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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 Louisiana, Iowa, Nevada, Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi.

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 Texas, Rhode Island, Alabama, District of Columbia, Kansas (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: Connecticut, Tennessee, Louisiana, Iowa, Washington, Nevada, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Oklahoma, Idaho, Oregon, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maine, Arkansas, Michigan, Delaware, Alaska, New Mexico, West Virginia, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Montana, Vermont, Nebraska, Wyoming, Georgia, New York, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Rhode Island, Alabama. 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

State Licensing Requirements

Select a chart to view:
Burden Rank State Occupations Licensed Fees Estimated Calendar Days Lost Education Experience Exams Minimum Grade Minimum Age
1 Connecticut 65 $435 2190 None 6 years 3 8 18
2 Tennessee 69 $978 2190 2 years 4 years 1 0 18
3 Louisiana 77 $1,673 1825 1 clock hours 5 years 4 0 18
4 Iowa 71 $1,270 1825 None 5 years 3 0 0
5 Washington 76 $700 1474 64 clock hours 4 years 5 0 16
6 Nevada 75 $1,608 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
7 California 75 $579 1460 None 4 years 3 0 18
8 Hawaii 64 $694 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
9 Arizona 68 $596 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
10 Oklahoma 42 $469 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
11 Idaho 66 $390 1460 None 4 years 2 0 16
12 Oregon 69 $425 1095 None 3 years 1 12 18
13 Florida 55 $695 1095 None 3 years 2 0 18
14 Illinois 41 $288 1095 None 3 years 1 0 21
15 Minnesota 35 $316 1092 None 36 months 1 0 0
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
18 Arkansas 72 $1,724 737 43 clock hours 2 years 4 0 18
19 Michigan 48 $1,095 730 None 2 years 4 0 20
20 Delaware 42 $616 730 None 2 years 3 0 18
21 Alaska 64 $880 730 None 2 years 2 0 18
22 New Mexico 66 $503 730 None 2 years 3 0 18
23 West Virginia 67 $277 730 None 2 years 3 0 18
24 New Jersey 54 $605 730 None 2 years 2 0 18
25 Virginia 72 $320 731 8 clock hours 2 years 1 0 18
26 North Carolina 66 $185 730 None 2 years 1 0 18
27 Montana 32 $655 730 None 2 years 2 0 0
28 Vermont 31 $180 730 2 clock hours 2 years 1 0 0
29 Nebraska 61 $105 730 None 2 years 1 0 0
30 Wyoming 26 $255 548 None 1.5 years 1 0 0
31 Georgia 41 $237 365 None 1 years 1 0 18
32 New York 41 $289 19 81 clock hours None 6 0 18
33 Mississippi 65 $1,290 72 28 clock hours 3 jobs, contractors 2 0 0
34 South Carolina 60 $744 4 22 clock hours None 3 0 18
35 Texas 38 $708 0 None None 2 0 0
36 Rhode Island 70 $462 0 None None 2 0 0
37 Alabama 63 $465 0 None None 1 0 0
38 District of Columbia 61 $266 0 None None 0 0 0
39 Kansas 35 $0 0 None None 0 0 0

License to Work

The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.

View Report