Electrician License Reciprocity by State (2026)
No electrician compact — licensure is state or local
Electrician licences do not transfer through a national compact. Licensing sits with state boards and, in many places, with cities and counties, so the authority and the requirements change as you cross a state line.
- Covers:
- Individual state or local electrician licences.
- Governing body:
- Each state electrical board, or the local jurisdiction where the state does not license
What to know before you rely on it
- Some states license electricians statewide; others leave it to municipalities, so there may be no state licence to transfer.
- Bilateral agreements between specific state boards exist and can waive the trade exam, but they apply state-pair by state-pair rather than nationally.
- NASCLA accredits separate electrical examinations, but only a small number of jurisdictions currently accept them.
- Journeyman and master licences are usually graded separately and do not transfer on the same terms.
Verify this first: Identify the actual licensing authority for your destination — it may be a city, not the state — and ask about local reciprocal agreements.
NASCLA ↗State-by-state reciprocity notes
12 of 51 states have a published reciprocity note in our dataset. For the remaining states, the note is not published — check both state boards before you move. Installs and repairs electrical systems. Journeyman licenses are issued by state or municipal boards; most require an apprenticeship and a state exam.
| State | Reciprocity note | Verify with |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | No state journeyman license — AZ licenses electrical contracting businesses (C-11 commercial / CR-11 residential / L-11 dual) via the Registrar of Contractors; some cities (Phoenix, Tucson) require local journeyman cards | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) ↗ |
| California | No formal reciprocity — CA issues certifications (not licenses) via DIR/DLSE; out-of-state hours/certifications are reviewed individually | California Department of Industrial Relations — Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Electrician Certification Unit ↗ |
| Florida | No state-level journeyman license — FL licenses electrical CONTRACTORS only (Certified EC statewide / Registered ER local) via the ECLB/DBPR; several counties (e.g. Miami-Dade, Broward) issue local journeyman licenses | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) — Electrical Contractors Licensing Board ↗ |
| Georgia | No state-level journeyman license — GA licenses electrical CONTRACTORS (Class I restricted / Class II unrestricted) via the Construction Industry Licensing Board; individual electricians work under a contractor license | Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) — Division of Electrical Contractors ↗ |
| Illinois | No state license — electrician licensing is municipal in Illinois (Chicago Department of Buildings; other municipalities vary); there is no statewide board, exam or license | City of Chicago Department of Buildings (no state-level electrician license in Illinois) ↗ |
| Michigan | No — Michigan does not hold reciprocity with any other state (per LARA) | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) — Bureau of Construction Codes, Electrical Administrative Board ↗ |
| New York | No state license — electrician licensing is local in New York (NYC DOB Master/Special Electrician; upstate cities and counties license separately) | New York City Department of Buildings (licensing is at the local, not state, level) ↗ |
| North Carolina | Contractor-based licensing — the NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors licenses electrical contracting businesses (Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited); no state-issued journeyman license | North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors ↗ |
| Ohio | No state journeyman license — OCILB licenses electrical CONTRACTORS (commercial) at the state level; only the cities of Hamilton and Middletown require local journeyman licenses | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce ↗ |
| Pennsylvania | No state license — electrician licensing is local in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other municipalities); there is no state-level electrician board | Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections (no state-level electrician license in Pennsylvania) ↗ |
| Texas | Partial — no blanket reciprocity; TDLR may credit verifiable out-of-state experience toward the 8,000-hour requirement | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Electrician Program ↗ |
| Washington | Yes — Oregon only, for the 01 General Journey Level certificate (bilateral) | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) — Electrical Program ↗ |
| Alabama | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Alaska | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Arkansas | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Colorado | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Connecticut | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Delaware | check both state boards | board site pending |
| District of Columbia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Hawaii | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Idaho | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Indiana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Iowa | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Kansas | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Kentucky | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Louisiana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Maine | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Maryland | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Massachusetts | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Minnesota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Mississippi | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Missouri | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Montana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Nebraska | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Nevada | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Hampshire | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Jersey | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Mexico | check both state boards | board site pending |
| North Dakota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Oklahoma | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Oregon | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Rhode Island | check both state boards | board site pending |
| South Carolina | check both state boards | board site pending |
| South Dakota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Tennessee | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Utah | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Vermont | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Virginia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| West Virginia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Wisconsin | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Wyoming | check both state boards | board site pending |
Frequently asked questions
How does a Electrician license transfer between states?
Electrician licences do not transfer through a national compact. Licensing sits with state boards and, in many places, with cities and counties, so the authority and the requirements change as you cross a state line.
Which states participate in No electrician compact — licensure is state or local?
Electrician licences do not transfer through a national compact. Licensing sits with state boards and, in many places, with cities and counties, so the authority and the requirements change as you cross a state line. Confirm the current position with Each state electrical board, or the local jurisdiction where the state does not license.
Does No electrician compact — licensure is state or local mean I skip the exam entirely?
Not automatically. Some states license electricians statewide; others leave it to municipalities, so there may be no state licence to transfer. The only reliable answer for your situation comes from the destination board, so verify before you pay application fees.
Can I transfer my Electrician license to another state?
In our dataset, 12 states have a published reciprocity note (see the table). For every other state the rule is not published here — check both state boards before moving.
What does reciprocity mean for a license?
Reciprocity lets an already-licensed professional from one state qualify for a license in another state without repeating the full education and exam process. Some states have formal agreements or compacts; others require a state-specific exam or extra coursework even when they accept your license. Many states do not grant a license on reciprocity at all — they grant it by comity or endorsement, meaning you still file an application and meet their requirements.
Why do some states say "check both state boards"?
State reciprocity tables are not consistently published in machine-readable form. When a state has not published an official note in our verified sources, we point you to both boards rather than guess. That is the safest answer for a decision that can affect your eligibility to work.
Does holding a license in one state guarantee a license in another?
No. Every state sets its own licensing law. Even in states with reciprocity or a compact, you typically still file an application, pay a fee, pass a background check and sometimes pass a state-specific exam. Always confirm directly with the destination state board.
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Reciprocity rules and compact membership change frequently and are set by each state legislature and board. “Check both state boards” means the note is not published in our dataset — it is not a negative answer. Mechanism data retrieved 2026-09-13; always verify with both boards before relocating.