Last updated 2026-08-19
TL;DR
Indiana does not issue a statewide temp power license. Temporary power is electrical work under the Indiana Electrical Code, a local permit, OSHA jobsite rules, and the serving utility's temp service process. Cities such as Indianapolis license electrical contractors locally. Confirm fees and forms with the building official. There is no honest statewide price or wait time.
Do you need a license for temp power in Indiana?
You need authority to do the electrical work. You do not need a statewide temp power card, because Indiana does not print one.
Temporary power is still electrical work. If you install a temporary service, land a generator into a panel, or build feeder that the inspector treats as temporary wiring, the Indiana Electrical Code applies and a local electrical permit usually applies.[7] Cities that license electrical contractors want that contractor of record on the permit. Indianapolis is the example most people hit first. Plenty of rural counties do not license electricians at all. There the permit and the inspection are the whole local paper path.
Do not start by buying a course that promises an Indiana temp power license. Ask for the statute. If nobody can point to an Indiana Code chapter that creates that license, you are buying a frame for the wall.
On a construction site with employees, you also owe federal construction electrical rules. Indiana runs its own OSHA plan (IOSHA), so those jobsite rules do not vanish because the town is small.[3] GFCI on the temporary receptacles is the one people skip. It is also the one that gets them cited.[1]
Rent cord-and-plug generators that the customer plugs in and you look more like an equipment dealer than an electrical contractor. The second you make terminations, set a meter base, or build temporary feeder, you crossed into permitted work. Confirm with the building official on that site, not a Facebook group.
Homeowners sometimes pull their own permit for work on a dwelling they occupy. That break, if it exists, is local and narrow. It does not cover rental property, commercial work, or a temp power shop serving other people's jobs. Confirm the homeowner rule in that county before you treat it as a plan.
What does a temp power license in Indiana actually mean?
People use that phrase for four different papers. Mixing them up is how you waste a winter.
First is the right to contract electrical work. That is a local electrical contractor license where the city or county issues one. It is not an Indiana Professional Licensing Agency card. Second is the job permit, the electrical permit for that address. Third is utility permission to set a temporary meter or a temporary drop. Fourth is the employer duty under OSHA for temporary wiring and GFCI protection on construction sites.[1][2]
None of those four papers is named temp power license.
The state still matters. The Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission adopts the Indiana Electrical Code in 675 IAC 17.[7] Class 1 structures also need a design release from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security before you construct or alter them.[4][6] A big commercial pad is not the same path as a pole barn.
Came from a statewide-board state? This feels upside down. Indiana leaves the contractor card to local government and keeps the code at the state. Compare that to a temp power license in Texas if you work both sides of the line. Same job. Different counter.
Who issues the paper for temp power in Indiana?
The local building department issues the electrical permit. That is the paper you will touch on almost every install.
The serving utility issues the temporary service agreement and the meter. Duke Energy, AES Indiana, NIPSCO, Indiana Michigan Power, and the rural REMCs each run their own construction desk and their own construction charges. Call the utility whose lines are on the pole. There is no generic Indiana power window.
IDHS issues design releases for Class 1 work.[6] IC 22-15-3 is the design release chapter.[4] IC 22-12-1 is where Class 1 and Class 2 structures are defined.[5] If an architect already filed a design release for the building, the temp power is usually a local permit sitting under that job, not a second state license.
Cities issue contractor licenses only if they chose to. Indiana local units have home rule authority to regulate local affairs.[9] That is why Indianapolis can require a licensed electrical contractor while a small county may only care that the work is permitted and inspected.
IOSHA does not license you. It cites you. Different animal.
Write the names down. Building official. Utility construction clerk. IDHS plan review if the structure is Class 1. Those are the only people whose answers count on that address.
How much does temp power cost in Indiana?
There is no statewide price. Anyone who quotes one number for temp power in Indiana is guessing or selling.
Your real stack is local permit fees, utility construction charges, equipment (own or rent), fuel, insurance, and labor. Permit fees live on the city or county fee schedule. I will not invent Indianapolis or Allen County numbers here, because those schedules change and I would be wrong by next budget year. Pull the current fee table from the same department that will inspect you.
