Westchester County, NY Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- County-wide master electrician license
- Experience needed
- 7½ years to sit exam
- Civil penalty
- $500-$5,000 per day
- Licensing board
- 7-member Electrical Licensing Board
Summary
Westchester County, not individual towns, licenses master electricians and electrical inspectors county-wide; no one may perform or hold themselves out as an electrician without a county license or supervision by a licensed master electrician.
No person shall perform, engage in or conduct business as a master electrician within the County of Westchester unless licensed pursuant to this article or unless supervised by and working under the direction of a master electrician licensed pursuant to this article.
2. No person shall hold himself or herself out to the public as a master electrician or offer or contract to perform the work of a master electrician within the County of Westchester unless licensed pursuant to this article or unless supervised by and working under the direction of a master electrician licensed pursuant to this article.
3. No person, business, or company shall employ an unlicensed electrician unless the unlicensed electrician is working under the supervision and the direction of a master electrician licensed pursuant to this article.
4. The provisions of this article shall not apply to persons:
a. Who are engaged solely in selling, or in the attachment of ordinary electrical appliances to existing circuits (i.e., where no jointing or splicing of electrical conductors is required);
b. Who work exclusively in the maintenance or repair of elevators;
c. Who work exclusively in the manufacture or assembly of electrical equipment;
d. Who work exclusively with public service companies or municipal plants authorized to generate or sell electricity, in connection with the erection, construction, maintenance or repair of lines and facilities for the generation, transmission and distribution
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47).
Full Breakdown
Since 2016, Westchester has centralized electrical licensing that municipalities previously handled individually. No person may perform, engage in or conduct business as a master electrician anywhere in the county without a license from the Westchester County Electrical Licensing Board, unless supervised by and working under the direction of a licensed master electrician. Local municipalities still issue building permits and certificates of occupancy for the work.
Violations & Fines
Violations draw a civil penalty of $500 to $5,000 per day, plus up to $5,000 for fraudulent license or permit applications, under §277.710.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Westchester County license electricians?
Can an unlicensed person do electrical work in Westchester?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westchester County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Westchester County to another location·View the New York building safety overview
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