Most homeowners assume “licensed electrician” means one thing. In the Capital Region it means four different things, and in one of our biggest service towns it does not mean anything at all.
New York State does not issue electrician licenses. There is no statewide license, which is also why New York holds no license reciprocity with other states. Every rule about who may touch your wiring is written by your city or town, and those rules change when you cross a line on a map.
Here is what each of them actually requires. We work in all four.
The short version
| Jurisdiction | License required? | To qualify | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Albany | Yes, master electrician (§ 171-33) | 7 years under a licensed master, or a power-engineering degree plus 3 supervised. Unlawful to employ an unlicensed person for permit work (§ 171-50D). | Liability insurance, plus workers’ comp, unemployment and disability, proven at issuance and every renewal (§ 171-43B). |
| City of Schenectady | Yes, electrical contractor (§ 138-79) | Must be a master electrician, or have one holding a financial interest in the business. All staff supervised by a master. Six contact hours of code enforcement units. | Liability insurance, with the City named as coinsured (§ 138-79E). |
| City of Troy | Yes, two classes | Master: about 6 years, exam at 75% or better, Board of Electrical Examiners approval, 6 hours continuing education. Class B: for contractors already licensed in another municipality. | Workers’ comp and disability via Form C-105.2, or exemption via CE-200. |
| Town of Colonie | No town license (Ch. 85) | Approval from a Town Board-approved electrical inspection agency before work begins (§ 85-4A), inspection on completion (§ 85-4B), no connection before a certificate of compliance (§ 85-6B). Homeowners may do their own work under § 85-9C. | Set by the inspection agency, not the town. |
City of Albany: a master electrician’s license, or the job is illegal
No person shall contract to or conduct a business to perform any electrical work in the City of Albany for which a permit is required unless that person shall hold a valid master electrician’s license.
Earning it takes seven years under another licensed master electrician, or a bachelor’s degree in electrical power engineering plus three years supervised. The city also requires proof of workers’ compensation, unemployment and disability coverage, plus liability insurance, submitted at issuance and again at every renewal (§ 171-43B).
Albany goes one step further than most: § 171-50D makes it unlawful to employ anyone unlicensed to do permit work. The company holding the license cannot send an unlicensed person to do the job.
City of Schenectady: the city goes on your insurance certificate
Schenectady licenses electrical contractors through a board (§ 138-79). The applicant must be a master electrician, or have one holding a financial interest in the business, and every person on staff has to be a master, journeyman, residential wireman or apprentice working under a master’s supervision. Individual electricians are covered separately in Article XV.
The detail worth knowing is the insurance. The city requires licensed electrical contractors to carry liability insurance and to name the City as coinsured. That puts the city itself on the certificate.
City of Troy: two classes, and one of them is a visitor’s pass
Troy issues a Master Electrician license requiring roughly six years of documented experience, a 75% or better exam score, Board of Electrical Examiners approval, and six hours of continuing education a year. The renewal application mails in early October and has to be postmarked by December 15.
It also issues a Class B license for contractors already licensed in another municipality. It is how a licensed contractor from a neighboring city works legally in Troy without sitting the exam again. The full rules are in Chapter 148 of the Troy City Code. We are licensed in Troy.
Town of Colonie: no license exists
This is the one that surprises people, and it is one of our busiest service areas.
Colonie’s Chapter 85 does not create an electrician’s license. Instead it requires that before work begins, application is made to and approval obtained from an electrical inspection agency approved by the Town Board (§ 85-4A). On completion, that agency inspects (§ 85-4B). Nothing gets energized before it issues a certificate of compliance (§ 85-6B).
The town maintains a list of approved electrical inspectors. And under § 85-9C, a homeowner may do electrical work on their own residence, provided they get the certificate of compliance and comply with the National Electrical Code as New York adopts it.
What that means for you. In Colonie there is no license number to look up. The inspection is the only outside check on the work, which makes the question “who is inspecting this, and when” far more important than it is one town over.
So what do you actually ask?
- Which municipality is my house in? Check the town, not the mailing address. A 12205 ZIP writes as Albany and is often Colonie.
- Are you licensed there, and what is the number? Then call that building department and confirm it yourself.
- Does this job need a permit, and who is pulling it?
- If I am in Colonie, which approved inspection agency are you using?
- Can your carrier send me a certificate of insurance directly?
Where we stand
We hold licenses in the municipalities we work in, we pull permits on anything that needs one, and every technician on our residential team is background checked and drug tested. Our pricing is quoted before we start, and it is guaranteed.
If you want the longer version of how to vet any electrician, including us, start here.
Last verified: 31 August 2026, against the published municipal codes linked above. Fees, renewal dates and insurance requirements change. Confirm with the municipality before relying on anything above.