very few of us) have written letters to the Board for the same reasons
• None of us EC's (or at least very few of us) want to make a trip after a hard day's work to Newark, NJ at night, pay $27.00 to park your vehicle and appear before the Board for the same reasons

That said, I believe IBEW saw an opportunity to not only improve the quality of their membership but to also improve the quality of all the people in the trade, as unfair as it may seem to many of us. I also believe they circumvented the Board to bypass a bureaucracy that wasn't acting in their best interests. Like I said, this is just my opinion and I have no facts to back it up.

The board doesn't make the rules and regulations, that is the responsibility of the legislature, they just interpret and enforce the established laws. It also appears that the board will now be part of the department of labor and not law and public safety.

I would suggest that the NJ independent contractors get on the same page and join together to ensure that their voices are heard by their elected officials

 

[RWC/NC.]

gold star, your last paragraph in the above posting, speaks volumes. I believe you're having a good understanding, in what is going on.

 

[coffeebean]

New Jersey State Assemblyman District 14 Wayne P. DeAngelo -IBEW 269 Assistant Business Manager
New Jersey State Assemblyman District 17 Joseph Egan - IBEW 456 Business Manager
Two of the four sponsors of the law

 

[Seandb1986]

Just some info for all NJ electricians (see attached PDF). I received this info from one of our CEU instructors and thought ZI'd pass it on.

The MOST RECENT DCA CODE COMMUNITCATOR JUST STATED THAT WE (NJ LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS) CAN PULL MECHANICAL PERMITS NOW FOR GAS LINES FOR STAND BY GENERATOR JOBS.

 

[Seandb1986]

An “employee” that does electrical work for an electrical contractor who is licensed works under that license for his employer. If that employee is a “journeyman” then he will have to get licensed the way I read this ruling. However, if that journeyman wants to contract business with the public he will then have to also get an electrical contracting license as well as a business permit under his company name. (i.e. my license is issued to me personally but my bus. Permit is in my company name).

Goldstar, You are correct. We are issued a license after we meet the requirements & pass the exam. That is yours as long as you live & keep in active. You also get a business permit same exact # (initially) & its issued to your business entity which requires a surety bond, business registration, tax ID #, & liability insurance and/or workmen compensation insurance.

The journeyman license in NJ was sculpted towards the IBEW organization chart it allows that journeyman to work unsupervised & have not more than 10 employees working under their supervision. But all need to be working under a licensed electrical contractor business permit.

 

[mtnelect]

Welcome to California !

 

[goldstar]

The MOST RECENT DCA CODE COMMUNITCATOR JUST STATED THAT WE (NJ LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS) CAN PULL MECHANICAL PERMITS NOW FOR GAS LINES FOR STAND BY GENERATOR JOBS.

That is correct. Here is the link to the Spring CCC edition :

https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/publications/pdf_ccc/CCC_Spr_2022.pdf

What the article DOES NOT TELL YOU is that you need a 2 hr. CEU in order to be considered qualified to install the gas line for the generator. We will be getting this CEU at our next EC association meeting.

 

[infinity]

What the article DOES NOT TELL YOU is that you need a 2 hr. CEU in order to be considered qualified to install the gas line for the generator. We will be getting this CEU at our next EC association meeting.

Where is that information? Is this something new (the 2 hours) from the state? For a long time gas pipe work was not under the plumbing code here in NJ so there has been always some confusion as to who can install it because a licensed plumber was not required.

 

[RWC/NC.]

As denoted in pages (5 & 6) as pertaining to Generators, it's within the electrical contractors scope of installing gas line along w/ the connection. Humm, pretty amazing stuff, very diversified..

 

[mtnelect]

Welcome to California !

Electricians and electrical contractors who must be in compliance with California State electrical certification requirements for electricians.

 

[goldstar]

Where is that information? Is this something new (the 2 hours) from the state? For a long time gas pipe work was not under the plumbing code here in NJ so there has been always some confusion as to who can install it because a licensed plumber was not required.

The info came direct from our CEU instructor (who happens to sit on the Board). Not sure why they didn't make this public. I won't find out until the end of the month why it wasn't made public. I'll post that info when I get it.

 

[Nertilduraku]

I recently moved to NJ and was hoping to get my electrical license i went to board of electrical examiners website and DANG! Looks like im not qualifed as per the new bill signed into law. My electrical experience started 2016 till Present. 7 years hands-on into electrical trade, everyday, plenty of overtime hours and as per new law i am not qualified because i need to complete 4 Year apprenticeship program in order to be approved? I can’t belive it, how an father of 3, feeding 4 mouths by working is supposed to go to an apprentice school for 4 years, and start over again? This just killed hope of hardworking men trying yo gain experience and qualifications through hard field work in order to get licensed and open their own business.
I understand ibew, politics, but this killed the american dream and hope, wich will lead with consequences for non union workers. Just unfair.