Utility temporary service charges sit in each utility's tariff or its construction policy. Confirm the temporary overhead or temporary underground charge with that desk for the exact site. Line extensions and transformer work can dwarf the meter fee.
Generator packages move with the kW, the fuel, and how far you roll. A small towable for a garage rebuild is a different invoice than a 480V plant outage. Get three current rental quotes. Last year's Facebook price is not a bid.
Business paper is separate. File the entity through INBiz and confirm the current Secretary of State filing fee on that site before you write the check.[10] Register the tax accounts that actually apply with the Indiana Department of Revenue.[11] An EIN from the IRS is free.[14] Worker's compensation is required for most employers with employees under IC 22-3-2.[12] General liability is a market quote, not a statute.
| Item | Who sets it | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide temp power license | No Indiana agency | Do not buy one |
| Local electrical contractor card | City or county, if they license | Confirm application and exam |
| Electrical permit | Local building department | Pull before you install |
| Design release | IDHS | Confirm if the structure is Class 1 |
| Utility temp service | Serving utility | File their construction application |
| GFCI and temp wiring | OSHA / IOSHA | Build it into the install |
| Worker's compensation | IC 22-3-2 plus your carrier | Confirm if you have employees |
Waste of money: a national temp power license package, a full 480V cable farm before you have a signed job, and paying a fixer to stand in line at a board that does not license this trade.
How long does temp power take in Indiana?
Nobody can honestly give you one statewide clock. Processing time is local, and it moves with season, inspection backlog, and whether the utility has to set a pole.
A simple electrical permit for a contractor the city already knows, on a small job, is often measured in days once the application is clean. Confirm current turnaround with that building department. I will not promise a number.
City electrical contractor licensing, where it exists, is the long pole if you are new. Exam seats, insurance certificates, and board dates can eat weeks. Confirm with that city. There is no approval guarantee.
Utility temporary service can be fast when the transformer is there and the temp pole is ready. It gets slow when they owe you a line extension. Ask the utility for the construction lead time on that address. Storm restoration jumps the line. They will not care about your concrete pour date unless you filed early.
IDHS design release time is its own queue. Confirm with plan review.[6]
Business formation through INBiz is usually the shortest piece if your filing is clean.[10] Still confirm. Do not schedule a first energized date on a hope.
A salesperson who guarantees two weeks, statewide, is not reading Indiana paper. Nobody has a clean public dataset of average temp service wait times across the state. The closest honest answer is the construction desk on that feeder.
What permits do you need for construction temp power?
You pull a local electrical permit for the temporary installation unless the building official tells you in writing that the work is exempt. Get that in writing.
The permit is how the inspector sees the temp service, the grounding, the GFCI protection, and the disconnecting means before the utility seals a meter. Skip it and you can fail the permanent inspection later, or get the temp tag pulled.
On Class 1 structures, confirm whether the electrical drawings for temporary and permanent power sit under the IDHS design release.[4][6] Do not assume a state design release replaces the local permit. It usually does not.
Some sites also need a right-of-way permit if the temp pole sits in the county or city right-of-way. Call 811 before you drive ground rods or dig for a temp pole. Indiana's damage-to-underground-facilities law is IC 8-1-26.[13]
Special events (fairs, street festivals) often run through a fire marshal or special events office, not the same counter as a house. Ask which official owns generators and tents on that date.
I pull the electrical permit first, file the utility temp service second, and call 811 before anyone puts a shovel in. That order saves the most grief. The inspector wants to see listed gear, a solid ground, and a way to kill the service without hunting through mud.
Is a jobsite generator licensed the same as a temp service?
No. Cord-and-plug rental and a utility temporary service are different jobs.
Drop a generator, let the customer plug a listed cord into a listed inlet, never land feeders, and many jurisdictions treat you as an equipment vendor. You still owe safe equipment, working GFCI where the jobsite rules require it, and whatever business licenses the city wants for rental companies. Confirm. Do not take my word as a permit.
