What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Fire Alarm Installer Occupational Licensing
License required in 39 states
10th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$604
What They Do
Fire alarm installers install, program, maintain or repair fire alarm wiring and equipment, and ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. This report looks at what is required to run one’s own fire alarm installation business at the commercial level.
Fire Alarm Installer Licensing Overview
Thirty-nine states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as a Fire Alarm Installer. On average, these laws require $604 in fees, 877 days of education and about 2 exam. Fire Alarm Installer Licenses have the 10th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. Fees for a license exceed $1000 in Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada.
Where is a Fire Alarm Installer the most regulated?
Out of the 39 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Fire Alarm Installer has the highest burden in Connecticut. Connecticut requires $435 in fees, 3 exams, 6 years experience, and no education.
Where is a Fire Alarm Installer the least regulated?
Out of the 39 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Fire Alarm Installer has the lowest burden in Kansas. Kansas requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where is a Fire Alarm Installer license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Fire Alarm Installer costs the most in Arkansas. Arkansas requires $1724 in fees, 4 exams, 2 years experience, and 43 clock hours education.
Where is a Fire Alarm Installer license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Fire Alarm Installer costs the least in Kansas. Kansas requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain a Fire Alarm Installer license?
An occupational license for a Fire Alarm Installer takes the longest to obtain in Connecticut, Tennessee.It takes 2190 days (6 years).
Where is it fastest to obtain a Fire Alarm Installer license?
An occupational license for a Fire Alarm Installer takes the least time to obtain in Alabama, District of Columbia, Kansas, Rhode Island, Texas (0 days).
What states require exams for a Fire Alarm Installer license?
To obtain an occupational license for a Fire Alarm Installer there is at least one exam required in: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. New York requires 6 exams.
Thirty-nine states require a license to work as a fire alarm installer. On average, these laws require $557 in fees, about two and a half years (915 days) of education and experience, and around two exams—the 10th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. The occupation is the 18th most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary widely across states. For example, Connecticut and Tennessee each require six years (2,190 days) of education or experience, but five states require no education or experience. Similarly, five states require four exams, but two require none. Fees also vary, from $0 in Kansas to $1,665 in Louisiana.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Alaska | 64 | $880 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 37 | Alabama | 63 | $465 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Arkansas | 72 | $1,724 | 737 | 43 clock hours | 2 years | 4 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 | Arizona | 68 | $596 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | California | 75 | $579 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 1 | Connecticut | 65 | $435 | 2190 | None | 6 years | 3 | 8 | 18 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | 61 | $266 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Delaware | 42 | $616 | 730 | None | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 13 | Florida | 55 | $695 | 1095 | None | 3 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 31 | Georgia | 41 | $237 | 365 | None | 1 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 8 | Hawaii | 64 | $694 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Iowa | 71 | $1,270 | 1825 | None | 5 years | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Idaho | 66 | $390 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 14 | Illinois | 41 | $288 | 1095 | None | 3 years | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| 39 | Kansas | 35 | $0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Louisiana | 77 | $1,673 | 1825 | 1 clock hours | 5 years | 4 | 0 | 18 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | 50 | $330 | 800 | 300 clock hours | 2 years | 2 | 12 | 0 |
| 17 | Maine | 46 | $256 | 996 | 270 clock hours | 4000 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Michigan | 48 | $1,095 | 730 | None | 2 years | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| 15 | Minnesota | 35 | $316 | 1092 | None | 36 months | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Mississippi | 65 | $1,290 | 72 | 28 clock hours | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Montana | 32 | $655 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | North Carolina | 66 | $185 | 730 | None | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 29 | Nebraska | 61 | $105 | 730 | None | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | New Jersey | 54 | $605 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 22 | New Mexico | 66 | $503 | 730 | None | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 6 | Nevada | 75 | $1,608 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 32 | New York | 41 | $289 | 19 | 81 clock hours | None | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 42 | $469 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 12 | Oregon | 69 | $425 | 1095 | None | 3 years | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | 70 | $462 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | South Carolina | 60 | $744 | 4 | 22 clock hours | None | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | Tennessee | 69 | $978 | 2190 | 2 years | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 35 | Texas | 38 | $708 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Virginia | 72 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 28 | Vermont | 31 | $180 | 730 | 2 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Washington | 76 | $700 | 1474 | 64 clock hours | 4 years | 5 | 0 | 16 |
| 23 | West Virginia | 67 | $277 | 730 | None | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 30 | Wyoming | 26 | $255 | 548 | None | 1.5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report