1.3 Connecticut Electrical Licensing, CGS Chapter 393 & DCP Regulations

1.3 Connecticut Electrical Licensing, CGS Chapter 393 & DCP Regulations

Quick Reference:

• Governing Statute: Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) Title 20, Chapter 393.
• Regulatory Oversight: Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Occupational Licensing Division & Electrical Work Board.
• E-2 Scope of Work: Unlimited electrical installations under the employment and direction of an E-1 contractor. Cannot pull permits or contract directly with the public.
• Apprenticeship Standards: 8,000 hours on-the-job training (OJT) + 720 hours related classroom technical instruction registered with the CT Department of Labor.
• Job-Site Supervision Ratio (Conn. Agencies Regs. § 20-332-15a): 1:1 — every apprentice must work in the presence of and under the direct supervision of a licensed journeyperson or contractor.
• Hiring Ratios (CGS § 20-332b, as amended by P.A. 25-47, effective October 1, 2025): 1:1; 2:2; 3:3; 4:6; 5:9; 6:12; 7:15; 8:18; 9:21; 10:24; at 11 or more apprentices, add 3 licensees per additional apprentice.
• Annual License Expiration: September 30 of each calendar year.
• Continuing Education: Mandatory 4 hours annually approved by the Electrical Work Board prior to renewal.
• License Fees (CGS §§ 20-333, 20-335): $90 nonrefundable application fee; $120 initial journeyperson license; $120 annual renewal.
• Statutory Penalties (CGS § 20-341): Civil penalty up to $3,000 per violation (§ 20-341(d)); Class B misdemeanor (§ 20-341(a)); CUTPA liability (§ 20-341(f)).

In the State of Connecticut, the electrical trade is not merely governed by technical installation codes like the NEC, but by strict statutory and administrative licensing laws. The Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) establish comprehensive legal mandates designed to protect public safety, ensure consumer rights, and maintain rigorous craft standards across all electrical installations.

Candidates taking the Connecticut E-2 Unlimited Journeyperson examination are tested on their knowledge of Title 20, Chapter 393 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the regulations of the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), and the rules of the Electrical Work Board.

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1. Regulatory Governance: The DCP and Electrical Work Board

Under Connecticut General Statutes Title 20, Chapter 393 ("Electricians, Plumbers, Solar Contractors, Heating, Piping and Cooling Contractors and Journeymen, Elevator and Fire Protection Sprinkler Craftsmen"), regulatory authority is divided between two coordinated entities:

The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP)

The DCP Occupational and Professional Licensing Division serves as the administrative, investigative, and enforcement agency for occupational trades in Connecticut. The DCP:

• Processes and issues trade licenses, apprentice registrations, and credential renewals.
• Employs occupational trade inspectors who conduct unannounced job-site inspections across the state.
• Investigates consumer complaints, unlicensed contracting, ratio violations, and failure to pull required municipal building permits.
• Issues civil citations, assesses administrative fines, and initiates cease-and-desist orders.

The Electrical Work Board

The Electrical Work Board is one of the six examining boards established within the DCP by CGS § 20-331(a); its composition is fixed by § 20-331(b) and its powers and duties come from § 20-332. Under § 20-331(b) the Board has exactly twelve members, all Connecticut residents: one general or unlimited contractor, two unlimited contractors who are not trade-union members or employees, one electronic technician licensed under chapter 394, four unlimited journeymen who are trade-union members, and four public members. Section 20-331(h) has the Governor appoint the contractor and journeyman members from lists submitted by employers' and employees' associations. The Board's statutory duties include:

• Formulating and administering professional licensing examinations.
• Evaluating license applications, reciprocity requests, and apprenticeship equivalency claims.
• Conducting formal administrative disciplinary hearings for licensees accused of incompetence, negligence, fraud, or code violations.
• Approving annual 4-hour continuing education (CE) curricula and education providers.
• Recommending license revocation, suspension, or probation to the DCP Commissioner.

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2. License Classifications and the E-2 Scope of Work

Connecticut establishes distinct license categories that delineate the legal boundaries between contracting and trade labor.

E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson

The E-2 license is an unlimited journeyperson license. Key legal parameters of the E-2 include:

• Scope of Permitted Work: The holder is authorized to perform all types of electrical work, including residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, low-voltage communications, fire alarm systems, medium-voltage distribution, and solar photovoltaic systems.
• Employment Requirement: An E-2 journeyperson may perform electrical work only as an employee under the employment and direction of a licensed Connecticut E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor.
• Statutory Prohibitions: An E-2 holder is strictly prohibited from:
  • Contracting directly with property owners, general contractors, or the public.
  • Bidding on electrical projects or submitting proposals.
  • Advertising electrical services in any media (print, vehicle lettering, online, or social media).
  • Pulling electrical or building permits from local municipal building officials.

