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Licensed electrical inspectors and plan reviewers in Indiana provide oversight that ensures projects are up to code and meet standards for function and safety.

Electrical licenses are not issued at the state level, but rather by local municipalities, such as the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (BNS) serving Indianapolis or the Allen County Building Department serving Fort Wayne. 

You will have to check with your local licensing board to discover the exact requirements for obtaining a license in your jurisdiction. There are likely to be educational and/or experience requirements, along with state trade and other exams. Here’s what you should know about becoming an electrical inspector or plan reviewer in Indiana. 

Requirements to Become an Electrical Inspector 

As an electrical inspector, you must have adequate education or experience to ensure that electrical codes, regulations, and safety standards are met. In terms of education, this could mean: 

• Completing a registered apprenticeship program 
• Holding a journeyman or master electrician license 
• Earning an associate degree in an electrical or related major 
• Earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering 

You may also have to meet experience requirements, typically including several thousand hours of work as an electrician, along with experience in electrical inspection. When you have completed these requirements for your municipality, you must pass the 2A Electrical Inspector One- and Two-Family Dwellings Exam. 

This open-book test features 50 questions on topics like: 

• Cabinets, panelboards, switchboards, boxes, and conduit bodies 
• Load calculations 
• Wire size calculations 
• Conductors and overcurrent protection (load side) 
• Lighting and utilization equipment 
• Service equipment and conductors (supply side) 
• Special installations or constructions 
• Switches, disconnects, and controllers 
• Wiring methods 

You will have two hours to complete the exam, and you must answer a minimum of 35 questions (70%) correctly to pass. You may also be required to pass the 2B Electrical General Exam, an open-book test that covers many of the same topics as the 2A exam, with the addition of generators other than dwellings, motors other than dwellings, and special occupancies.

You will have two hours to answer 50 questions, and you must answer at least 70% correctly to pass. 

Requirements to Become an Electrical Plan Reviewer 

Again, requirements to become an electrical plan reviewer will vary by municipality, but education requirements typically include a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering (or related major) from an ABET-accredited program. Other degrees (foreign, not ABET-accredited) may entail additional requirements. 

There are also experience requirements. Typically, this amounts to four years of electrical engineering experience under the supervision of a professional engineer.

Depending on your municipality, you may also be required to pass one or more exams. This could include the 2B Electrical General Exam and/or the 2C Electrical Plan Review Exam. 

The 2C exam consists of 50 questions covering the same topics as the 2B exam. You will have two hours to complete this open-book test, and you must answer at least 70% of the questions correctly to pass. 

Finding an Exam Prep Program That Works for You 

As a working professional, you need exam prep that works with your schedule. Look for a program that offers the convenience of self-paced learning with 24/7 online access to materials. 

Are you interested in becoming a licensed electrical inspector or plan reviewer in Indiana? Contact RocketCert today to learn more.