Install a temporary meter base, mast, or panel, or hardwire a generator to a building, and that is electrical contracting. Local license (if any), electrical permit, inspection. The utility will not energize a temp service for an unlicensed installer in a city that requires a licensed contractor. They will ask who the electrician of record is.
480V work is where people get cocky and get hurt. If you do not already live in 480V, do not learn it on a customer's outage. A paper kit can help you list cable, fuel, and 480V checks before a job. TempPowerPath sells a $179 one-time Cable + Fuel + 480V Kit for that kind of field prep. It is not a license and it does not pull a permit.
Fuel planning is part of the job even when the electrical paper is light. A diesel towable that runs dry at 2 a.m. is not a code violation. It is how you lose the next contract.
What OSHA temporary wiring rules apply in Indiana?
OSHA construction rules apply on Indiana construction sites with employees. Indiana operates a state plan covering private and public sector workers.[3]
29 CFR 1926.404 requires ground-fault protection. The text says: "All 120-volt, single-phase 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets on construction sites, which are not a part of the permanent wiring of the building or structure and which are in use by employees, shall have approved ground-fault circuit interrupters for personnel protection."[1]
29 CFR 1926.405 covers temporary wiring methods. It says: "Temporary electrical power and lighting wiring methods may be of a class less than would be required for a permanent installation." The rest of the permanent-wiring rules still apply except as modified.[2]
Those two sentences are the ones I would tape inside a gang box. GFCI is not a courtesy. Neither are strain relief, listed cords, and keeping temp lights off flammable junk.
IOSHA can inspect. A city electrical inspector can fail you. Both can be right on the same day. The code edition in 675 IAC 17 is the one the local inspector will argue from.[7] Confirm that edition with IDHS before you quote chapter and verse from a newer handbook you bought online.
Assured equipment grounding conductor programs exist in the OSHA text as an alternative path. Most small temp power shops should not pick that fight. Put GFCI on the receptacles and move on.
What business filings do you need to sell temp power?
Start with an entity on INBiz if you want the company to be the contractor, not your personal name on every invoice.[10] Get a free EIN.[14] Open the Indiana tax accounts that match what you actually do. If you sell or rent tangible personal property, you likely need a registered retail merchant certificate. Confirm on the Department of Revenue new-business registration page.[11]
Hire anyone and you plan on worker's compensation. IC 22-3-2 is the chapter.[12] Unemployment insurance registration sits with the Department of Workforce Development. Do not run a crew on a handshake and a pickup.
General liability and hired or non-owned auto are market policies. Utilities and general contractors will ask for certificates with their additional insured language. That is not a state license. It is the price of getting on a site.
Local business licenses exist in some cities. They are a revenue license, not an electrical license. Pay them if the city requires them. Do not confuse the receipt with a contractor card.
Compare the statewide-board path in California or Tennessee if you are moving an existing company. Indiana feels lighter on the front end and messier on the city-by-city end. Read how to start temp power in Tennessee if you want the contrast in startup order.
Does Indianapolis require an electrical contractor license?
Treat Indianapolis as a licensed-contractor city until the building department tells you otherwise in writing. The city runs a real permit desk for electrical work, and it expects a contractor the city recognizes before you pull that permit.[8]
Confirm the current application, exam, insurance minimums, and renewal steps on the city's site. I will not invent a fee or a board date. Those change.
Surrounding counties can be quieter. Some only want a permit and an inspection. Some want you to show a license from a larger city. Some want almost nothing until a complaint shows up. That last group is not a business plan. The Indiana Electrical Code still applies.[7] A bad temp service is still a bad temp service in a township.
I treat Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, and the university towns as call first, bid second. I treat rural REMC territory as call the co-op and the county building official on the same morning.
Work events downtown and you add the special events office and the fire marshal. Generator placement, egress, and fuel cans get more attention than your amp rating.
