Utah electrical license: what your E200 or E201 lets you do, and your first 30 days

Published November 3, 2026 · Utah Code Title 58 Chapter 55, DOPL rules R156-55a (August 2026) and R156-55b (August 2025), DOPL's contractor application (version 20260930) and Rocky Mountain Power's builder pages checked November 3, 2026

• Free. The printable checklist comes by email. The full checklist and the job table are on this page too, nothing held back.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Every rule links to the statute, DOPL rule, form or agency page it comes from. Ask DOPL or a Utah attorney before you bet a job on my reading.

An E200 lets your company do any electrical work in Utah, commercial or residential, solar modules included. An E201 does the same kind of work in homes only. Neither has a dollar limit per job. Both need a qualifier who holds the matching master license, liability insurance of $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 in total with DOPL as certificate holder, and workers' comp or a Labor Commission waiver.^{1, 2, 3} The deadline new shops miss is a personal one: every individual electrician license in Utah expires on November 30 of an even year, so your master's license is due November 30, 2026, with 16 hours of continuing education behind it.⁷

"What exactly does this license I have allow me to do now?" a newly licensed electrician asked on r/electricians. He was in Louisiana, and the Utah pages that rank for this search stop at the same place: the exam, the hours, the application fee. This one starts after the license arrives. It covers what the E200 and E201 let you do, who in the company must hold which license, where your license stops, permits, Rocky Mountain Power and the city-owned utilities, a job-by-job table and a checklist for the first 30 days. If you also do general remodeling, the classifications and the $7,000 handyman line are in the Utah handyman license article. The paperwork side, including the lien notice every residential contract needs, is in the Utah contract template.

The checklist also comes as a printable sheet with blanks for your license, policy, permit and utility numbers and your renewal dates. Get it three ways: make your own copy in Google Docs (lands in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links.

Utah electrical license classes: E200, E201 and the licenses behind them

Utah licenses the business and the people separately. DOPL (the Division of Professional Licensing) issues both. The contractor license says the company may sell electrical work. The electrician licenses say who may do it.^{1, 2}

"Residential project" has a specific meaning for electricians today: a building "primarily wired with nonmetallic sheathed cable" where the voltage doesn't exceed 250 volts line to line and 125 volts to ground. From January 1, 2027 the statute keeps the cable test and drops the voltage figures.¹ I checked the classifications for changes: no electrical contractor classification was added, renamed or merged in 2025 or 2026. What did change is the insurance minimum (below), the electrician exams in August 2025, and the H100 HVAC license that replaced S350 on January 1, 2026, which matters when an HVAC contractor hires you.^{2, 6}

E200 or E201: the difference on the next job

The E201 stops at the residential unit. A dental office, a retail suite, a church hall or a shop building on three-phase power is E200 work. So is setting solar modules: the E200 rule adds the S202 Solar Photovoltaic scope, and the E201 rule doesn't.² I found no dollar cap on either license in the statute or the rules.

One rule binds both and changes how you hand off work. The E200 rule says the licensee "may not subcontract or hire any person to perform work on a project outside the scope," and the E201 rule says the same.² Other contractors can hire you: the rules let a B100 general contractor, an H100 HVAC contractor, an S202 solar contractor and an S440 sign contractor subcontract their electrical work to an E200 or E201.² It doesn't run the other way. Read literally, you can't put a plumber's gas line or an alarm company's work on your own contract; the customer signs with them directly. If you want to sell a bundled job, ask DOPL first and keep the answer.

The master behind your Utah electrical contractor license

The company's license and the master's license are separate things. The statute says an applicant "for licensure as an electrical contractor" must "be a licensed master electrician," and a residential electrical contractor a master or residential master; for a company, that person is the qualifier.⁴ DOPL's application asks the qualifier to be an "Owner of at least 20% OR W-2 Employee in Management Position," and the qualifier affidavit makes that person answerable for the company: insurance in force, workers' comp when there are employees, telling DOPL about changes.³

The master doesn't have to be full time. The rule asks that the qualifier be paid "for not less than 12 hours of work per week," as profit distributions for an owner with at least 20% or W-2 wages for an officer or manager, and caps one person at three licensees without DOPL's written approval.² A Utah electrician on Reddit had it right from memory: "Utah lets you be a employee working a minimum of 12 hours per week (not in the field) or if I remember right a 20% ownership stake. They'll let you qualify for up to 3 companies" (r/electricians). If the qualifier leaves, the company tells DOPL in writing within 10 days, the license stays in force for 60 days, and it's suspended automatically if no new qualifier is named by then.⁵ After five clean years an electrical company may keep its license by recording an active employee's trade license number on the renewal.⁵