E-1 Unlimited Electrical Contractor

The E-1 license authorizes the holder to operate an independent electrical business. An E-1 contractor:

• May plan, layout, supervise, install, and contract for all types of electrical installations.
• Is legally authorized to pull permits from local building officials and assume professional liability for the work.
• May employ licensed E-2 journeypersons, registered apprentices, and other specialized trade licensees.
• Prerequisites for E-1 Licensure: A candidate must have held an active Connecticut E-2 journeyperson license for a minimum of two (2) years and pass both the comprehensive trade technical exam and the Connecticut Business, Law, and Project Management examination.

Comparative License Matrix

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3. Apprenticeship Standards: CT Department of Labor

Connecticut maintains strict statutory standards governing the training prerequisites required to sit for the E-2 examination. Apprenticeship programs are administered by the Connecticut Department of Labor (CT DOL) Office of Apprenticeship Training.

Minimum Hour Requirements

To qualify for the Connecticut E-2 licensing examination, an applicant must complete a registered, verified apprenticeship consisting of:

1. 8,000 Hours of On-the-Job Training (OJT): Documented practical experience performing electrical work under the direct supervision of licensed E-1 contractors or E-2 journeypersons. This represents approximately four (4) full-time years (2,000 hours/year) of verified field work.
2. 720 Hours of Related Technical Instruction: Approved classroom training covering electrical theory, code analysis, blueprint reading, OSHA safety, and electrical mathematics (typically 180 hours per year across the 4-year program).

Mandatory Apprentice Registration

• Every apprentice must be registered with the CT Department of Labor Apprenticeship Council within thirty (30) days of hiring by an approved employer sponsor.
• Any hours worked prior to formal state registration or while working for an unregistered employer do not count toward the statutory 8,000-hour requirement.
• Upon verified completion of both OJT and classroom hours, the CT DOL issues a formal Certificate of Apprenticeship Completion. This is filed with the DCP — not with PSI. Connecticut state law reserves the eligibility determination to the State; only after the DCP approves the application does the candidate contact PSI directly to pay the $59 examination fee and schedule a seat. Eligibility remains valid for one year from the date of state approval, and journeyperson candidates may test an unlimited number of times within that year.

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4. Job-Site Supervision & Apprentice Hiring Ratios (CGS § 20-332b)

Connecticut enforces two separate rules that candidates routinely confuse, and the exam rewards knowing which is which.

1. The job-site (work-site) ratio comes from DCP regulations at Conn. Agencies Regs. § 20-332-15a: an apprentice may work only in the presence of, and under the direct supervision of, a licensed journeyperson or contractor. This is a flat 1:1 requirement that applies on every job site, in all 80 registered apprenticeship trades.
2. The hiring ratio limits how many apprentices a company may employ relative to its licensed workforce. It is fixed by statute at CGS § 20-332b.

Citation Trap: § 20-332b sets the hiring ratios. § 20-332c is a different section entirely — it merely establishes a ten-member industry working group to study ratios and the ratio-relief process, and it contains no ratio numbers at all.

Statutory Hiring Ratio Schedule (Current Law)

Public Act 17-76, effective June 27, 2017, reduced the number of licensees required at three or more apprentices. Public Act 25-47 (S.B. 1465) then repealed and substituted all of § 20-332b effective October 1, 2025 — it kept those same numbers but changed how they operate: the schedule is now self-executing statutory law ("the following allowable hiring ratios shall apply") instead of a directive telling the Commissioner to write them into regulation, and "journeymen" was replaced with "journeypersons" throughout. Cite the current version as § 20-332b as amended by P.A. 25-47. The schedule below is current law:

Stale-Material Warning: Prior law required 5 licensees for 3 apprentices, 8 for 4, 11 for 5 and 14 for 6. Public Act 17-76 repealed that schedule in 2017, but a great deal of third-party Connecticut prep material still prints the old numbers. Answer from the current § 20-332b table above.

