Thanks for the replies guys! It does seem that every state has licensing requirements except for PA.
I live in South-Western PA, about 20 minutes from Morgantown, WV.
Morgantown is a booming college town with a lot of new construction all the time. So, I decided to see what it would take to work in WV.
1) All contractors must be licensed by the state as well as be registeed with most cities.(Theres fees for all of this in addition to permit fees)
2) Electrical contractors must pass a business and law exam which consists of simple business questions relating to payroll, overtime pay, workers comp., construction scedules and contract law. I bought the study guide and passed with noooo problem.
3) The person that is to hold the license must also have a Master Electrician's license from the state or pass the electrical portion of the contractors test.
I took the contractors test first and must say it is more like a test that an electrical engineer would take. The minimum passing score is 80. I got a 78.
I then took the Master test, governed by the state fire marshal, and passed the first time. Years ago I decided to see if I could get a Journeyman license just to see if I could pass the test. It took 2 tries but I passed.
It took me almost a year to get my Contractor's License, due to the time between tests and paperwork preperation but I did it. We just started advirtising recently in Morgantown and have been getting jobs.
Also in WV, everyone doing electrical work must have a state license, even apprentices.
There must be at least one Journeyman on each job at all times but there can be an unlimited number of apprentices. (licensed).
If you do any work in WV you must also have a "Wage Bond". This bond is equal to about 125% (I might be off slightly) of your gross payroll for what ever number of employees you have working. This is for the employees benefit to assure they get paid no matter what. This can get expensive.
Keep the feedback coming...