Licensed people do the electrical work. An unlicensed helper may only do "work commonly done by unskilled labor," which the rule describes as handling wire on large pulls in conduit of two inches or more, under the immediate supervision of a master or journeyman.⁶ Hiring someone who isn't licensed to do work that needs a license is unlawful conduct.²³

What keeping the license costs

• Liability insurance. DOPL's form, version 20260930: "Minimum coverage is $1,000,000 for each incident and $2,000,000 in total and must cover all your scope of work for the license, for the entire duration of active licensure," with DOPL listed as certificate holder.³ The minimum was $100,000 and $300,000 until March 29, 2026, then $1,000,000 and $3,000,000 until June 24, 2026.² Tell DOPL "immediately" about any material change to the policy.²
• Workers' comp. Employees, or owner-workers with under 8% ownership, mean a workers' comp certificate plus an unemployment insurance number from Workforce Services and a withholding account from the Tax Commission (or a contract with a licensed PEO). With nobody else working, you file a Workers' Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Labor Commission, and "If the applicant later hires employees, the applicant must notify the Division in writing ... BEFORE work is performed."^{3, 30}
• Bond. None by default. DOPL asks about judgments, liens and bankruptcies, and if the review fails it sets a bond: at least 30% of the debts, or a fixed floor of $15,000 to $50,000 depending on the classification.^{2, 3, 10}
• Fees. The application charges $50 per qualifier and $175 per classification, plus a $1 surcharge.³

Apprentices, journeymen and who can work alone

A master, journeyman or residential master can work alone, and a residential journeyman can on residential projects. Apprentices hold their own DOPL license and work under "immediate supervision," which the rule splits in two: on non-residential work the supervisor is "physically present on the same project or jobsite," and on residential work the supervisor, "when not physically present," is "available to provide direction, oversight, inspection, and evaluation."⁶ The ratio is two licensed apprentices per supervisor on a non-residential project and three on a residential one.⁶ From the fourth year of training an apprentice may work without supervision "for a period not to exceed eight hours in any 24-hour period."⁴ Going over the ratio or failing to supervise is unlawful conduct, and refusing to certify an employee's hours when they ask is unprofessional conduct.^{2, 23} Someone asking to use your master license for their company is a bigger question; the risks are in the last section.

Where your Utah electrical license stops

• Gas piping. Delivering gas is plumbing trade work, and anyone who installs or connects a gas appliance needs natural gas training and certification. A standby generator that runs on natural gas fits the statute's definition of a gas appliance, a device that uses natural gas to produce power.^{1, 9} You wire the generator and the transfer switch. A P200 or P201 plumbing contractor, with a certified natural gas technician, runs and connects the gas, on the customer's own contract with them.
• Plumbing. Replacing a water heater is plumbing work; the minor-plumbing exemption excludes it.⁹ On an electric water heater you do the circuit and the connection.
• HVAC equipment. The H100 HVAC license "does not include ... electrical trade work," and an H100 "may contract with" an E200 or E201.² An HVAC tech may do only minor electrical work: wiring extended "no more than ten feet from an existing outlet or disconnect intended specifically for the piece of equipment," and never "installation of a disconnecting means or outlet."⁶ A new condenser circuit, a new disconnect or anything in the panel is yours. Thermostat wire is a class 2 circuit, outside the electrical trade.¹
• Burglar and security alarms. Selling or installing intrusion alarms is alarm company work, which needs its own DOPL alarm company license.^{1, 9, 23} Without it, the customer hires the alarm company directly.
• Fire alarms. DOPL lists "fire alarm installation regulated by the Fire Marshal" as needing no contractor license.² Inspecting and testing fire alarm systems needs a State Fire Marshal certificate (Basic Fire Alarm Technician and up).¹¹
• Low voltage and data. Class 2 and class 3 power-limited circuits are outside the electrical trade and need no contractor license, for you or anyone else.^{1, 2} You can take that work, and you can't stop a cable installer from taking it.
• Solar. An E200 can set modules and wire them. An E201 can wire a home system, but setting the modules is S202 work, and the S202 rule lets a solar contractor hire you for the wiring. A standalone system that doesn't tie into premises wiring or the utility needs no license.²
• Signs. An S440 sign contractor fabricates and sets the sign and "may hire or subcontract an E200 ... or E201" for the electrical work.²
• Lead paint. Utah runs its own lead renovation program through the Division of Air Quality. Disturbing more than 6 square feet of painted surface per room inside, or 20 square feet outside, in a home built before 1978 needs a Utah-certified firm and a certified renovator.¹²
• The handyman's customers. The $7,000 handyman exemption doesn't include electrical: work on an electrical system "shall be performed by a licensed electrical ... contractor," and a licensed journeyman may swap a component "such as a ... fixture, device, outlet, or electrical switch."⁹ That small work is open to you.

