Electricians and electrical engineers can operate a potentially very lucrative business by doing installation on construction sites and repair and modification on existing homes or other buildings. While most states require a statewide electrician license, Indiana does not have such a requirement. Rather, the state leaves the licensing issue up to each local county or city building department or related office. Those seeking to work as electricians or electrical contractors in Indiana should check local requirements and then carry on with getting an education and gaining the practical experience necessary to competently perform electrical tasks.
Check with your local building department and the building department in other Indiana counties or cities where you anticipate getting an electrician job or starting an Indiana electrician or electrical contractor business. Because each city or county can create its own rules for the Indiana electrician license qualifications and requirements, it is not possible to say exactly what is necessary to work as an electrician in Indiana.
Nonetheless, a review of the typical requirements for an electrician and how electricians learn their craft can give you a good start toward qualifying for local electrician licenses in Indiana.
For example, most government agencies like to require a great deal of experience under the supervision of a licensed electrician. The electrical industry obviously involves specific hands-on tasks. As such, there are many apprenticeship programs that can give you the practical experience necessary to work as an electrician. Government licensing agencies know how important it is to get actual hands-on experience as an electrician. Even those with a degree in electrical engineering typically need at least a year or two of supervised electrical experience before being considered for licensed work. Of course, your Indiana local area might have completely different requirements for electrical workers or contractors.
Not too many agencies tend to require actual electrical classes at college or technical schools simply because practical experience is deemed more important for budding electricians. Nonetheless, some Indiana local building departments might require some kind of course.
Yet another thing that some government offices require is a passing score on an electrician exam. This requirement is more likely when the actual state requires an exam. This is less likely in the case of Indiana because of the lack of a statewide requirement. If you go to PSIExams.com, you can search for other states that require an electrician exam. In most cases, the National Electrical Code will be the main resource for the test. Keep that in mind just in case you run into a local Indiana area that requires an exam.
Other than general financial and moral fitness, the other two things that Indiana building departments are likely to require of electricians are a surety bond and liability insurance. For example, the city of Indianapolis, Indiana requires a $10,000 bond for electrical contractors and insurance of at least $500,000 for personal injury or death and $100,000 for property damage.
Resources:
Indianapolis, Indiana Electrician License Requirements
