Electrical Permit in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Frequently asked questions

Do you need an electrical permit in Tulsa?

Tulsa requires an electrical permit for any electrical work, with one published exemption. Title 52, Section 104.2 says no person or company shall do or cause to be done any electrical work without first having obtained an electrical permit, and Section 104.3 adds that a permit is not required for repairs that do not involve alteration or rearrangement of the electrical installation. Where an emergency replacement or repair must be done, the application is filed the next working business day. Only contractors registered with the City, holding a current State of Oklahoma license issued under 59 O.S. Section 1680 et seq., may be issued a permit, and contractors, journeymen and apprentices must carry the state license on their person while working in Tulsa. Always confirm with the City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center before starting.

How much does an electrical permit cost in Tulsa?

Title 49, Chapter 4, Section 401 sets residential electrical permit fees for one- and two-family dwellings for new construction and additions as the electrical service fee plus a base fee by size: $230.00 for 1 to 2,000 sq. ft., $293.00 for 2,001 to 6,000 sq. ft., and $58.00 for each additional 1,000 sq. ft. Section 404 covers other electrical work: electrical service $98.00 for the first 100 amps and $18.00 per additional 100 amps, swimming pools $235.00, generator $235.00, HVAC unit $81.00, electrical equipment 1 to 25 items $81.00, reconnect fee $81.00. Per Ord. No. 25351, 7-17-2024. Every permit also carries the general administrative fees in Title 49, Chapter 1: a $5.00 permit system maintenance surcharge on each permit (Section 103), a $4.00 Uniform Building Code Commission fee plus a $0.50 city administrative fee collected under 59 O.S. Section 1000.25 (Section 100), and a minimum fee of $80.00 on any permit (Section 107). Starting work before the permit is issued adds a penalty fee of $214.00 or three times the regular fee, whichever is greater (Section 105). All Title 49 figures are from Ord. No. 25351, 7-17-2024. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.

Where do you apply for an electrical permit in Tulsa?

You can apply through the Tulsa permit portal or contact the City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center directly. The links are listed on this page.

Can a homeowner pull an electrical permit themselves in Tulsa?

Under Oklahoma law (11 O.S. 43-109.2(B); 59 O.S. 1692(B)(3), 1017(6), 1151.17(B), 1850.10(A) and (B)(1), 1693(A)): Oklahoma does not license general or residential contractors at the state level, which is unusual and was verified by reading the whole of Title 59: the state licenses plumbing (59 O.S. 1001 et seq.), electrical (59 O.S. 1680 through 1699), mechanical (59 O.S. 1850.1 et seq.), roofing by registration (59 O.S. 1151.1 et seq.) and building and construction inspectors (59 O.S. 1031 through 1046), and no chapter licenses a general contractor. A homeowner may pull their own permit and do their own work. 11 O.S. 43-109.2(B) exempts a person doing construction or remodeling on their own single-family or duplex structure on their own property from the insurance verification a permit office must otherwise obtain before issuing a residential building permit, and it applies even when the structure is a rental, but the exemption disappears the moment a general contractor or subcontractor performs the work and pulls the permit. The trade acts carry matching self-work exemptions: no state license is needed to do electrical work on your own property or residence (59 O.S. 1692(B)(3)) or plumbing work on your own property of residence (59 O.S. 1017(6)), and a person roofing their own property is exempt from roofing registration though they must still give the permit office the registration number of any roofing subcontractor (59 O.S. 1151.17(B)). Every one of those is a licensing exemption only, expressly subject to local ordinances in the electrical case, and none of them waives the city permit; 59 O.S. 1693(A) still bars electrical work in a city or town without a permit first being obtained. Mechanical work is the sharp exception: the property-owner exemption in 59 O.S. 1850.10(B)(1) reaches only minor repair, and 59 O.S. 1850.10(A) requires a mechanical or plumbing licensee to install, replace or repair gas piping, floor furnaces, wall heaters or radiant-floor heating with no owner carve-out. Oklahoma has no statewide owner-builder disclosure form and no sale restriction comparable to Florida's one-year rule; the term owner-builder appears nowhere in Title 11 or Title 59. Confirm how Tulsa applies this before you apply.