Utah electrical permit: who pulls it and who inspects

The city or county building department issues the permit and inspects. DOPL doesn't. Utah's code adopts the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2021 International Residential Code, whose permit rule covers anyone who wants to "erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical ... system."^{13, 14} The exemptions are narrow: cord-and-plug decorative lighting, reinstalling receptacles "but not the outlets therefor," replacing a breaker of the same size in the same place, circuits under 25 volts and 50 watts, and minor repairs such as replacing lamps.¹⁴ A panel swap, a service upgrade or a new circuit needs a permit.

The contractor pulls it. Salt Lake City puts it plainly: "If there is a contractor on the job, it is the contractor's responsibility according to state law to obtain the permit and see to the inspections."¹⁵ Your license number goes on every permit application.⁵ State law makes it unlawful to apply for a permit when you aren't licensed, to get one "for the benefit of or on behalf of" someone who isn't, or to skip a permit that's required.²³

Owners have their own exemption for work on their own property.⁹ In Salt Lake City an owner may pull permits for an owner-occupied primary residence by filing an Owner / Builder Certification; a rental or a commercial building needs a licensed contractor, because "rental property is considered commercial property" for permits.¹⁵ If you're hired to do the work, pull your own permit. Working under the owner's permit leaves the job permitted to someone who isn't doing it.

In Salt Lake City, permits and inspection requests go through the Citizen Access Portal or the city's inspections app. Work without a permit gets a red tag and can mean a double fee, a citation and a Certificate of Noncompliance recorded on the property. Emergency work gets its permit "as soon as it is practical to do so, generally the next day."¹⁵ Every other city and county runs its own portal, so look up the building department before your first job there. I found no Utah city electrical license; the state license works everywhere in the state.

One date for the file: on January 1, 2027 the whole contractor chapter gets new section numbers (58-55-501 becomes 58-55-601, 58-55-604 becomes 58-55-210, and the electrician sections move to part 3). The sections I checked carry the same rules under the new numbers.³¹

Rocky Mountain Power and the city-owned utilities

I found no contractor registration at Rocky Mountain Power. New service goes through its online Builder Service Request, which asks for the permit number and whether the "State/city electrical inspection" is complete, and RMP says it will "confirm your request within 24 hours via e-mail and provide you with a request number." The builder support line is 1-800-469-3981.¹⁷ Its builders and contractors page links the 2022 Electric Service Requirements manual, enforced for installations made after January 1, 2025.¹⁷ I couldn't open that manual, so I can't quote RMP's rules on cutting seals and pulling meters for a panel swap. Call the builder line before your first one and ask.

Two RMP rules I could read:

• Meter-mounted devices (a generator or solar meter collar, or a whole-house surge device in the socket) are allowed only if the device is on RMP's approved list, "the customer provides a permit from their authority having jurisdiction," there's one device per socket, the socket is rated 100 amps or more and isn't a banjo or ganged socket, and the customer pays RMP to pull and reset the meter with high-security rings.¹⁸
• Solar on net billing needs an Interconnection Agreement, with a $60 review fee for a Level 1 application since March 1, 2026. Inverter systems of 10 kW or less need no separate disconnect switch; bigger ones need a lockable load-break switch within 10 feet of the meter.¹⁹

City-owned utilities run their own process. In St. George, "Building Department will issue a connect order after final inspection. Electricians can call (435) 627-4800 to schedule an appointment for service installation and meter installation."²⁰ Logan City Light & Power wants a call "for the location of the service entrance before work commences," and on overhead services its building department "inspects the installation and notifies the Light Department when Power to Panel is ready."²¹ Murray City Power is the city's own utility, with about 18,000 customers.²² Ask each one before your first job in its area.

The wait is the cost nobody quotes. "I have 3 underground service I need a disconnect/reconnect scheduled and I'm going on 2 months now with nothing," one electrician wrote (r/electricians). File the utility request when the customer signs, and put the wait in the schedule you give them.

