Allentown, PA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- UCC, 34 Pa. Code Ch. 401-405
- Master electrician license
- $90/year
- Journeyman electrician license
- $60/year
- Licensing application fee
- $50, new applicants
- Late renewal surcharge
- $45 master / $30 journeyman
- Enforcing agency
- Bureau of Building Standards and Safety
Summary
Electrical work in Allentown falls under the adopted Uniform Construction Code, and every electrician working in the city needs a City license. A master electrician license runs $90 a year, with separate tiers for residential, journeyman and special electricians.
§ 225-1. Adoption of Uniform Construction Code. The City of Allentown... hereby adopts the Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405, as may be amended from time to time, as the Building Code of the City of Allentown... § 270-32. Electrician's license fees. B. The yearly electrician's license fees, renewable January 1 through January 31 each year, shall be: Master electrician license $90 Residential electrician license $80 Journeyman electrician license $60 Special electrician license $50 Electrical appliance installer license $50 Telecommunications installer (no test required) $50.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4995055; v49 updated 2026-06-26; through 06-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 225-1 adopts the Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405), which incorporates the National Electrical Code, as Allentown's Building Code, enforced by the Bureau of Building Standards and Safety under § 225-3. 50 state UCC surcharge. Section 270-32 separately sets yearly electrician license fees, due January 1 and renewable through January 31: master electrician $90, residential electrician $80, journeyman electrician $60, special electrician $50, electrical appliance installer $50, and telecommunications installer (no test required) $50, plus a $10 license-printing fee.
A licensing application fee of $50 applies to new applicants. Failing to renew before January 31 triggers a surcharge: $45 for a master electrician, $40 for residential, $30 for journeyman, and $25 for special or appliance-installer licenses. The former stand-alone electrical permit fee section, § 270-33, was repealed by Ordinance No. 16124 on April 16, 2025, consolidating electrical permit costs into the § 270-31 general building fee schedule.
Violations & Fines
Work started before a permit is issued doubles the assessed fee under § 270-37. An electrician working without a current City license, or one who lets it lapse past January 31 without paying the surcharge, is subject to enforcement by the Bureau of Building Standards and Safety, which can reject plans that fail to conform to the Uniform Construction Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do electricians need a license to work in Allentown?
Is a permit required for electrical work?
What is the penalty for letting an electrician license lapse?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Allentown
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