Champaign, IL Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted electrical code
- NEC (NFPA 70), 2020 edition
- Contractor license required
- beginning January 1, 2027
- Owner-occupant exception
- single-family homes exempt from licensure
- Minimum permit fee
- $45, including temporary services
- New residential service fee
- $75 first unit, $50 each additional
- Unpermitted work penalty
- double fee, Sec. 19-8.6.2.11
Summary
Champaign requires electrical work to follow the 2020 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), adopted by Section 9-157, and starting January 1, 2027, Section 9-261 requires permit-required electrical work be performed by a City-licensed Electrical Contractor, except for work by the owner-occupant of a single-family home. The Building Safety Division checks each electrical permit application against the contractor's license before issuing it.
(a)Beginning January 1, 2027, all permit-required electrical work shall be done by a licensed Electrical Contractor or its employees, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. Before any person, firm, limited liability company, corporation, or other lawful business entity shall engage in the business of electrical contracting in the City, said entity shall be required to have a license and pay a license fee as set forth in this Article yearly. Said license issued thereunder shall expire on the 31st day of December of the year in which it was issued. The Building Safety Division shall keep a suitable record of all licenses.(b)Beginning January 1, 2027, the Building Safety Division shall evaluate all applications for electrical permits by reference to the licensure status of the Electrical Contractor applying for said permit. In order for a permit to be issued, the work planned to be performed under said permit must be authorized by the license held by the Electrical Contractor.(c)Exception to contractor licensure. Permit-required electrical work performed by the owner-occupant of a single-family residence shall be exempt from licensure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Section 9-157 adopts the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), 2020 edition, by reference as the substantive electrical standard for all construction, alteration, and maintenance work in the City, alongside the 2021 International Building, Residential, and Fire Codes. Section 9-261, effective January 1, 2027, layers a contractor-licensing gate on top of that code: any entity engaging in electrical contracting in the City must hold a yearly license from the Building Safety Division, and the Division checks every electrical permit application against the contractor's licensure status before a permit can issue, matching the scope of work to what that specific license authorizes.
The Code recognizes three license tiers under Sections 9-264 through 9-266: an Unrestricted Master Electrician, a Restricted Residential Electrician, and a Restricted Maintenance Electrician, each renewed annually and expiring December 31. The one carve-out is for owner-occupants of a single-family residence, who may perform their own permit-required electrical work without holding a contractor's license. 31 percent above that.
Violations & Fines
Performing permit-required electrical work without the required City electrical contractor license, or without the matching permit, is enforced through the Building Safety Division and the Code's general penalty in Section 1-21, a fine of $1 to $750 per offense. Starting work before a permit issues also doubles the applicable electrical permit fee under Section 19-8.6.2.11.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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