Checked against primary sources 2026-09-07

Sixteen hours, split by rule

Minnesota Electrical Continuing Education: Hours by License

The headline number is the same for almost every Minnesota electrical license, and the split inside it is not. One license inverts it, one owes four hours, one owes nothing at all, and registered individuals owe two.

Test yourself: thirty free questions, timed

The headline rule

DLI states it in one sentence for both master and journeyworker: complete 16 hours of DLI approved continuing education, at least 12 hours of which must relate to the National Electrical Code.

The rule behind that is Minnesota Rules 3800.3602, which applies the 16 hours to the Class A master, Class B master, Class A journeyworker, Class B journeyworker, maintenance electrician, Class A installer and Class B installer, and to the power limited technician.

For most of those, at least 12 hours of instruction must be on the National Electrical Code and the remainder on the statutes and rules governing electrical installations.

The split, license by license

From the DLI continuing education table.

• Master electrician, AM and BM. 12 code, 4 non code.
• Journeyworker electrician, AJ and BJ. 12 code, 4 non code.
• Maintenance electrician, MN. 12 code, 4 non code.
• Installer Class B, IB. 12 code, 4 non code.
• Power limited technician, PL. 4 code, 12 non code. The rule words it as at least four hours on the National Electrical Code with the remainder on the statutes and rules.
• Satellite installer, SI. 4 code hours. DLI prints no non code figure for this license, so we print none either.
• Lineman, LN. Zero and zero. The fee schedule matches, with NA in the continuing education fee column.
• Registered unlicensed electrician and technician, RE and RT. 2 code hours, 0 non code. The rule says two hours of instruction on the National Electrical Code.

The rules people get caught by

DLI publishes these as short lines and each one has cost somebody a renewal.

Licenses are not renewed unless continuing education credit are completed within the license term immediately preceding the license expiration date. So credit earned outside that window does not travel.

No continuing education required for first year of license, which DLI prints against master electricians.

Credits may be applied to more than one type of license, and only the number of hours required for the license with the highest requirements must be fulfilled. So holding a journeyworker and a power limited technician license does not mean 32 hours.

Credits exceeding the minimum do not carry over to a later term. Minnesota Rules 3800.3602 adds that credit for an educational program may only be used once for a specific renewal of a license.

What happens if you skip it

DLI states that renewing without completing continuing education may result in license suspension and a fine of $1,000.

That is the department's own wording. It is not a late fee, and it sits on top of the $20, $40 or $90 late fee your license class already carries.

Where the approved classes are

DLI runs a searchable directory of approved courses at secure.doli.state.mn.us/ccldcecourses. That directory is the only place a course is confirmed as DLI approved.

We are not a continuing education provider and we do not run classes. Nothing on this site earns you a continuing education hour, and no page here is board approved. Use the state directory and keep your certificates.

Is there a 2026 code change hour requirement

No, and this is worth saying plainly because other states have one. Minnesota expresses its requirement as a floor of National Electrical Code hours inside a 16 hour total, not as a separate mandated code change class.

Neither the DLI continuing education page nor Minnesota Rules 3800.3602 sets a distinct 2026 code change hour requirement. Minnesota Statutes 326B.33, subdivision 7 says only that power limited technician licensees must attain 16 hours of continuing education per renewal period.

A code update class can of course fill your 12 code hours. It is a choice rather than an extra duty.

Questions people ask

How many continuing education hours does a Minnesota electrician need?

Sixteen per renewal period, with at least 12 relating to the National Electrical Code and the rest on the statutes and rules. That applies to master, journeyworker, maintenance electrician and Class B installer licenses.

How much continuing education does a power limited technician need?

Sixteen hours, but with the split reversed: at least 4 on the National Electrical Code and the remainder on the statutes and rules. The DLI table prints it as 4 code and 12 non code.

Do linemen need continuing education in Minnesota?

No. The DLI table prints zero code hours and zero non code hours for LN, and the fee schedule prints NA in the continuing education fee column for that license.

Do registered unlicensed individuals need continuing education?

Yes, two hours a year, and Minnesota Rules 3800.3602 says those two hours must be instruction on the National Electrical Code. A completed work experience verification form goes in with the renewal.

Can one class count for two licenses?

Yes. DLI states that credits may be applied to more than one type of license and that only the number of hours required for the license with the highest requirements must be fulfilled.

Does Minnesota require a 2026 code change class?

No. The requirement is a floor of National Electrical Code hours inside the 16 hour total. Neither the DLI page nor Minnesota Rules 3800.3602 sets a separate code change hour requirement.

Where do I find approved courses?

In the DLI approved course directory at secure.doli.state.mn.us/ccldcecourses. That directory is the only confirmation that a course is DLI approved.

What this page cites

• DLI continuing education The hour split by license code and the published rules on carryover, first year and suspension. source
• Minnesota Rules 3800.3602 The rule behind the table, including the four hour floor for power limited technicians and the two hours for registered individuals. source
• DLI electrical licensing basics The 16 hour headline for master and journeyworker and the two hours for registered individuals. source
• CCLD licensing fee schedule The $5 continuing education fee and the NA that sits in that column for linemen and contractors. source
• DLI approved course directory The state search for approved continuing education courses. source
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.33 Subdivision 7, which puts the 16 hour figure for power limited technicians into the statute itself. source