Many states require that an electrician possess a journeyman electrician's license to become eligible to perform electrical work. Journeyman electricians can work without the direct supervision of a master electrician and may supervise up to three unlicensed electrical workers. Florida does not have a centralized office to license journeyman statewide, but allows each county to coordinate the licensing process. Once a license is obtained in one county, it's recognized throughout the state of Florida, so it's not necessary to obtain a separate license for each county in which you work.

Contact the local county licensing office for the area in which you plan to work to obtain an application as well as specific information on any applicable fees, as this varies by location. Licensure through Hillsborough County Development Services, for example, will incur an application fee of $150, whereas the same license through the Miami-Dade Building Code Compliance Office requires an application fee of $240. You can locate the contact information for the county licensing office closest to you by visiting the Florida Licenses & Corporations website (see Resources).

Enroll in a local apprenticeship program such as those offered by the Florida Electrical Apprenticeship Association or the Florida Electrical Apprenticeship Training Program of Central Florida. You can also contact the Department of Labor for assistance in locating a nearby Florida-recognized apprenticeship training program. All entry-level electrical workers must receive a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training from a master electrician. Topics covered in the curriculum include electrical wiring, conduit sizes and types, proper handling of tools, AC/DC theory, blueprint reading, troubleshooting and electrical safety.

Ensure that you have the minimum required work experience to become a licensed journeyman. This typically consists of at least 8,000 hours of work experience under the supervision of a master electrician, along with completion of a Florida Department of Education approved 4-year apprenticeship program. Electrical apprentices who haven't completed the program must have at least 12,000 hours of supervised work experience.

Submit the completed Journeyman Electrician License Application to your local licensing office along with the registration fee, a copy of your driver’s license and your apprenticeship certificate of completion. Notarized employment references must be included with your application to verify that you've met the work experience requirements.

Schedule your Journeyman Electrician Exam appointment by contacting your county’s contractor licensing office upon receiving confirmation of your application approval. The exam, administered in an open book format by Prometric, consists of 80 questions that must be completed within three hours. Exam topics include items such as general electrical knowledge, wiring methods and materials, equipment and communication systems. Applicants must receive a score of at least 75 percent to pass the exam and receive their license.