Delaware Contractor Licenses

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State Licenses

Contact Information

Online Services – You can find everything about professional licensing here at https://www.delaware.gov
Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: (302) 744-4500
Fax:(302) 739-2711
Complaints – Click HERE to file a complaint. The tile is on the home page. Complaints go directly to DPR’s Investigative Unit
Media Inquiries – Please fill out the Media Inquiries form to request information from DBPR.
Mailing Address: Division of Professional Regulation
Cannon Building, Suite 203
861 Silver Lake Blvd.
Dover, Delaware 19904
For state government mail code is SLC Code D420A

Requirements for an HVACR Conditioning License

• In addition to submitting the application and fee in DELPROS, you must submit:
  • State/Jurisdiction Licensure Verification sent directly to the Board office from each state or jurisdiction in which you currently hold or have ever held a license.
  • The jurisdiction may be a state, U.S. territory, District of Columbia or any other governmental jurisdiction such as a city or county. In the state of Pennsylvania, HVACR licenses are not issued by a state board. If the only current license you hold was issued by a Pennsylvania municipality or other jurisdiction, you must apply by examination.
  • If a license was for an HVACR business that covered all its employees, instead of your own license as an individual, it is not necessary to obtain a license verification for that business.
    • A copy of your CFC Certification card if you are applying for a Master HVACR, Master HVACR Restricted-Refrigeration, Master HVACR Restricted-Air Conditioning.
    • Proof of your work experience for periods of employment that are required (under Exam and Reciprocity sections below). Arrange for your supervisor(s) to complete the Verification of Employment form.
• If you cannot obtain the required Verification of Employment form from the supervisor, you may substitute tax form W-2 or an affidavit of the employer or officer of the employing company. You must also enclose a statement explaining why you cannot obtain the Verification of Employment form from the supervisor.
• To prove your work experience for periods of self-employment, you may submit tax form Schedule C.
• Acceptance of proof of experience is at the Board’s discretion.

How to Apply for a License?

All applications are submitted through DELPROS. Delaware no longer accepts paper applications.

• In order to apply for a license or submit a service request, you must first have a DELPROS user account. To LOG IN or CREATE a DELPROS (Delaware Professional Regulation Online Services) user account:
  • Go to: https://delpros.delaware.gov/OH_HomePage.
  • Click GO on the Apply/Manage a License and Service Requests tile.
  • If you do not have a DELPROS user account, click the REGISTER button on the left side of page for NEW USERS.
  • If you already have a DELPROS user account, enter your email address and password on the right side for EXISTING USERS and click the LOGIN button.
  • DELPROS allows you to save your incomplete application and return to it later to finish the process. You only have six (6) months to submit your application once you begin.
    • If you do not submit your application within six months of starting it, you will be required to restart the entire online application again.
    • You may check the status of your application online throughout the entire application process by using the “View Application Status” feature in DELPROS on your e-License dashboard.

Examination Applicants

The following requirements apply to applications by examination. The documents that you must submit is determined by whether or not you have a “Journeyman Certificate”. The acceptable “Journeyman Certificate” is one that is issued by a federally-approved HVACR apprenticeship program such as the Delaware Department of Labor.

• If you have a journeyman certificate, you must submit:
  • Copy of your apprenticeship program Certificate of Completion.
  • Proof of at least two years of works experience under the supervision of a master licensee after receiving a Certificate.
• If you do not have a journeyman certificate, you must submit:
  • Proof of at least seven years of works experience under the supervision of a master licensee.
  • The Board will review your experience and if approved, you will be notified that you may take the Apprenticeship By-Pass Exam, offered by Delaware apprenticeship schools. After you receive approval notification, you may call one of the following schools to schedule your test date:
    • Castle County – New Castle County VoTech (302) 683-3643
    • Kent County – PolyTech H.S. (302) 697-4545
    • Sussex County – Sussex Tech, Georgetown (302) 856-9035
  • Arrange for the Board to receive the exam results after you pass the exam with at least 70%.

When the Board approves you to sit for the Master exam, the Board office will send you a candidate information packet. For more information about the Master's exam, see Examinations.

Reciprocity Applicants

The following requirements apply to applications by reciprocity.

If none of the jurisdictions where you hold a current license has licensure standards that are “substantially similar” to those of Delaware, proof of experience is required. The table below shows whether to submit proof of experience.

Applying to take your Master Exam

The Board of Plumbing and HVACR Examiners must approve you to sit for the master examination. See either Plumbing Licensure or HVACR Licensure for additional requirements for licensure by exam.

• To apply to take the required exam(s), you must first create a DELPROS user account. Go to the DELPROS online portal, and then click on Apply/Manage a License and Service Requests. If you:
  • are already an existing user, log in with your email address and password under the existing user section.
  • have not yet created a DELPROS user account, click on REGISTER.

