Checked against primary sources 2026-09-05
What renewal depends on
NC Electrical Continuing Education: Hours and Classes
Continuing education here follows the person, not the company. Every listed qualified individual has to complete the hours for each annual license period before the license renews, and at least half of those hours have to be taken in person.
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On this page
Who owes the hours
The Board's continuing education page puts the duty on every listed qualified individual, including listed qualified individuals under G.S. 87-50, and ties it to renewal: the hours have to be completed for each annual license period in order to renew the license.
So a company with three listed qualified individuals has three sets of hours to track, not one.
How many hours
- Unlimited, Intermediate, Limited and SP-SFD: 8 hours, taken as 8 classroom hours or as 4 classroom plus 4 online
- SP-EL, SP-ES, SP-FA/LV, SP-PH, SP-SP and SP-WP: 4 hours, taken as 4 classroom hours or as 2 classroom plus 2 online
Both lines come straight from the Board's page. The pattern is the same in each: online can cover half, and no more than half.
The classroom floor
The rule is stated as a minimum. Effective for renewals on or after July 1, 2008, at least one half of the continuing education hours for each annual license period has to be obtained by in person classroom or seminar attendance.
That is why a fully online plan does not renew a license here. Book the classroom half first, since it is the half with a schedule attached.
The Board's free Laws and Rules class
The Board runs free four hour Laws and Rules of Electrical Contracting classes around the state, worth four hours of classroom credit. Sessions run 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, they are first come first served, and they can be attended in person or online.
Two conditions sit on the online option. Attendees need a computer with camera and video capability or they do not get the credit, and anyone attending as part of a disciplinary action gets no credit for it either.
The schedule is on the Board's classes page. For a Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited or SFD licensee this class covers the whole classroom half of the yearly requirement.
The first year rule for a new listed qualified individual
A newly listed qualified individual has to complete the free four hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months. The Board states that in the packets it publishes for reciprocity applicants.
Treat it as part of the setup rather than as continuing education you can defer. It is also the cheapest four hours on offer, since the Board charges nothing for it.
Checking your credits and finding a class
The Board runs two public searches on its ARLS system. One shows continuing education credits on a record, and the other lists courses and sponsors.
Check the credit search before you renew rather than after. A sponsor that has not reported your attendance is easier to chase in May than on the day the renewal is due.
A word on sponsors
The Board approves continuing education courses and the organizations that run them, and it publishes a CE Sponsor and CE Class Application on its forms page for organizations that want to offer credit.
This site is not one of them. We write study material and practice questions, we hold no approval from the Board, and nothing here counts toward the hours above.
Questions people ask
How many continuing education hours does an NC electrical license need?
Eight hours a year for Unlimited, Intermediate, Limited and SP-SFD, and four hours a year for the other special restricted classifications. At least half of the hours have to be in person classroom or seminar attendance.
Can I do all my NC electrical CE online?
No. Since renewals on or after July 1, 2008 the Board has required a minimum of one half of the hours to come from in person classroom or seminar attendance. Online covers the other half.
Who has to take continuing education, the company or the person?
The person. The Board puts the requirement on every listed qualified individual, including those listed under G.S. 87-50, and the license does not renew until those hours are complete.
Is the Board's Laws and Rules class free?
Yes. The Board runs free four hour Laws and Rules of Electrical Contracting classes from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm on a first come first served basis, in person or online, worth four classroom hours of credit. Online attendees need a computer with camera and video capability.
How do I check my continuing education credits in North Carolina?
Use the Board's public continuing education credit search on its ARLS system. A separate search lists approved classes and sponsors so you can find the hours you still need.
Do newly listed qualified individuals have an extra requirement?
Yes. A newly listed qualified individual has to complete the Board's free four hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months. The Board states that rule in the application packets it publishes for reciprocity applicants.
Thirty free questions, timed, with the working shown
Every miss comes back with the arithmetic worked out and the code section named, so you learn the trap and not just the answer. No account.
All questions here are original. They are not actual exam questions, and no question bank can promise you a pass.
What this page cites
- NCBEEC continuing education Sets the hours by classification, the online split and the in person floor that has applied since July 1, 2008. source
- NCBEEC classes page Describes the free four hour Laws and Rules class, its hours, its credit value and the camera requirement online. source
- NCBEEC reciprocity packet States that newly listed qualified individuals complete the free Laws and Rules class within 12 months. source
- NCBEEC continuing education credit search The Board's public search for credits recorded on a license record. source
- NCBEEC class and sponsor search The Board's public search for approved continuing education courses and their sponsors. source
The 2023 to 2026 section crosswalk maps every section that moved, both directions, $29 once.