Electrical Licensing, Wisconsin, Does the process have any leeway

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jkinzieh

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Earth, NA, USA, Wisconsin
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Electronic, Industrial , Instrumentation, Controls, Technician
Hello, hope all are well. Many thanks to the years of info received from many... & to Mike
First I am a novice when it comes Elec. Licensing, I am attempting due diligence to obtain information in order to become fully licensed in the State of WI.
This is my current understanding:
  1. Complete an apprenticeship program.
  2. Apply and pay for the Journeyman Electrician exam.
  3. After one year of work experience as a licensed Journeyman, consider becoming a Master Electrician
Second I'll put my direct question here at the start
In Wisconsin, does the licensing process have any leeway or is the process/path hard and fast?
To clarify the question, can documented authorized electrical work experience combined with factors such as formal electrical education, at National Private School, a University, influence the standard path to licensing, can I shorten the time period to license in any way?

me:
My current Employer (I am in Hospitality Maintenance) inquired what I would need to become fully licensed in order to work on my own at our facility. As well as posting to the Forum I submitted this question to the Department of Safety and Professional Services https://dsps.wi.gov/. I got a response that they are Very busy and will get back to me as soon as they can.

Please understand I am not trying to puff myself up, skip necessary testing or get around governing authorities, I'm a Truth Seeker. and facts are stubborn things (John Adams, circa 1800) so here they are : - ) I don't know if they make any difference or not in this case.

I have a Electronic Tech. Diploma from what was a national private school in Chicago IL
I have a Degree, Associate of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology, also from IL

I have 45 years Industrial Electrical Systems, Automation & Controls, etc (13.8kV down thru 480 to household and DC)
Performed usual Electrical work involved in Manufacturing Plants, OEM Machine Building and Maintenance. In this same time period my assigned work also included what I would call Inter Plant residential work, i.e. Offices, kitchens, Conference Rooms, Rest Rooms, etc. New installs planning/calculating/sizing work troubleshooting and electrical repairs​
Also, I worked as an Electrical Engineering Tech., Designing Programming Systems, using Electrical theory.​
​
My positions, some union, never required me to be licensed I was told, for two reasons. One, they considered my Associates Degree as an equivalent to a Journeyman Level, and two that licensing was not required when work was performed directly under the supervision and authority of Facility Electrical Engineers. At one employer I actual had the title Master Electrician but that means nothing down the road as it was an internal company title.​
​
​
Well, there you go
Can I cut to the chase, or will it be years..
Best -John
 
In WA previous work experience and training can be used towards specialty certifications (2 year). To become journey level effective July 2025 will require completion of a recocognized apprenticeship program (with some good cause exceptions). This process is all laid out in our electrical laws and rules. I would assume you have checked on similar in WI?
 
Yes. I have learned that much east of Idaho I need to state Washington State. When this state was up for admittance to the union, we went with Washington. The alternative was Columbia which would of been better

Have you read thru the WI admin code? Seems like there is a lot of detail there
 
Have you looked into applying in another state and then getting Reciprocity with WI? That was common in WA until we started requiring 24 hours per year of approved classroom education (same as trainees need), so for journey level its 96 hours, and then you can test for journey level. And we tightned that up some time ago as electricians were jumping fences to get certified. It shows you what that certification is worth.
 
tom baker said:
Have you looked into applying in another state and then getting Reciprocity with WI? That was common in WA until we started requiring 24 hours per year of approved classroom education (same as trainees need), so for journey level its 96 hours, and then you can test for journey level. And we tightned that up some time ago as electricians were jumping fences to get certified. It shows you what that certification is worth.
Click to expand...

We only have reciprocity with Iowa and some random state on the East coast. Both of which are tougher I’m told.
 
jkinzieh said:
Hello, hope all are well. Many thanks to the years of info received from many... & to Mike
First I am a novice when it comes Elec. Licensing, I am attempting due diligence to obtain information in order to become fully licensed in the State of WI.
This is my current understanding:
  1. Complete an apprenticeship program.
  2. Apply and pay for the Journeyman Electrician exam.
  3. After one year of work experience as a licensed Journeyman, consider becoming a Master Electrician
Second I'll put my direct question here at the start
In Wisconsin, does the licensing process have any leeway or is the process/path hard and fast?
To clarify the question, can documented authorized electrical work experience combined with factors such as formal electrical education, at National Private School, a University, influence the standard path to licensing, can I shorten the time period to license in any way?

me:
My current Employer (I am in Hospitality Maintenance) inquired what I would need to become fully licensed in order to work on my own at our facility. As well as posting to the Forum I submitted this question to the Department of Safety and Professional Services https://dsps.wi.gov/. I got a response that they are Very busy and will get back to me as soon as they can.