 

[infinity]

I recently moved to NJ and was hoping to get my electrical license i went to board of electrical examiners website and DANG! Looks like im not qualifed as per the new bill signed into law. My electrical experience started 2016 till Present. 7 years hands-on into electrical trade, everyday, plenty of overtime hours and as per new law i am not qualified because i need to complete 4 Year apprenticeship program in order to be approved? I can’t belive it, how an father of 3, feeding 4 mouths by working is supposed to go to an apprentice school for 4 years, and start over again? This just killed hope of hardworking men trying yo gain experience and qualifications through hard field work in order to get licensed and open their own business.
I understand ibew, politics, but this killed the american dream and hope, wich will lead with consequences for non union workers. Just unfair.

I feel your pain. I'll preface this by saying I've been in the IBEW for over 35 years but this is just wrong and I think that it's a disgrace. It's just the IBEW doing what they do. Welcome to NJ politics.

 

[Nertilduraku]

I feel your pain. I'll preface this by saying I've been in the IBEW for over 35 years but this is just wrong and I think that it's a disgrace. It's just the IBEW doing what they do. Welcome to NJ politics.

All good brother, in 5 months ill be able to apply and get licensed in the greatest city in the world NYC, this is how you feel the difference!

 

[Nertilduraku]

Also imagine the new law won’t let an licensed electrician from another state to get licensed because he never completed apprenticeship program . What if someone licensed in another state would like to move to NJ.

 

[tom baker]

The Board has known about this bill for several years. It was brought before the State senate, passed and was sent to the Governor for his signature. It was signed and is now the law.

Now, this is just my opinion and I have no facts to back it up, but I believe IBEW circumvented the Board and went right to the State legislature. IBEW has their own lobbyists and lawyers and had the ability to make this happen. The Board was informed about this after it was introduced to the legislature. I believe they were just as shocked as we all are. That said, my reasoning for my opinion is this :

• The State has a Board of Examiners established by the State to vet, test and license all applicants that they deem have a minimum qualification to install or maintain electrical equipment and materials
• The Board has been in existence for many years
• The Board is constantly being bombarded with representatives from HVAC, plumbing, alarm, landscape and home theater contractors asking to allow them to install any type of wiring they deem necessary for their trade
• None of us EC's (or at least very few of us) have made an appearance before the Board to protest or voice our opinions regarding other trades being allowed to install wiring
• None of us EC's (or at least very few of us) have written letters to the Board for the same reasons
• None of us EC's (or at least very few of us) want to make a trip after a hard day's work to Newark, NJ at night, pay $27.00 to park your vehicle and appear before the Board for the same reasons

That said, I believe IBEW saw an opportunity to not only improve the quality of their membership but to also improve the quality of all the people in the trade, as unfair as it may seem to many of us. I also believe they circumvented the Board to bypass a bureaucracy that wasn't acting in their best interests. Like I said, this is just my opinion and I have no facts to back it up.

I agree with your comments as WA will require those testing for journey level to be a graduate of recognized apprentice program July 2023. And that’s more than the IBEW, it’s IEC, schools and electrical contractors.
I was an electrical instructor for 20 years 500 classes to some 4,000 students. The sharpest electricians were those from apprentice programs. Residential electricians, a 2000 hour speciality, typically learned on the job, on the electrical exam first time pass rate was 22%

 

[goldstar]

I understand ibew, politics, but this killed the american dream and hope, wich will lead with consequences for non union workers. Just unfair.

I also feel your pain. Welcome to NJ. FYI, It's not going to get better. Good luck in NYC.

 

[Ken_S]

I recently moved to NJ and was hoping to get my electrical license i went to board of electrical examiners website and DANG! Looks like im not qualifed as per the new bill signed into law. My electrical experience started 2016 till Present. 7 years hands-on into electrical trade, everyday, plenty of overtime hours and as per new law i am not qualified because i need to complete 4 Year apprenticeship program in order to be approved? I can’t belive it, how an father of 3, feeding 4 mouths by working is supposed to go to an apprentice school for 4 years, and start over again? This just killed hope of hardworking men trying yo gain experience and qualifications through hard field work in order to get licensed and open their own business.
I understand ibew, politics, but this killed the american dream and hope, wich will lead with consequences for non union workers. Just unfair.

I really think that you should call them before you get yourself down. They way I read that law is that there is a grace period from 2018 to December 2022.

Between December 17, 2018 and December 17, 2022 the Board will accept each year of employment obtained in the electrical field prior to December 17,2018 in lieu of one year’s enrollment in an electrical apprenticeship program approved and accredited by the United States Department of Labor.

If they don't accept your prior work experience, while very disappointing you're not going to start over with your salary given your experience.

 

[RWC/NC.]

I agree with your comments as WA will require those testing for journey level to be a graduate of recognized apprentice program July 2023. And that’s more than the IBEW, it’s IEC, schools and electrical contractors.
I was an electrical instructor for 20 years 500 classes to some 4,000 students. The sharpest electricians were those from apprentice programs. Residential electricians, a 2000 hour speciality, typically learned on the job, on the electrical exam first time pass rate was 22%

Tom, will this new WA mandate also include absolutely no " 30 day temporary licensing " being honored while waiting for your scheduled exam, and along w / the 90 day grace period, if first exam taken, the score is failure (?)

 

[RWC/NC.]

Will this stipulation also be removed, in WA State Tom(?)