Can I take this job? A table for Utah E200 and E201 contractors

The verdicts assume an active E200 or E201 with a qualifying master, a house in Utah unless the row says otherwise, and the city's normal permit process. "Not yours" means the customer contracts directly with the other licensee, because your license can't subcontract work outside its scope.²

Your first 30 days: the checklist

This is the whole checklist. The printable version is the same list laid out to tick off, with blanks for the numbers.

A. Licenses, week 1

1. Look up the company's E200 or E201 and the qualifier's master license in DOPL's license search and write down both expiration dates. Contractor licenses expire November 30 of odd years (next: November 30, 2027).⁷
2. Renew every electrician's license, apprentices included, by November 30, 2026. Each needs 16 hours of continuing education for the two-year term: 8 on the National Electrical Code, 4 on NFPA 70E, 4 more core or professional. DOPL emails a notice 90 days before, and "Continuing to practice a profession after a license has expired is considered unlawful conduct and a criminal offense."^{6, 7} I found no rule that cuts the hours for a license issued partway through the term, so check what DOPL shows on your record and ask if it looks short.
3. Qualifier: an owner with at least 20% or a W-2 manager, paid for at least 12 hours a week, qualifying no more than three licensees. If they leave, written notice within 10 days and a new qualifier within 60.^{2, 5}
4. Work and advertise only under the name on the license; register any DBA and list it with DOPL.^{3, 23}
5. Report changes to the name, address, phone or email of the qualifier or owners within 10 days.²
6. Optional: opt in to DOPL's Construction Business Registry, "a free online database where you can opt in to share contact information to better connect with homeowners looking to hire."^{3, 29}

B. Insurance, workers' comp, registrations and apprentices

7. General liability: $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 in total, DOPL as certificate holder, covering all your electrical work, for the whole license period. Give proof within 30 days to DOPL, or to anyone with "a reasonable basis to make a claim on the licensee's insurance policy," when they ask.^{2, 3}
8. Workers' comp, or a Labor Commission waiver if nobody else works for you. Tell DOPL in writing before a new hire starts.^{3, 30}
9. Registrations: your entity with the Division of Corporations and an EIN; with employees, an unemployment insurance account with Workforce Services and a withholding account with the Tax Commission.^{3, 4}
10. Bond: none unless DOPL's financial review requires one.^{2, 10}
11. Apprentices: each holds a DOPL apprentice license naming a supervisor; two per supervisor on non-residential jobs, three on residential.^{4, 6}

C. The cities you'll work in

12. Salt Lake City: a business license if you do business inside city limits, "either permanently or temporarily," with an exception for home-based businesses of residents.¹⁶ Set up a Citizen Access Portal account for permits and inspections.¹⁵
13. Every other city or county: find its permit portal before the first job and ask what it wants from a state-licensed electrical contractor.

D. Utilities and liens

14. Rocky Mountain Power: save the builder support line (1-800-469-3981), bookmark the Builder Service Request, and ask how RMP wants panel swaps handled and who may pull the meter.¹⁷
15. St. George Energy Services: (435) 627-4800 to schedule service and meter installation after the connect order.²⁰ Logan City Light & Power: call for the service entrance location before work; inspections at (435) 716-9700.²¹ Murray City Power and other city utilities: ask their process.²²
16. Open a State Construction Registry account. A preliminary notice filed within 20 days of starting work keeps your lien rights; without one you can't claim a lien.²⁸

E. Quotes, contracts and jobs

17. Put the license number on every bid, contract and agreement: "The contractor's license number shall be made a part of all permit applications, contracts, agreements, or bids when a license is required."⁵ Nothing requires it on ads or trucks (only sign contractors have a vehicle rule), but customers and inspectors look you up.²³
18. Residential contracts carry the lien-protection notice; the wording is in the Utah contract template.
19. A permit line on every quote that needs one, and every permit pulled in your name.¹⁵
20. Save contacts for the work you can't contract for: a plumbing contractor with a certified gas technician, an alarm company, an S202 solar installer if you hold an E201.^{2, 9}
21. If you'll cut into pre-1978 walls, get the firm Utah lead-safe certified and a certified renovator on the crew.¹²
22. Every electrician can show their license or license number on request.⁶

F. Renewal and continuing education

23. Calendar every renewal with a 90-day reminder: electrician licenses (November 30, 2026), the contractor license (November 30, 2027), liability policy, workers' comp or waiver, city business licenses, lead certification.
24. Contractor continuing education: 6 hours per two-year term, at least 3 core, at least 3 live, at least 1 on energy conservation. Electrician CE from a provider the statute names (NECA's Intermountain Chapter, the Independent Electrical Contractors of Utah, the Intermountain Electrical Association) also counts toward the contractor hours if the provider reports it. Keep certificates for two years.^{2, 8}

