Pennsylvania Electrician License Guide: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh & Allentown Exams (2026)
Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician license. Licensing is entirely municipal — each of the state's roughly 2,500+ municipalities can set its own rules, and most electricians outside a handful of major cities may face no formal local exam at all. The exams that do exist are run by the International Code Council (ICC) through Pearson VUE, on behalf of individual cities. This guide covers exactly how the three largest documented programs — Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown — actually work, straight from ICC's own Candidate Information Bulletins.
Quick Answer
| Statewide license | None. Pennsylvania has no state electrician license — every jurisdiction sets its own rules. |
| Exam administrator | International Code Council (ICC), via Pearson VUE testing centers, on behalf of individual cities |
| Philadelphia Master Electrician (Exam 211) | 100 Q, open book, 5-hour limit, $115, 2020 NEC + Ugly's Electrical Reference (any edition) |
| Pittsburgh Master Electrician (Exam 701) | 100 Q, open book, 5-hour limit, $105 (per 2016 bulletin — likely outdated), listed reference: 2008 NEC |
| Allentown Master Electrician (Exam 701) | 100 Q, open book, 5-hour limit, $105 (per 2016 bulletin — likely outdated), listed reference: 2008 NEC |
| Passing score | 75% for Master Electrician exams specifically (most other ICC contractor exams: 70%) |
| Reference materials | Candidate's own bound copy, pre-highlighted/tabbed with permanent tabs — same national ICC rule across all these exams |
| Retest wait | 10 days (national ICC policy) |
Why There's No "Pennsylvania" Electrician License
Pennsylvania is one of the small handful of states with no statewide electrician licensing system at all — licensing authority sits entirely with local municipalities, and requirements vary widely from one to the next. If you're searching for "the Pennsylvania electrician exam," what you're actually looking for is your specific city or county's program, if one exists. Many smaller municipalities have no formal electrician exam or license requirement whatsoever. This guide focuses on the three Pennsylvania cities with clearly documented, currently active ICC exam programs: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown.
Who Actually Runs These Exams
The International Code Council (ICC) develops and administers the trade exams through its testing partner Pearson VUE, but ICC is explicit about its own role: "The International Code Council is not a licensing agency. If you want to become licensed in a city, county, or state that participates with the Code Council, that jurisdiction will require you to take and pass a Code Council examination. Upon successful completion of the examination, contact the jurisdiction for any other requirements in order to become licensed." In other words: ICC runs the test; the city runs the license. You'll typically deal with two separate processes — city application/eligibility, then ICC/Pearson VUE exam scheduling.
Philadelphia: The Current, Best-Documented Program
Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) requires at least 7 years of practical electrical experience, or 4 years plus an electrical-related degree (education can offset up to roughly half the experience requirement). Applicants must also complete 8 hours of coursework on the current or later NFPA 70 edition within the 12 months prior to applying, be current on Philadelphia city taxes, and provide proof of general liability, automobile liability, and workers' compensation insurance.
Once L&I approves your eligibility, you take Exam 211 — Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) Standard Master Electrician through ICC/Pearson VUE:
| Format | 100 multiple-choice questions, open book, 5-hour time limit |
| Fee | $115 (Pearson VUE) |
| References | 2020 National Electrical Code + Ugly's Electrical Reference (any edition) |
Content breakdown: General Knowledge and Plan Reading (12%), Services and Service Equipment (16%), Feeders (4%), Branch Circuits and Conductors (16%), Wiring Methods and Materials (19%), Equipment and Devices (10%), Control Devices (3%), Motors and Generators (8%), Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions (12%). This bulletin was published March 15, 2026 and explicitly notes reference updates effective that date for several exams including 211 — this is the most current, actively-maintained bulletin among the three cities in this guide.
Pittsburgh and Allentown: Older Bulletins, Older Code
Both Pittsburgh's and Allentown's ICC Contractor/Trades bulletins are dated 2016, and each states it "supersedes all bulletin editions published prior to the above date" — meaning, as far as the publicly posted document shows, no newer edition has replaced it. Both list the reference for their Master Electrician exams (Exam 701 in both cities) as the 2008 National Electrical Code.
| City | Exam | Format | Fee (per bulletin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 701 Standard Master Electrician | 100 Q, open book, 5 hrs | $105 |
| Allentown | 701 Master Electrician | 100 Q, open book, 5 hrs | $105 |
| Allentown | 703 Journeyman Electrician | 80 Q, open book, 4 hrs | $105 |
| Allentown | 824 Residential Electrician | 60 Q, open book, 3 hrs | $105 |
| Allentown | 704 Maintenance Electrician | 60 Q, open book, 3 hrs | $105 |
| Allentown | 772 Low-Voltage Electrician | 50 Q, open book, 3 hrs | $105 |
Be cautious here. Given that Philadelphia's exam reference moved from an older code edition up to the 2020 NEC by the time of its March 2026 bulletin, and that ICC's own general FAQ material states fees and references are "subject to change at any time," it's very plausible Pittsburgh's and Allentown's actual current exam content and fees have moved on from what's shown in their last-published 2016 bulletins — we just can't confirm the update from what ICC has publicly posted. Notably, Allentown also offers a broader range of specialty electrician exams (Journeyman, Residential, Maintenance, and Low-Voltage) that Philadelphia's bulletin doesn't list — worth checking directly if you're not pursuing the Master level.
