License classes, fees, the exam and application, renewal and verification, from the NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors website (read 2026-10-24), plus what an electrical contractor brings to a funding request.
Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited: North Carolina License Classes and Project Caps
The NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors lists ten license classifications (ncbeec.org Licensing page, read 2026-10-24):
- Limited (L), $100 a year: a single project valued at no more than $60,000, with equipment or installation rated at not more than 600 volts.
- Intermediate (I), $150 a year: a single project valued at no more than $150,000.
- Unlimited (U), $200 a year: any project regardless of value.
- Seven Special Restricted classes at $100 a year, each limited to one phase of work: residential dwelling, fire alarm/low-voltage, plumbing-heating-air conditioning, swimming pool, groundwater pump, electric sign and elevator.
A statement of bonding ability is required to activate Intermediate and Unlimited licenses. Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors had 54 employer establishments in Catawba County, NC in 2023, with 490 paid employees; 31 of them had fewer than five employees (County Business Patterns 2023).
NC Electrical Contractor License Application Before Bidding Larger Jobs
The path runs exam first, license second. Applicants read the Examination Information Handbook, choose a classification, and send the Application for Examination with the $125 examination fee. After approval, the Board's Notice of Approval sets a 90-day window to schedule and take the exam with PSI. Exams are computer based and open book; a score of 70 passes (ncbeec.org Examinations page, read 2026-10-24).
After passing, the applicant files a New License Application for the classification with the license fee, listing themselves as the Qualified Individual. A firm that plans to bid jobs above the Limited cap needs an Intermediate or Unlimited license before it bids, and the bonding ability statement with it. A failed exam can be retaken in the same class after 90 days.
Study materials named by the Board include the North Carolina licensing law (G.S. 87-4 and Title 21, Chapter 18B), the 2020 National Electrical Code, the 2013 edition of NFPA 72 and the NASCLA business and law guide for North Carolina electrical contractors. Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited exams have 100 multiple-choice questions. The Board's handbook sets out the experience required for each class.
NC Electrical Contractor License Lookup: How a Lender Confirms Your License
Funding partners lending to an electrical contractor commonly confirm the license is active, in the firm's name and in a class that matches the work in the request. The Board's Active Licensee Database, a public search at arls-public.ncbeec.org, shows license status; the Board also issues license verifications for a $25 fee.
License names must be distinguishable from existing licensees, and a name change on the license requires a reissuance, which changes the expiration date. If the business has incorporated or formed an LLC, the Board asks for the Secretary of State filing. Keeping the license name aligned with the bank account and tax returns avoids questions in a funding review.
NC Electrical Contractor License Renewal and Continuing Funding Reviews
Licenses expire one year after issuance. The Board sends renewal notices about 60 days before expiration, by email if one is on file, and charges a $25 late fee on renewals received after the expiration date. Online renewals require the licensee to print their own certificate. The Board asks that address and contact changes be filed with it inside a 30-day period.
A lapsed license can stall a funding review, since a partner may ask to see it current before funding equipment or a line. A firm with an annual review on a line of credit can align the two dates so both are current at the same time.
What an Electrical Contractor Brings to a Funding Request Besides the License
Beyond the license, a partner reading an electrical contractor's request looks at the backlog of signed contracts, receivables by general contractor and age, retainage, the equipment list, and the firm's bank statements and tax returns. Trucks, lifts, trenchers and wire-pulling equipment are common equipment financing purchases; materials for a large job fit working capital.
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors had 56 employer establishments in the county and electrical contractors 54 (CBP 2023), and many work as subcontractors on plant and warehouse jobs. The construction page covers draws and retainage. Related: the Hickory, NC page, the six funding types and all guides.
By Bluepeak Lending Group · Updated
