How to verify a Maryland electrician license.

Hiring a licensed electrician protects you in ways that only show up later: at the inspection, when you sell the house, or if something goes wrong. In Maryland, “licensed” has two layers, a state license and a local license or registration in the jurisdiction where the work happens. This guide shows how to check both. If you're hiring in our area, our service areas in Harford County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City page has the local details for each jurisdiction.

Layer one: the state license

The Maryland State Board of Electricians, part of the Maryland Department of Labor, licenses electricians. Some state pages still use the board's older name, the State Board of Master Electricians. The board's page says electrical work must be done by a licensed master, journeyperson or apprentice electrician.

To get a master license, Maryland OneStop lists a certificate of insurance showing $300,000 in general liability and $100,000 in property damage coverage. Renewal requires 10 hours of continuing education.

How to check a state license

1. Ask the electrician for the full name on the license and the license number. Any licensed electrician can give you both.
2. Go to the Maryland Electricians License Search, linked from the State Board of Electricians page and listed at the bottom of this guide.
3. Search by name or number, and check that the license type matches what you were told.
4. Check that the license is current, not expired.
5. Make sure the name matches the person or company you're hiring.

Layer two: the county or city credential

Maryland OneStop notes that in many counties, the state master electrician license is a prerequisite for the county electrical license. The local credential is what lets an electrician pull permits where your house is. In the three jurisdictions we cover:

Ask which local license or registration the electrician holds for your jurisdiction. If you want to confirm it, call the permit office for your county or the city. Our guide to electrical permits in Harford County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City covers where each office is and how permits work.

Why the permit is the real proof

A permit means a licensed, locally registered electrician took responsibility for the job and an inspector will check it. Baltimore County's inspections office notes a $1,000 civil penalty for unpermitted work. Unpermitted work can also surface when you sell, when an insurer asks, or when the next electrician opens the panel. Ask for the permit number, and don't close out the job until it has passed inspection.

Questions to ask before you hire

1. What is the name and number on your Maryland license, and what type is it?
2. Are you licensed or registered to pull permits in my county, or in Baltimore City?
3. Will you pull the permit for this job, and when will it be inspected?
4. Can you send a current certificate of insurance?
5. Who will actually do the work, and what license do they hold?
6. Can I have the price and scope in writing before anything starts?

A good electrician answers these without hesitation. If the answers are vague, or the paperwork never arrives, that tells you something too.

Keep the answers with your project paperwork: the license and registration numbers, the permit number and the inspection result. If you sell the house, or need work done later, that record shows the job was done by licensed people and signed off.

Red flags

• “You don't need a permit for this” on a panel, service, new circuit or generator job
• Asking you, the homeowner, to pull the permit for work they're doing
• A license number that doesn't match the name, or no number at all
• A large cash deposit before anything is scheduled or permitted
• No written price or scope before work starts

Insurance

Ask for a certificate of insurance and check the policy dates. A master electrician must show proof of insurance to get a state license, but coverage can lapse, so the certificate should be current for your job. Builders and general contractors usually ask for more; see our prequalification information for builders.

Licensing also matters for rebates

If you're claiming the Maryland Energy Administration's EV charger rebate with installation costs included, the charger has to be installed by a Maryland-licensed professional electrical contractor. See our Maryland EV charger rebate guide.

Checking us

Wyatt Electric has 4 Master Electricians on staff and has worked in Harford County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City since 1986. Ask us for our state license and local registration numbers, and look them up before we start. We pull the permit on every job that needs one, and we stay with it until it passes inspection. If your project is in Harford, see our Harford County page; for Baltimore, see Baltimore County or Baltimore City.