Other state guides that map this city-versus-state split include temp power license in Alabama and temp power license in Arkansas. Indiana sits in that family, not in the Texas family.
What is a waste of money when starting temp power in Indiana?
A statewide temp power license course is a waste, because the state does not sell that card.
A full cable and transformer inventory before your first paid job is a waste. Rent until a contract repeats.
Paying a consultant to handle the board is a waste if the board they mean is the Professional Licensing Agency. PLA is not your electrical board.
Buying the newest NEC handbook and arguing it to an inspector who is on 675 IAC 17 is a waste of an afternoon. Bring the adopted Indiana Electrical Code.[7]
What I would spend on: the city license where you will actually pull permits, a clean insurance certificate, a listed generator and listed cords, GFCI that works, and time on the phone with the utility construction desk. That is the dull path. It is also the one that gets a meter sealed.
Do not collect licenses in counties you cannot sell. One or two cities you can actually work beat a binder of unused cards.
Want a field checklist for cable, fuel, and 480V before you price a job? Make your own or use a kit. Then go to /start if you want that paper in one place. TempPowerPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. It will not pull your permit.
How do you confirm Indiana temp power rules before you spend?
Call the building official for the site address and ask three things. Do you license electrical contractors. What permit do you want for temporary power. Who inspects before the utility energizes.
Call the utility construction desk with the address and ask for the temporary service application and the current construction charges.
If the building is Class 1, ask IDHS plan review whether a design release is already in and whether temp power is in that package.[6]
Someone claims a statewide electrician or temp power license? Ask them for the statute and the agency that prints the card. If they cannot name both, walk away.
Confirm worker's compensation with your carrier against IC 22-3-2, not against a forum post.[12] Confirm 811 duties against IC 8-1-26 before you drive rods.[13]
Write down the name of the person you spoke with and the date. Indiana paper changes by ordinance and by utility procedure. This article is a map. The official on that job is the last word.
Still comparing states? Read temp power license in Colorado and temp power license in Arizona. Different boards. Same habit. Confirm before you spend.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for temp power in Indiana?
You need local authority to do electrical work, not a statewide temp power card. Indiana does not issue that card. Most installs need a local electrical permit, and some cities require a local electrical contractor license. OSHA rules still apply on construction sites with employees. Confirm with the building official for the site address before you bid.
How much does temp power cost in Indiana?
There is no statewide price. Budget the local electrical permit, the utility's temporary service construction charge, equipment or rental, fuel, and insurance. Permit and utility numbers live on local fee schedules and utility tariffs that change. Confirm both before you write a number on a proposal. An EIN from the IRS is free. Entity filing fees sit on INBiz.
How long does temp power take in Indiana?
There is no honest statewide timeline. A clean local permit can move in days. A new city contractor license can take weeks. Utility temp service depends on whether a line extension or transformer is needed. IDHS design release, if the structure is Class 1, is a separate queue. Confirm each desk. Do not promise a customer a date the utility did not give you.
Is there a state electrician license in Indiana?
Indiana does not run a statewide electrician or electrical contractor license through the Professional Licensing Agency the way some states do. Cities and counties that want a contractor card issue their own. The state still adopts the electrical code and reviews Class 1 design releases. Ask the city on the job, then ask PLA only if someone claims they already hold a state card.
Can a homeowner install temporary power in Indiana?
Sometimes, on a dwelling they occupy, if that local department allows a homeowner permit. The rule is local and narrow. It does not cover rental property, commercial sites, or work you do for other people as a business. Confirm the homeowner exemption with that building department in writing before you buy gear or call the utility.
Do I need a permit for a jobsite generator?
If the generator is cord-and-plug and nobody hardwires it, some departments treat it as equipment, not an electrical install. If you land feeders, add a transfer setup, or build temporary distribution, expect an electrical permit. Construction sites with employees still need GFCI protection on the temporary receptacles. Ask the building official for that address. Get the answer in writing.
What utility handles temporary service in Indiana?