Please understand I am not trying to puff myself up, skip necessary testing or get around governing authorities, I'm a Truth Seeker. and facts are stubborn things (John Adams, circa 1800) so here they are : - ) I don't know if they make any difference or not in this case.

I have a Electronic Tech. Diploma from what was a national private school in Chicago IL
I have a Degree, Associate of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology, also from IL

I have 45 years Industrial Electrical Systems, Automation & Controls, etc (13.8kV down thru 480 to household and DC)
Performed usual Electrical work involved in Manufacturing Plants, OEM Machine Building and Maintenance. In this same time period my assigned work also included what I would call Inter Plant residential work, i.e. Offices, kitchens, Conference Rooms, Rest Rooms, etc. New installs planning/calculating/sizing work troubleshooting and electrical repairs​
Also, I worked as an Electrical Engineering Tech., Designing Programming Systems, using Electrical theory.​
​
My positions, some union, never required me to be licensed I was told, for two reasons. One, they considered my Associates Degree as an equivalent to a Journeyman Level, and two that licensing was not required when work was performed directly under the supervision and authority of Facility Electrical Engineers. At one employer I actual had the title Master Electrician but that means nothing down the road as it was an internal company title.​
​
​
Well, there you go
Can I cut to the chase, or will it be years..
Best -John
Click to expand...

The electrician licensing requirements in Wisconsin are found in SPS 305. Here are the Journeyman requirements.

SPS 305.44 Journeyman electricians.
(2)  Application for examination. A person applying to take a journeyman electrician license examination shall submit all of the following:
(a) An application in accordance with s. SPS 305.01.
(b) An application fee and examination fee in accordance with s. SPS 305.02, Table 305.02.
(3)  Qualifications for examination. A person applying for a journeyman electrician license examination shall have at least one of the following qualifications:
(a) Completion of a construction electrician apprenticeship program in installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical wiring that has a duration of at least 3 years and that is approved by the U.S. department of labor or by the department of workforce development.
(b) Experience in installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical wiring during a period of not less than 48 months, with at least 8,000 hours of experience over that period. For purposes of meeting this requirement, a degree or diploma from a 2-year program in a school of electrical engineering or from a 2-year program in an accredited technical or vocational school in an electrical-related program shall be accepted by the department as being equivalent to 12 months and 2,000 hours of experience.
(4)  Examination. A person seeking to obtain a journeyman electrician license shall take and pass an examination in accordance with s. SPS 305.09.
(5)  Application for certification. Upon notification of the successful passage of the examination for a journeyman electrician license, a person may obtain the license by submitting an application and the license fee in accordance with ss. SPS 305.01 and 305.09 (7) (c).


And the Master electrician requirements.

SPS 305.43 Master electricians.
(1)  Application for examination. A person applying to take a master electrician license examination shall submit all of the following:
(a) An application in accordance with s. SPS 305.01.
(b) An application fee and examination fee in accordance with s. SPS 305.02, Table 305.02.
(2)  Qualifications for examination. A person applying for a master electrician license examination shall have at least one of the following qualifications:
(a) A bachelor's degree or master's degree in electrical engineering.
(b) Twelve months of experience in installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical wiring while being licensed as a journeyman electrician.
(c) Experience in installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical wiring during a period of not less than 60 months, with at least 10,000 hours of experience over that period.
(3)  Examination. A person seeking to obtain a master electrician license shall take and pass an examination in accordance with s. SPS 305.09.
(4)  Application for certification. Upon notification of the successful passage of the examination for a master electrician license, a person may obtain the license by submitting an application and the license fee in accordance with ss. SPS 305.01 and 305.09 (7) (c).
 
The best way to get answers is to contact one of the State electrical inspectors directly. There contact info is here: Inspector map. Or send an email to the email address on the bottom of the map. The State inspectors monitor that email.
 
Tom, Jolted, packersparky, THANK YOU all very much!!
Here's a virtual cup o' coffee for you guys 1675997983197.png
The Mike Holt Forum comes through again.!!
I will review the SPS Information provided in the Forum from packersparky
Review the ME form link from Jolted
and look into the inspector map link from packersparky
then if necessary look into Toms ideas

Again thank you all very much
May the Sparks be away from you : - )
Best,
John
 
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