What happens if you cross the line

Working without a license, beyond your scope or without a permit

• It's a crime. Working without the right license, working "beyond the scope of the license held," hiring unlicensed people for licensed work, pulling permits you shouldn't, skipping a required permit, letting your license be used by another, and breaking the apprentice rules are each a class A misdemeanor.^{23, 24} That's up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.²⁴
• Citations. DOPL can cite instead: up to $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second and $2,000 a day after that. You have 20 days to contest, and a citation is grounds for immediate suspension of your license.²⁴
• Bids. An unlicensed bidder "may not be awarded and may not accept a contract for the performance of the work."²⁴
• The city. In Salt Lake City, unpermitted work means a red tag, a possible double fee, a citation and a notice on the property's title.¹⁵
• The customer. Claiming a license you don't have is a deceptive act under the Consumer Sales Practices Act, and the customer can recover actual damages plus court costs.²⁷

Getting paid

Utah closes the courthouse door. A contractor can't sue "for collection of compensation" for licensed work "without alleging and proving that the licensed contractor ... was appropriately licensed when the contract sued upon was entered into, and when the alleged cause of action arose."²⁵ Courts apply it to subcontractors too. In A.K.&R. Whipple Plumbing and Heating v. Aspen Construction (Utah Court of Appeals, 1999), a subcontractor that did unlicensed HVAC work couldn't recover from the general contractor, and in George v. Oren (Utah Supreme Court, 1983) an unlicensed contractor lost his lien.²⁶ The exceptions are narrow: in Lignell v. Berg (1979) the contractor won because his license had lapsed "through inadvertence," the owners had worked with him before, and he had posted bonds.²⁶ The customer loses something too: a homeowner's protection from your suppliers' liens depends on a written contract with a licensed contractor, paid in full.²⁸ An expired master's license or work outside an E201's scope can cost you the invoice, not only a fine.

Insurance

I found no Utah rule on what unlicensed or unpermitted work does to your own policy. DOPL's rule does ask that your liability policy provide "coverage for the scope of work performed," which for an E200 or E201 is electrical work.² Ask your agent in writing whether a claim from work outside that scope, or from a job without a required permit, would be paid, and keep the reply.

Lending your license

"Allowing one's license to be used by another" is unlawful conduct and a class A misdemeanor.^{23, 24} A qualifier who is never there still signed an affidavit saying "it is my responsibility to make sure both myself and the contractor comply with all contractor laws and rules. Violation may result in civil, administrative, or criminal sanctions against me."³ One electrician put it bluntly: "You could end up behind bars because of someone else’s mistake made under work done in your name" (r/electricians).

More for new electrical contractors

• How much to charge per hour: service call, first hour and hourly rate, with a free rate sheet.
• Flat rate, per opening or hourly: how electricians price each kind of job, with a free price sheet.
• 200 amp service upgrade checklist: scope, permit, utility, inspection and price.
• Someone asked to use your master license: what being a company's qualifier pays, and what it can cost you.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build, and it doesn't know Utah's electrical rules. It won't pull a permit, file a Rocky Mountain Power request, or track license and CE dates. Two things it does help with here. The shop-wide terms text you set once is copied onto every quote and shows on the customer's quote page, and the invoice footer is copied onto every invoice, so your DOPL license number, the licensed name and the lien notice go on every bid without retyping. And you can build a checklist template once in Settings (say: permit pulled, RMP request filed, rough-in passed, final passed, meter set) and add it to each service upgrade quote; it stays internal, and every tick records who checked it and when. Files can be attached to the quote or job for the office and techs. Quotes can carry options, customers approve and sign on screen, and an optional card deposit is credited on the final invoice. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team; Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices (pricing).

Frequently asked questions

Is there a difference between an electrician and an electrical contractor in Utah?

Yes. The electrician licenses (apprentice, journeyman, master, residential journeyman and residential master) belong to people and say who may do the work with their hands. The E200 General Electrical and E201 Residential Electrical licenses belong to the business that sells electrical work to customers. A company needs both: the contractor license, plus a qualifier who holds a master license (a master or residential master for an E201). They renew on different dates: electrician licenses on November 30 of even years, contractor licenses on November 30 of odd years.

What is the difference between an E200 and an E201 license in Utah?

