State guide
The NASCLA Route to a Kentucky Electrical License
Updated September 2026
Kentucky is one of the 17 licensing boards in the NASCLA electrical program that recognize the Master/Unlimited exam - the same standardized 100-question, open-book test everywhere it is used.
Here is exactly what the NASCLA electrical exam covers with the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, what Kentucky still asks of you on top of it, and the details that trip people up.
What the NASCLA exam covers in Kentucky
Master Electrician licensure and the electrical contractor path.
What Kentucky still requires
Passing the trade exam is necessary, not sufficient. You still need 16,000 verifiable hours in the electrical trade (with listed substitutions), and for the contractor license a Business and Law exam plus liability insurance and workers' comp certificates naming HBC.
Watch-outs and fine print
Kentucky accepts NASCLA exam scores only within 3 years of the exam date.
The 3-year score window is real and verified - if you passed the NASCLA electrical exam more than three years ago, Kentucky will not take the transcript.
Kentucky requires a 70 percent exam score by regulation, slightly below the NASCLA exam's own 75-of-100 bar - passing the NASCLA exam clears both.
Always confirm with the board
Licensing rules change and boards update their bulletins without notice. Before you schedule anything, confirm the current requirements at dhbc.ky.gov - it takes ten minutes and prevents expensive surprises.
Official source for current requirements: dhbc.ky.gov
Testing for Kentucky? Train for the real thing.
WiremanPrep is built for this exact exam - 153 exam-weighted practice questions with Code-section citations, a true 1:1 simulator (100 questions on the real 4.5-hour clock at the real subject weights), timed practice at true exam pace, and an AI tutor on every question. Start with 10 free questions, no signup.
Already passed? Here is what Kentucky needs next.
The $45 transcript, master license versus electrical contractor license, forming the company, the EIN, the business and law exam, the bond, insurance, and the application itself - ten steps, in order, with the official route and the real cost on each.
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