Ratio Enforcement Rules

• Direct Supervision: An apprentice must be accompanied on the job site by a licensed journeyperson or contractor who provides direct, continuous, and competent supervision.
• Job-Site Specific: The ratio must be maintained on each individual job site as well as across the contractor's entire firm.
• Ratio Relief (CGS § 20-332b(b), added by P.A. 25-47): A licensed contractor may hire apprentices beyond the § 20-332b(a) schedule only by filing a ratio relief application with the Department of Consumer Protection — not with the Department of Labor. If the contractor employs a combination of not more than eight journeypersons and contractors (counting the contractor), has no Labor Department chapter 558 enforcement action in the prior three years, and attests to all three statutory conditions — that relief is sought at a ratio no greater than one apprentice to one journeyperson or contractor, that at least one apprentice is enrolled in a qualified apprenticeship program offered by a Technical Education and Career System school (or that a good-faith search for one failed), and that the schedule is causing undue operational hardship — the commissioner shall approve, with notice sent within ten business days, and that decision is a final decision for appeal purposes under CGS § 4-183. A contractor employing more than eight licensees, or one with a chapter 558 enforcement history, is instead referred to the Electrical Work Board under § 20-331.
• Violation Consequences: Employing apprentices "off-ratio" constitutes a serious statutory violation. Contractors face civil penalties of up to $3,000 per violation under CGS § 20-341(d), and un-supervised hours completed by apprentices during ratio violations may be invalidated by the CT DOL.

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5. Annual License Renewal & Mandatory Continuing Education

Licensure in Connecticut is not permanent; maintaining an active E-2 credential requires compliance with ongoing administrative mandates.

Annual Expiration Date: September 30

• All Connecticut electrical licenses (both E-1 contractors and E-2 journeypersons) expire annually on September 30.
• Renewal notices are transmitted electronically by the DCP. Failure to receive a renewal notice does not exempt a licensee from the responsibility to renew prior to October 1.

Mandatory Continuing Education (CE)

• Annual Requirement: Under CGS § 20-334d, the Commissioner's regulations must require not less than four hours per year of accredited continuing professional education for licensed electricians. At the Electrical Work Board's request the Commissioner may increase that requirement to a maximum of seven hours.
• Curriculum Content: The 4-hour curriculum is established annually by the Board and focuses on recent NEC revisions, Connecticut State Building Code amendments, OSHA electrical safety standards, and Connecticut licensing statutes.
• Approved Providers: CE credits are valid only if completed through an educational provider explicitly approved by the DCP and Board.
• Reporting Deadline: CE hours must be completed and reported by the provider to the DCP prior to the September 30 renewal deadline. A licensee cannot renew online without documented CE completion in the state registry.

Lapsed or Expired Licenses

• A license that is not renewed by September 30 becomes invalid immediately on October 1. Performing electrical work with an expired license constitutes illegal unlicensed practice.
• Renewal fees (CGS § 20-335): $120 for a journeyperson license and $150 for a contractor license, payable annually.
• Under CGS § 20-335 the board may renew a license where the renewal application is received no later than one month after the expiration date, upon payment of the renewal fee.
• A licensee who has failed to renew for more than two years from the date of expiration may have the license reinstated only by complying with CGS § 20-333 — that is, by re-applying and re-taking the licensing examination.

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6. Penalties for Violations & Unlicensed Practice (CGS § 20-341)

Connecticut law imposes severe civil, administrative, and criminal penalties on individuals and businesses that violate trade licensing statutes.

Civil and Administrative Penalties (CGS § 20-341(d))

• Civil penalty up to $3,000 per violation: After notice and a hearing, the appropriate examining board or the Commissioner of Consumer Protection may impose a civil penalty not to exceed $3,000 for each violation on any person who performs work for which a license or apprentice registration is required without holding one, who wilfully employs or supplies for employment an unlicensed person, or who continues working after a license has expired.
• Apprenticeship sponsor penalties (§ 20-341(b) and (c)): Running an apprenticeship training program that is not registered with the Labor Department, or employing an individual as an apprentice without first verifying that the individual is registered, draws a cease-and-desist order plus a fine not to exceed $5,000 for each violation.
• Municipal cost recovery (§ 20-341(e)): Where the civil penalty stems from a violation first reported by a municipal building official, the Commissioner must remit one-half of the amount collected to that municipality.
• Administrative discipline: An E-1 contractor who permits unlicensed work also faces suspension or revocation of the contractor license under CGS § 20-334.

Criminal Penalties (CGS § 20-341)

• Any person who wilfully engages in work for which a license is required without first obtaining it — or who wilfully employs an unlicensed person, falsely pretends to be qualified (including advertising in print, electronic, television or radio media), or works after their own license has expired — is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor under CGS § 20-341(a).
• Criminal penalties for Class B misdemeanors in Connecticut include fines of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six (6) months per conviction.
• Procedural gate: No criminal charge may be instituted under § 20-341(a) unless the Commissioner of Consumer Protection or an authorized agent first reviews the work activity and determines in writing that it requires a license and is not the subject of a bona fide dispute between persons engaged in a trade or craft.

Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA)

Under CGS § 20-341(f), a violation of any provision of Chapter 393 is deemed an unfair or deceptive trade practice under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA, CGS Chapter 735a).

• Aggrieved consumers, building owners, or competitors can sue in civil court.
• Remedies under CUTPA include actual damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief, and the awarding of mandatory attorney's fees against the violator.