An E201 Residential Electrical contractor installs services, disconnects, grounding, panels, conductors, load centers, lighting and plug circuits, appliances and fixtures in a residential unit. An E200 General Electrical contractor does that and everything else electrical: generators, transformers, switchgear, commercial and industrial work, plus the S202 solar module scope. The E200's qualifier must be a master electrician; the E201's can be a residential master. Neither license has a dollar limit per job.

Does Utah require an electrical contractor license?

Yes, for anyone who sells electrical work. Utah's handyman exemption (projects under $7,000) doesn't cover it: on those projects, work on an electrical system must be done by a licensed electrical contractor, and a licensed journeyman may swap a component such as a device, outlet, switch or fixture. Working without the license you need is a class A misdemeanor, and DOPL can cite you up to $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second and $2,000 a day after that.

How do I renew a Utah electrical license?

Online with DOPL. Individual electrician licenses expire November 30 of even years, so the next deadline is November 30, 2026. Each needs 16 hours of continuing education per two-year term: at least 8 on the National Electrical Code and 4 on NFPA 70E, and the last 4 core or professional. DOPL emails a notice 90 days before. The E200 or E201 contractor license expires November 30 of odd years and needs 6 hours of contractor CE (3 of them live), an active liability insurance certificate and a renewed business entity. Electrician CE from an approved trade association also counts toward the contractor hours.

How do I look up a Utah electrical license?

Use DOPL's license verification search at secure.utah.gov/llv. Look up the company's E200 or E201 and each electrician's license, and write down the expiration dates. Customers and building departments use the same search to check you.

Does Utah have reciprocity for electrical licenses?

Utah calls it licensure by endorsement. The electricians rule lets DOPL issue a license by endorsement under the general licensing act, and DOPL's application pages have an endorsement route for each electrician license. For the contractor license, the application asks that the out-of-state license was held for at least a year, that at least 50% of the owners are the same, and that the qualifier is the same person. The classification rules can't be waived by endorsement, so an E200 still needs a qualifier with a Utah master electrician license.

What insurance does a Utah electrical contractor need?

General liability of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 in total, with DOPL named as certificate holder, covering all the work your license allows, in force for the whole license period. Add workers' compensation if you have employees or owner-workers with under 8% ownership; with nobody else working, a Workers' Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission. There is no license bond unless DOPL's financial review finds judgments, liens or a bankruptcy. The liability minimum was $100,000 per incident and $300,000 in total until March 29, 2026.

How many apprentices can a Utah electrician supervise?

Two licensed apprentices per licensed supervisor on a non-residential project, where the supervisor must be on the same jobsite, and three on a residential project, where the supervisor may be off site but available to direct and check the work. From the fourth year of training an apprentice may work alone for up to 8 hours in any 24. Every apprentice must hold a DOPL apprentice electrician license that names a supervisor. Going over the ratio or failing to supervise is unlawful conduct.

Who can pull an electrical permit in Utah?

The licensed contractor doing the work, with the contractor's license number on the application. A property owner may pull a permit for work on their own owner-occupied home. Rentals and commercial buildings need a licensed contractor. Pulling a permit for an unlicensed person, or for a job you aren't licensed to do, is unlawful. Permits and inspections come from the city or county building department, not from DOPL.

