Do electricians need a licence in Pennsylvania?

Not statewide yet. Act 108 of 2026 (Senate Bill 1260) was approved by the Governor on 22 October 2026 and establishes the State Board of Electrical Licensure. The Department of State says the Act provides a two-year period before licensure requirements take effect.

Sources: Act 108 of 2026 (Senate Bill 1260) on the General Assembly's site; Department of State, electricians. Checked 13 November 2026.

Until the state requirements take effect

Licensing is set by municipalities, so ask yours whether the work needs a licence. Home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General.

Philadelphia: licences can be checked in the city's contractor lookup. Our Philadelphia company records come from the City of Philadelphia, Department of Licenses and Inspections trade licence data and are shown on each company's page.
Home improvement contractor registration: search the Attorney General's lookup.

How to check a contractor

A local licence where your municipality requires one; Philadelphia's can be checked in the city's contractor lookup.
Home improvement contractor registration with the Attorney General, searchable in its online lookup.
A written estimate before any work starts.
Permits: ask whether the job needs a permit from your municipality and who will apply for it.
Google reviews across all of a company's listings, not just one branch; our company pages add every listing together.
Whether what a company says about itself matches independent records; our company pages compare its claims with records.

Our company pages show what we hold for each company: Google reviews over all of its listings, city records where we have them, and claims compared with records. Companies are ranked in the Pennsylvania ranking.

What this page does not cover

This page states only what the two sources above say about the Act. We have not read the text of the Act, so it gives no other detail of it; the General Assembly's bill page has the text.

Checked: 13 November 2026