After creating your user account or logging into the DELPROS online portal, you may begin your application for licensure to take the required exam(s).

When the Board has reviewed and approved your application, you will receive an email notification stating you have been approved to sit for the exam with your candidate information and registration form.

Registering for the Exam

Complete and submit the registration form and examination fee to ProV©, the testing service.

• Exams are offered in the following Delaware cities. Contact ProV© for the specific locations and times please click here

Re-Taking your exam

Registration Approval forms are good for 6 months. You may re-take the examination two additional times at the next regularly scheduled administrations, without further Board approval. If you fail the exam and wish to re-take it and your form has expired, go to DELPROS and log in to your e-License Dashboard. Click on Service Request in the top navigation bar, then click APPLY FOR A NEW SERVICE REQUEST and select the Request for Re-Examination service request type option.

• If you fail to earn a passing score after taking the exam a total of three times, you must wait a year from the date you last took the exam and reapply in DELPROS to request approval from the Board for permission to re-take the exam. For more information, see either the Plumbing or HVACR licensure requirements section of the Board’s Rules and Regulations.
• After review and approval of your request, you will receive an email notification for approval to re-take the exam.

For more information, see either the Plumbing or HVACR licensure requirements section of the Board’s Rules and Regulations.

After review and approval of your request, you will receive an email notification for approval to re-take the exam.

Passing the Exam for the Plumbing or HVACR License

• You must obtain a minimum score of 70% to pass the exam. After you pass the exam, allow up to two weeks for the Board office to receive your official examination score. When the Board office receives your passing score and validates that you have met all Plumbing Licensure or HVACR Licensure, your license will be issued.
• You will receive an email notification stating your license has been issued including any additional details about license renewal and/or continuing education requirements.

Forms for Licensure

Click here for the Verification of Employment application

• Applicant: Send this form to each employer listed on the application. You may duplicate the form as needed.
• Applicant Information – to be completed by the applicant

More information can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Information

Online Services – You can find everything about professional licensing here at https://www.delaware.gov
Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: (302) 744-4500
Fax:(302) 739-2711
Complaints – Click HERE to file a complaint. The tile is on the home page. Complaints go directly to DPR’s Investigative Unit
Media Inquiries – Please fill out the Media Inquiries form to request information from DBPR.
Mailing Address: Division of Professional Regulation
Cannon Building, Suite 203
861 Silver Lake Blvd.
Dover, Delaware 19904
For state government mail code is SLC Code D420A

Requirements for an Apprentice license

• In addition to submitting the application and fee in DELPROS, you must submit:
  • State/Jurisdiction Licensure Verification sent directly to the Board office from each state or jurisdiction in which you currently hold or have ever held a license.
  • A copy of or links to the law and rules and regulations from each state, U.S. territory or the District of Columbia where you hold a current residential electrician license.
    • You do not need to provide licensure law and regulations from jurisdictions that are not states, U.S. territories or the District of Columbia (e.g., cities or counties).
  • A Verification of Employment form(s) showing proof of your 4,000 hours full-time experience under the supervision of a licensed master electrician, limited electrician, or have been individually licensed.
  • • If you cannot obtain a Verification of Employment form for one or more periods of employment (e.g., your former employer has gone out of business), you may substitute tax form W-2s for those periods. However, you must include a letter explaining why you cannot obtain the form and a detailed outline of your experience.
  • A certificate of completion of apprenticeship from a state-approved, bona fide, registered apprenticeship program such as a program approved by the Department of Labor or a Board-approved program if you completed a Residential Apprentice program.

  Journeyperson Electrician

  Types of electrician licensure include Master, Master Special, Limited, Limited Special, Journeyperson, Residential, and Apprentice (24 Del. C. 1408 (a)).

  A Journeyperson Electrician license allows you to perform electrical services under supervision while you gain more experience and master the skills that you will need to pass the examinations for Master, Limited, Master Special or Limited Special Electrician licensure.

  Application Types for your Journeyman Electrician License

  There are several ways that you can apply for your Journeyman Electrician license. The way you apply determines what documentation you are required to submit with your application. The information below should help you determine which way to apply in DELPROS, our online portal, and what documents to submit. DELPROS asks you to answer a few questions in order to determine your pathway to licensure and then it leads you to the correct online application based on your answers. The choices of ways to apply are examination, reciprocity, or certification.