Sources

1. Utah Code 58-55-102 (current, effective October 1, 2026): (1) alarm business and alarm system, (8) apprentice electrician, (18) electrical trade and its exclusions (class 2 and 3 circuits; minor work within 10 feet, 120 volts and 20 amperes), (25) gas appliance, (27) general electrical contractor, (30) HVAC "including the gas line," (35) journeyman, (37) master, (40) plumbing trade including "delivery of gases," (44) residential electrical contractor, (45) and (47) residential journeyman and master, (50) residential project (250 volts line to line, 125 volts to ground), le.utah.gov; 58-55-301 as re-enacted effective January 1, 2027 (residential project without voltage figures), le.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
2. Utah Admin. Code R156-55a, Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act Rule, effective August 7, 2026: 102(8) (incidental work excludes electrical and plumbing), 301c (B100), 301d (E200 includes E201 and S202; no subcontracting outside scope), 301g (H100 excludes electrical work, may contract with E200 and E201; S350 holders deemed H100), 301i (E201), 301aj (S440 signs), 301ak (S202 solar), 301an (class 2 and 3 circuits, standalone solar and fire alarm installation need no contractor license), 302d (liability $1,000,000 and $2,000,000, DOPL as certificate holder, coverage for the scope of work, workers' comp or waiver, update DOPL immediately), 303b (6 hours of contractor CE; electrician CE counts if the provider is named in 58-55-302.5), 304 (qualifier paid for at least 12 hours a week, 20% owner or W-2 manager, no more than three licensees), 501 (notice within 10 days, insurance proof within 30 days, certifying an electrician's hours), 602 (bond amounts). adminrules.utah.gov. Earlier versions compared for the insurance minimum and the classification list: March 9, 2023 ($100,000 and $300,000), March 30, 2026 ($1,000,000 and $3,000,000), June 25, 2026 ($1,000,000 and $2,000,000), from the rule's version list. Read November 3, 2026.
3. Utah Division of Professional Licensing, "Contractor Application All Classifications," form version 20260930: general liability minimum and certificate holder; workers' comp certificate, unemployment insurance and withholding numbers, or a Labor Commission waiver with written notice before hiring; E200 and E201 qualifier licenses; "Owner of at least 20% OR W-2 Employee in Management Position"; qualifier affidavit; financial responsibility questions and bond note; endorsement terms; Construction Business Registry opt-in; fees of $50 per qualifier, $175 per classification and $1. commerce.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
4. Utah Code 58-55-302 (effective May 7, 2025): 25-hour and 5-hour courses, financial responsibility, master license for electrical contractors (master or residential master for residential), proof of workers' comp, liability insurance and registrations with the Division of Corporations, Workforce Services, the Tax Commission and the IRS, experience routes for each electrician license, apprentice supervision, fourth-year apprentices alone up to eight hours in 24, three apprentices on a residential project, le.utah.gov; 58-55-303 as re-enacted effective January 1, 2027, le.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
5. Utah Code 58-55-304: license number on permit applications, contracts, agreements and bids; qualifier as owner, officer or manager with material authority; five-year rule for electrical companies; notice within 10 days when a qualifier leaves, 60 days to replace. le.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
6. Utah Admin. Code R156-55b, Electricians Licensing Act Rule, effective August 1, 2025: 102(2) electrical work, 102(3) immediate supervision on non-residential and residential work, 102(4) minor work incidental to a mechanical installation (10 feet; no disconnect or outlet), 102(8) unskilled labor, 302a hours, 302b exams (masters take the law and rule exam), 304 (16 hours; 8 NEC and 4 NFPA 70E), 401 (two apprentices per supervisor non-residential, three residential), 501 (license number on request). adminrules.utah.gov; compared with the version in force January 9, 2020 to July 31, 2025, adminrules.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
7. Utah Division of Professional Licensing, "Renew an Electrical License" ("Electrical license renewals are due November 30th of even years"; 16 hours of CE; notice 90 days before; practicing on an expired license is unlawful conduct and a criminal offense), commerce.utah.gov; "Renew a Contracting License" ("Contracting licenses expire on November 30th of odd years"; 6 CE hours, 3 live; renewed business entity; active insurance certificate), commerce.utah.gov; license verification search, secure.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
8. Utah Code 58-55-302.5 (effective May 6, 2026: six hours of contractor CE; approved providers including the National Electrical Contractors Association Intermountain Chapter, the Independent Electrical Contractors of Utah and the Intermountain Electrical Association), le.utah.gov; 58-55-302.7 (16 hours for licensed electricians), le.utah.gov; 58-55-303 (two-year cycle; licenses expire automatically), le.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
9. Utah Code 58-55-305 (exemptions: (1)(h) projects under $7,000 and the electrical, alarm and HVAC carve-outs; (1)(j) owners working on their own property; (1)(n) minor electrical work for hot tubs and signs), le.utah.gov; 58-55-308(2) (gas appliance training and certification), le.utah.gov; R156-55a-308b (certification covers gas piping to a gas appliance), adminrules.utah.gov; R156-55c-102(2) (the minor plumbing exemption excludes installing or replacing a water heater), adminrules.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