Allentown also requires you to apply directly with the city first: submit your license application to the City of Allentown's Electrician's Examining Board (Inspections Department) before ICC will register you for an exam.
National Reference Material Rules (All ICC PA Exams)
These rules come from ICC's national Administrative Rules and Procedures and apply identically across Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown. You may bring into the exam:
- Your reference(s) as listed for the specific exam — bound (original bound book, three-ring binder, or stapled)
- Notes written in ink or highlighting in code sections
- Permanently attached tabs (tabs that can't be removed without destroying the page)
- Pencil notes highlighted prior to arrival at the test center
- A magnifying glass, eyeglasses, an architect's scale, a nonprogrammable battery calculator, and foreign-language dictionaries if needed
Photocopies of copyrighted material are never allowed. Once the exam begins, "you are not allowed to write or mark in or on your reference books during the examination" — proctors provide a whiteboard and markers for scratch work instead, and any reference that doesn't meet the tab/pencil-note rules will simply be denied entry (you'll still be allowed to test, just without it).
Retesting
Per ICC's national policy, you must wait 10 days before retaking a failed exam — this applies across all three cities. There's no cap on total retakes stated in the bulletins, though repeated security violations can result in restrictions on retesting for up to 3 years. If you score within 10 points of the minimum passing score, you're eligible for a paid review session ($75) within 90 days of your test, and a hand-score verification is available for $30.
Other Pennsylvania Municipalities
ICC also publishes an Erie, Pennsylvania Contractor/Trades bulletin, and other municipalities across the state's 2,500+ local jurisdictions may run their own separate licensing programs — through ICC, through another vendor, or with no formal exam at all. We have not exhaustively verified every Pennsylvania municipality's requirements. If you work outside Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or Allentown, confirm directly with your specific city or county's building/licensing department before assuming any part of this guide applies to you. Separately, if you perform $5,000 or more in home improvement work per year anywhere in Pennsylvania, you're required to register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act — a $100 registration that's unrelated to any city electrician exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Pennsylvania state electrician license?
No. Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician licensing system — it's entirely local, city by city.
What NEC edition does Philadelphia's Master Electrician exam test?
The 2020 NEC, per ICC's current (March 2026) Philadelphia bulletin, alongside Ugly's Electrical Reference (any edition).
Are Pittsburgh's and Allentown's exams still based on the 2008 NEC?
That's what their last-published ICC bulletins (2016) state, but we could not confirm whether those bulletins have been updated since. Given Philadelphia's parallel exam moved forward to the 2020 NEC, treat the 2008 reference for Pittsburgh and Allentown as unconfirmed-current, and verify directly with ICC or the relevant city before studying.
Can I bring my own tabbed and highlighted code book to a Pennsylvania ICC electrician exam?
Yes — highlighting and tabbing done before you arrive at the test center are allowed, with permanent tabs only. You cannot write in or mark your reference during the exam itself; a whiteboard is provided for scratch work instead.
How many electrician exam types does Allentown offer?
Per its bulletin, at least five: Master Electrician (701), Journeyman Electrician (703), Residential Electrician (824), Maintenance Electrician (704), and Low-Voltage Electrician (772) — more breadth than Philadelphia's bulletin documents.
Study Materials
Philadelphia's currently documented exam edition (2020 NEC) doesn't match our catalog's current 2023 and 2026 editions, and Pittsburgh's and Allentown's stated 2008 NEC reference is even further from what we stock — and, as noted above, we can't confirm either older bulletin reflects the current exam content. Given that uncertainty, we're not going to point you at a specific-edition bundle and call it a match. Our general electrical code book collection is a reasonable study companion for building code familiarity, but source the exact edition your city's current bulletin specifies before test day.
Official Sources
- ICC Philadelphia Contractor/Trades Examination Bulletin
- ICC Pittsburgh Contractor/Trades Examination Bulletin
- ICC Allentown Contractor/Trades Examination Bulletin
- ICC Contractor/Trades Exam Catalog
This guide is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Licensing rules, fees, and exam content change — always confirm current requirements directly with your city's licensing department and ICC before applying, testing, or purchasing study materials.