  • Apply for licensure by certificate if you hold a certificate of completion issued by the Department of Labor or approved apprentice program in Delaware or other states, a U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. If you qualify for licensure by certificate, you do not have to pass a journeyperson examination.
  • Apply by examination if you:
    • do not hold a current journeyperson license issued by another state, U.S. territory, or District of Columbia, AND
    • do not have a certificate of completion issued by a Department of Labor or approved apprentice program in another state, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
  • If you apply by examination, you must pass the journeyperson examination.
    • Apply by Reciprocity if you:
      • hold a current journeyperson license issued by another state, U.S. territory or District of Columbia.
      • Note: In Pennsylvania, electrical licenses are not issued by a state board. If the only current license(s) you hold was issued by a Pennsylvania municipality or other jurisdiction, you must apply by examination.
      • The Board will determine whether the licensure requirements in any jurisdiction where you hold a current license are substantially similar to those of Delaware. To make this determination, the Board reviews and compares the law and regulations of the other jurisdiction(s) to Delaware’s law and regulations.
      • If at least one jurisdiction where you hold a current license has substantially similar licensure requirements to Delaware, you qualify for a reciprocity and you do not need to have five years of full-time experience.
      • If none of the jurisdictions where you hold a current license has substantially similar licensure requirements to Delaware, and if you have five years of full-time, supervised experience, you qualify for reciprocity and do not have to pass an exam.
      • If none of the jurisdictions where you hold a current license has substantially similar licensure requirements to Delaware, and if you do not have five years full-time, supervised experience, you do not qualify for reciprocity and must pass the journeyperson exam.

Note: The determination of substantial equivalence may change based, for example, on changes in the other jurisdiction’s law.

Residential Electrician

• A Residential Electrician allows you to conduct residential electrical work without having to be under the direct onsite supervision of a licensed master electrician, master electrician special, limited electrician, limited electrician special or journeyperson electrician. Residential Electricians are only allowed to perform electric work:
  • on or within a residential dwelling or building prior to the dwelling or building being connected to the electric grid.
  • to or beyond the breaker panel or fuse box in a residential dwelling or building. For more information see (24 Del. C. §1422A.)
  • To be licensed as a Residential Electrician in Delaware, you must:
    • have over 4000 hours of full-time experience or have completed a residential apprentice program approved by the board AND
    • pass the residential examination.

Even if you hold a current residential license issued in any jurisdiction (State, U.S. territory, District of Columbia) or a certificate of completion issued by the Department of Labor or approved apprentice program in Delaware or any jurisdiction, you must pass the Residential Electrical Examination to be licensed in Delaware. When the Board approves your application, the Board office sends you the examination registration form and instructions. For more information, see Exam Information.

Types of Licenses (Electrical)

Types of electrician licensure in Delaware include Master, Master Special, Limited, Limited Special, Journeyperson, Residential and Apprentice (24 Del. C. 1408 (a)).

If you have completed all education and experience requirements of an approved apprenticeship program and received your certificate of completion, you may apply for either a Residential, Journeyperson, or other types of Electrician license. Journeyperson Electrician licensure allows you to perform electrical services under supervision while you obtain more experience and master the skills that you will need to pass the examination for the other types of Electrician licensure.

• If you do not qualify as a Master Electrician but have knowledge in an area(s) of specialty, you may apply for a Master Electrician Special license in one of these specialty areas:
  • Electric Signs
  • Elevators
  • HVAC
  • Primary Distribution Systems
  • Pools
  • Refrigeration
  • If you do not qualify as a Limited Electrician but have knowledge in an area(s) of specialty, you may apply for a Limited Electrician Special license in one of these specialty areas:
    • HVAC
    • Pools

    If you have more than one specialty area, you must submit a separate application for each area in DELPROS, our online portal.

    Reciprocity Process

    You may apply for a Master/Limited Electrician license by Exam or by Reciprocity. The way you apply determines what documentation you are required to submit with your application. The information below should help you determine which way to apply in DELPROS, our online portal, and what documents to submit. DELPROS asks you to answer a few questions in order to determine your pathway to licensure and then it leads you to the correct online application based on your answers. The choices of ways to apply are: examination and reciprocity.

    • Apply by examination if you do not hold a current electrical license of the same type for which you are now applying that was issued by another state, U.S. territory or District of Columbia.
    • Apply by reciprocity if you hold a current license of the same type for which you are now applying that was issued by another state, U.S. territory, or District of Columbia.

    Note: In the state of Pennsylvania, electrical licenses are not issued by a state board. If the only current license(s) you hold was issued by a Pennsylvania municipality or other jurisdiction, you must apply by examination.

    Note: All Electrical examinations are based on the most up-to-date National Electrical Code (NEC).

    After Passing the Electrical Exam

    • You must obtain a minimum score of 75% to pass the exam. If you have not already done so, submit proof of liability insurance of at least $300,000 to the Board office (proof of insurance only applies to Master and Limited Electrician).
    • Allow up to two weeks for the Board office to receive your official examination score. Once the Board office receives your passing score and validates that you have met all requirements for licensure, your license will be issued.
    • You will receive an email notification stating your license has been issued including any additional details about license renewal and/or continuing education requirements.

    Information About Renewals for All Licenses

    For information on license renewals please click here

    Electrical Candidate Bulletin

    More information can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions