EVITP Certification and EV Charger Installation Jobs

EVITP certification is the credential most often written into public EV charger contracts. If you are a licensed electrician looking at EV charger installation jobs, it is the one certification you are most likely to see in bid specs, grant rules and job posts. This guide covers who can get it, what it costs, how the exam works, where the law actually requires it, and what the work involves.

What is EVITP certification?

EVITP stands for the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program. It trains and certifies electricians to install electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) in residential, commercial, public and fleet settings. On its official site, EVITP describes itself as an industry collaborative whose partner organizations shape the curriculum. Its U.S. office is in Royal Oak, Michigan, and Canadian training runs through NETCO.

The program has deep roots in the union electrical industry. In a 2022 article, the IBEW said it helped create EVITP more than a decade earlier, working with partners from the automotive, utility and manufacturing industries, the National Electrical Contractors Association, and schools. The certification itself, however, is open to qualified electricians whether or not they are union members.

Who can get EVITP certified

EVITP is not an entry-level credential. According to the EVITP FAQ:

• You must be a state-licensed or state-certified electrician.
• In states that do not license or certify electricians, you must document at least 8,000 hours of hands-on electrical construction experience.
• Contractor owners can take it only if their state allows the person named on the electrical contractor license to do electrical work. Managers and office staff are not eligible on that basis.
• Non-electricians cannot audit the class.

So if you are an apprentice, the practical path is to finish your apprenticeship, pass your journeyman exam, and then add EVITP. Our guide to passing the journeyman exam covers that step.

EVITP cost, course length and exam

The exam process is simple. After training, you set up a testing profile, check that your computer works with the proctoring software, and schedule your exam. EVITP notes that booking within 24 hours of the exam adds a small fee. Booking further ahead does not.

Some third-party sites list different prices or passing scores. Go by EVITP's own FAQ, and check it again before you pay, since prices change.

When EVITP certification is required (and when it is not)

No federal law requires every electrician who installs a charger to be EVITP certified. A homeowner's Level 2 charger is generally governed by the same state license, local permit and inspection rules as any other circuit. The credential becomes mandatory when public money is involved.

Federal NEVI-funded chargers

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program's minimum standards are in federal regulation. Under 23 CFR 680.106(j):

• Every electrician who installs, operates or maintains chargers must have EVITP certification, or a graduate or continuing-education certificate from a registered electrical apprenticeship that includes charger-specific training under a national guideline standard approved by the Department of Labor.
• On projects with more than one electrician, at least one must meet that standard and at least one must be enrolled in a registered electrical apprenticeship.
• Non-electrical workers directly involved in the chargers must have finished a registered apprenticeship or hold the licenses or training the state requires.

NEVI had a rough 2025. FHWA froze new obligations and rescinded its earlier guidance on February 6, 2025, then issued interim final guidance on August 11, 2025. As this legal analysis explains, that guidance did not change the minimum standards. 23 CFR 680, including the workforce rule above, still applies to NEVI-funded projects. That could change if FHWA revises the regulation, so check your state DOT's current NEVI plan before you bid.

State incentive programs

States can add their own rules. California's CALeVIP rebate program is a good example. According to CALeVIP's FAQ, a properly licensed contractor must do the installation, and:

• If every charging port is 24.9 kW or less, each crew needs at least one EVITP-certified electrician on site whenever work is being done.
• If any port is 25 kW or more, at least 25% of the electricians on the crew must be EVITP certified.

State NEVI plans also show how many contractors are getting ready for this work. Massachusetts' NEVI plan, for example, counted 61 EVITP-listed contractors in that state when it was written.

What EV charger installation jobs actually involve

"EV charger installer" covers three fairly different kinds of work:

Residential Level 2

Most of this work is done by residential service shops. The installation itself is short. The skill is in the planning: checking whether the existing service and panel can handle the new load, sizing the circuit, choosing a wire route, and getting it permitted and inspected. A shop that does these well can do several in a day, and good work leads to panel upgrades and other service calls. EVITP is often a selling point here rather than a requirement.

Commercial and workplace Level 2

Parking garages, apartment complexes and office lots involve many chargers, long feeder runs, trenching or core drilling, load management systems, and coordination with networked charger software. This is regular commercial project work. Incentive programs like CALeVIP are where certification requirements start to apply.

DC fast charging

Highway and fleet fast-charging sites are a utility-scale job. Expect new services, transformers, switchgear, large conductors, and coordination with the local utility. This is the work most often funded by NEVI and similar programs, so EVITP and registered apprentices on the crew are usually written into the contract. It also uses the same skill set as solar, battery storage and other utility-interconnected work, so experience here carries over.

The BLS electrician outlook does not list EV charging separately, but it does say electricians will be needed to connect new generation sources like solar and wind to buildings and the grid. Our piece on how federal money is reshaping electrician demand covers the broader funding picture.

How to get EVITP certified, step by step

1. Confirm you are eligible. Have your state electrician license or certification number ready. In a non-licensing state, gather documentation of your 8,000 hours, such as letters from employers or apprenticeship records.
2. Apply on EVITP's training page. Training is online in every state, so you do not need to find a local class.
3. Complete the 20-hour course. Plan for it like any code class. Spread it over a few evenings instead of cramming it into a weekend.
4. Schedule the proctored exam right away. Book more than 24 hours ahead to avoid the late fee, and test your computer setup first.
5. Save your certificate and file it for CE. If your state accepts it for continuing education credit, send the certificate in with your renewal paperwork.
6. Tell your employer, or list your shop. If you hold the contractor license, you can sign the EVITP Approved Contractor agreement so your company appears in EVITP's contractor search.

Is EVITP certification worth it?

At $350 and 20 hours, the cost is low compared with the work it can qualify you for. The bigger cost is renewing every three years, so time it for when you are actually likely to work on funded projects.

The bottom line