GAEC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify

GAEC Overview: Who Governs It and What It Actually Tests

The Georgia Electrical Contractor License Exam (Class II Unrestricted) - referred to on this site as GAEC - is the credential exam that lets an individual hold an unrestricted electrical contracting license in Georgia. It is governed by the Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors, which sits inside the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, and the exam itself is administered through PSI's testing network. If you're still getting oriented, our overview articles on what GAEC is and what the GAEC acronym means are good starting points before you dig into eligibility mechanics.

Unlike a Class I restricted license, Class II Unrestricted carries no scope limitations - it authorizes work across the full range of electrical installation, alteration, and repair activity covered under Georgia's licensing law. That breadth is exactly why the eligibility bar is higher: more years of documented experience, a heavier three-phase requirement, and a two-part exam that spans ten distinct content domains.

Experience Requirements Under the 2026 Licensing Law

Under the licensing law effective July 1, 2026, the standard experience pathway to sit for the Class II Unrestricted exam requires four years of full-time electrical experience. Within that four-year total, candidates must have accumulated at least two years installing, altering, or repairing three-phase systems. This isn't a minor footnote - three-phase work shows up throughout the exam, particularly in domains covering rotating equipment and transformers, so it's worth treating that experience requirement as a preview of exam content rather than just a box to check.

Beyond the standard four-year path, Georgia also recognizes:

• Education-based credit toward the experience requirement for candidates who completed relevant formal electrical education programs.
• U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship pathways, which allow structured on-the-job training hours to count toward eligibility.

Whichever path applies to you, the Board will expect it to be verifiable - vague job history won't satisfy the documentation review described below.

Application Documents and Fees

The current licensure-by-examination application fee is $110. That fee covers processing of your application file, not the PSI testing fee, so budget for both when planning your timeline. For a full cost breakdown across the entire licensing process, see our GAEC Certification Cost breakdown.

Along with the fee, your application packet needs to include:

• Work-experience documentation - detailed records showing dates, employers, and the nature of electrical work performed.
• Affidavits or references - typically from supervisors or licensed contractors who can attest to your hands-on experience.
• Identity and lawful-presence documents - standard verification required by Georgia licensing boards.
• Background check - part of the standard vetting process before exam approval is granted.

Exam Format, Approved References, and Scoring

Once approved, candidates sit for a computer-based exam consisting of 140 scored multiple-choice questions plus 22 unscored beta questions that PSI uses to evaluate future exam content. The exam is split into two 4-hour parts, meaning this is a full-day commitment, not a quick certification quiz.

Passing requires a final scaled score of 70. Because the exam is open book, success depends heavily on how well you can navigate your approved references under time pressure - not just what you've memorized. Approved reference materials may have permanent tabs, highlighting, and underlining, but handwritten notes are prohibited. A silent, nonprogrammable calculator is permitted for load calculations and sizing problems.

Exam approval is valid for one year from the date it's granted, so plan your study and scheduling within that window. If you fail twice, Georgia requires completion of a Board-approved review course before you can attempt the exam again - another reason to prepare thoroughly rather than treat the first attempt as a trial run. For a deeper look at how tough this exam actually is relative to other contractor exams, read How Hard Is the GAEC Exam?, and for the exact scoring mechanics behind that 70, see GAEC Passing Score 2026.

Domains That Carry the Most Weight

Eligibility gets you to the testing center, but understanding the exam blueprint determines whether you pass. GAEC's content is organized into ten domains, weighted by how much of the exam they represent:

Rounding out the blueprint: Domain 7 (D-C and A-C Rotating Equipment, 11.43%), Domain 6 (Electrical Controls and Devices, 10.71%), and Domain 5 (Basic Electrical Circuits, 10%) together make up nearly a third of the exam. The remaining domains - Comply with Laws (7.14%), Comply with Regulations (6.43%), Comply with Administrative Requirements (4.29%), and Plan and Organize Work (3.57%) - carry lighter weight individually but still appear across dozens of questions combined.

For a domain-by-domain breakdown with study guidance for each of the ten areas, see our GAEC Exam Domains Guide.

After You Pass: Renewal and Continuing Education

Passing the exam and securing your license isn't the finish line - Class II Unrestricted licenses renew by June 30 of even-numbered years. Each renewal cycle requires 8 continuing-education hours, which must be reported through CE Broker. Mark this renewal cadence on your calendar as soon as you're licensed, since missing the biennial deadline can complicate your active status.

Mapping Study Time to Requirements

Given the domain weights above, it makes sense to structure preparation around the exam blueprint rather than studying topics in random order. A simple way to sequence your final weeks before test day:

For a more detailed study methodology tailored specifically to this exam's open-book format and question style, see our GAEC Study Guide. And if you want a quick-reference summary of core facts to keep handy in the final days before your test, the GAEC Cheat Sheet condenses the essentials into one page.

Once you feel ready to test your knowledge under realistic conditions, you can start practicing directly on our GAEC practice test platform, which mirrors the domain weighting and question style described above rather than generic electrical trivia.

Who This License Opens Doors With

Because Class II Unrestricted has no scope limitation, licensed contractors are positioned to bid on and manage a wider range of commercial, industrial, and residential electrical projects than a restricted license allows. Employers and general contractors specifically seek out unrestricted license holders for larger-scope work where three-phase systems, transformers, and special equipment installations are routine, not occasional. If you're weighing whether the investment of time and documentation is worth it relative to your career goals, our articles on GAEC earnings potential and whether GAEC certification is worth it walk through that decision in more depth, and GAEC Jobs outlines the kinds of roles that typically require this license.

Frequently Asked Questions