The utility that already owns the lines on that site. That may be Duke Energy, AES Indiana, NIPSCO, Indiana Michigan Power, or a rural REMC. Each shop has its own temporary service application and construction charges. Call the construction desk with the service address. Do not file with the wrong utility and wait for a meter that was never going to show up.
Does OSHA apply to temp power on Indiana construction sites?
Yes, when you have employees on a construction site. Indiana operates an OSHA state plan through IOSHA. 29 CFR 1926.404 requires GFCI protection on 120-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets that are not permanent wiring and are in use by employees. 29 CFR 1926.405 sets temporary wiring methods. City inspectors can still fail the same install under 675 IAC 17.
Do I need worker's compensation to run a temp power crew?
If you have employees, plan on it. IC 22-3-2 is the Indiana worker's compensation chapter, with limited statutory exemptions. A one-person shop with no employees is a different conversation with your carrier. General contractors will still ask for a certificate before you step on their site. Confirm coverage with the carrier against the statute, not against a forum post.
What is the Indiana Electrical Code?
It is the electrical code adopted by the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission and published in 675 IAC 17. Local inspectors use that adopted edition, not whatever NEC handbook you bought last month. IDHS posts adopted building and fire codes. Confirm the current edition with IDHS or the local building official before you argue a newer article on a jobsite.
Can I rent spider boxes without an electrical license?
Renting listed cord-and-plug distribution as equipment is often treated as rental, not contracting. Installing that gear as temporary wiring, making terminations, or tying it to a meter base is electrical work. The line is the termination, not the catalog photo. Confirm with the building official on that site. OSHA GFCI rules still apply if employees will use the receptacles.
Do I need an EIN to start a temp power company in Indiana?
If you form an entity, hire anyone, or open business tax accounts, get an EIN. The IRS issues it online at no charge. Indiana still wants the entity filed through INBiz and the tax accounts that match what you sell or rent filed with the Department of Revenue. The EIN is the easy piece. The local contractor card, where it exists, is the slow one.
What happens if I skip the 811 call before setting ground rods?
You can hit a buried line and you can also violate IC 8-1-26, Indiana's damage-to-underground-facilities law. Call 811 and wait the required locate window before you drive rods or dig for a temp pole. The electrical permit does not replace the locate. Utilities are unforgiving about this, and they should be.
Sources
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.404 Wiring design and protection: Construction sites must protect employee-used 120-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets that are not permanent wiring with approved GFCIs (or an assured equipment grounding conductor program).
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.405 Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use: Temporary electrical power and lighting wiring methods may be of a class less than a permanent installation, while other permanent-wiring requirements still apply except as modified.
- OSHA Indiana State Plan page: Indiana operates an OSHA-approved State Plan covering private and public sector workers, administered through IOSHA.
- Indiana Code IC 22-15-3 Design Releases: IC 22-15-3 is the Indiana chapter that governs design releases for construction and alteration of Class 1 structures.
- Indiana Code IC 22-12-1 Definitions: IC 22-12-1 defines Class 1 and Class 2 structures used to decide when state design-release rules apply.
- Indiana Administrative Code 675 IAC 17 Indiana Electrical Code: 675 IAC 17 is the Indiana Electrical Code adopted by the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission and used by local inspectors.
- City of Indianapolis electrical permit activity: Indianapolis issues local electrical permits through its building department for electrical installations in the city.
- Indiana Code IC 36-1-3 Home Rule: Indiana local units have home rule powers, which is how cities can require local electrical contractor licenses even without a statewide card.
- Indiana INBiz business filing home: Indiana business entities are filed through the Secretary of State's INBiz system. Confirm the current filing fee on that site.
- Indiana Code IC 22-3-2 Worker's Compensation: IC 22-3-2 is the Indiana worker's compensation chapter that generally requires employers with employees to comply, subject to statutory exemptions.
- Indiana Code IC 8-1-26 Damage to Underground Facilities: IC 8-1-26 requires notice before excavation, which includes digging for temp poles and driving ground rods after an 811 locate.
- IRS Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) online: The IRS issues an EIN online at no charge for eligible entities.