10. Utah Code 58-55-306, financial responsibility (questionnaire or bond; random audit). le.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
11. Utah State Fire Marshal's Office, "Fire Alarm Systems" (Fire Alarm Inspecting and Testing Certification: Basic Fire Alarm Technician, Fire Alarm Technician, Master Fire Alarm Technician; rule R710-11). firemarshal.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
12. EPA, "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (Utah runs its own program), epa.gov; Utah Department of Environmental Quality, "Lead-Based Paint Program," deq.utah.gov; Utah Admin. Code R307-840-2 (minor repair: 6 square feet per room inside, 20 outside), law.cornell.edu; R307-841-3 and R307-841-7 (renovations for pay in pre-1978 housing; firm certification), law.cornell.edu. Read November 3, 2026.
13. Utah Code 15A-2-103 (effective July 1, 2026): "the 2023 edition of the National Electrical Code" and "the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code," le.utah.gov; H.B. 65, Construction Code Amendments, 2026 General Session, le.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
14. International Residential Code 2021, R105.1 (permit required for electrical systems) and R105.2 (electrical work exempt from permit, items 1 to 5). codes.iccsafe.org, read November 3, 2026.
15. Salt Lake City Building Services, "FAQ's" (contractor obtains the permit and inspections "according to state law"; owner-occupied primary residence with an Owner / Builder Certification; rentals and commercial need a licensed contractor; red tag, double fee, citation, Certificate of Non-Compliance; emergency permits; Citizen Access Portal and inspections app). slc.gov, read November 3, 2026.
16. Salt Lake City, "Business Licensing" ("If you engage in any business ... within the corporate limits of Salt Lake City, you are required to maintain a valid, unexpired business license," permanently or temporarily) and "Application Process" (home-based exception for residents). slc.gov, slc.gov, read November 3, 2026.
17. Rocky Mountain Power, "Builders and contractors" (builder support line 1-800-469-3981), rockymountainpower.net; "Builder Service Request Form" (permit number; "State/city electrical inspection complete"; confirmation within 24 hours with a request number), csapps.rockymountainpower.net; "Electric service requirements" (2022 manual, Rev 1, enforced for installations after January 1, 2025), rockymountainpower.net. Read November 3, 2026. The manual itself would not open for me.
18. PacifiCorp, "Meter-Mounted Device Policy, All States," Policy 411, Rev. 0, February 1, 2022. rockymountainpower.net, read November 3, 2026.
19. Rocky Mountain Power, Utah Electric Service Schedule 137, Net Billing Service (Interconnection Agreement; Level 1 review fee $60 effective March 1, 2026; disconnect switch rules). rockymountainpower.net, read November 3, 2026.
20. City of St. George, Energy Services, "Frequent Questions" (connect order after final inspection; electricians call (435) 627-4800). sgcityutah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
21. Logan City Light & Power, "Specs and Fees" (service entrance location before work; building department inspects and notifies the Light Department; inspections (435) 716-9700). loganutah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
22. Murray City, "Power" (municipal electric utility since 1913, about 18,000 customers). murray.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
23. Utah Code 58-55-501, unlawful conduct: (1) unlicensed, (2) beyond scope, (3) hiring unlicensed persons, (4) and (6) permits, (7) no permit, (8) unlicensed bids, (10) letting a license be used by another, (11) a name other than the one on the license, (12) apprentice supervision and ratio, (25) sign contractors' vehicles. le.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
24. Utah Code 58-55-503 (class A misdemeanor; unlicensed bidders; immediate suspension on a citation; fines up to $1,000, $2,000 and $2,000 a day; 20 days to contest), le.utah.gov; Utah Code 76-3-204(1)(a) (class A misdemeanor, up to 364 days), le.utah.gov; 76-3-301(1)(c) (fine up to $2,500), le.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
25. Utah Code 58-55-604, proof of licensure to maintain or commence action (58-55-210 from January 1, 2027). le.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
26. Utah State Courts, small claims judges' training, "Contracts, Contractors & Small Claims Issues" (Randy B. Birch, February 23, 2018), summarizing A.K.&R. Whipple Plumbing and Heating v. Aspen Construction, 977 P.2d 518 (Utah Ct. App. 1999); George v. Oren Ltd. & Associates, 672 P.2d 732 (Utah 1983); Lignell v. Berg, 593 P.2d 800 (Utah 1979). utcourts.gov, read November 3, 2026.
27. Utah Code 13-11-4(2)(i) (claiming a license the supplier doesn't have), le.utah.gov; 13-11-19(2) (actual damages plus court costs), le.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
28. Utah Code 38-1a-501 (preliminary notice within 20 days of starting work, or no lien), le.utah.gov; 38-11-204(4) (owner protection needs a written contract with a licensed or exempt contractor, paid in full), le.utah.gov. Read November 3, 2026.
29. Utah Code 58-55-702, Construction Business Registry. le.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
30. Utah Labor Commission, "Workers' Compensation Coverage Waivers." laborcommission.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.
31. Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 55 as repealed and re-enacted by Chapter 42, 2026 General Session, effective January 1, 2027 (chapter and part indexes; sections 58-55-210, 58-55-301, 58-55-303, 58-55-304, 58-55-601). le.utah.gov, read November 3, 2026.