An electrician license does not travel with you. Reciprocity is a written deal between two states: if you already passed one state's exam and you have held that license long enough, the other state may issue its own license without making you sit its test. You still apply, pay, and wait for the new card. Your IBEW journeyman ticket does not replace that step.
The table is alphabetical for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A state can accept journeyman licenses and refuse master licenses, or the reverse. Membership in the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance is not itself a reciprocity agreement. NERA's own membership form says the bylaws are not a deal between member states. What matters is the receiving board's current partner list.
Live openings are on the job call map and the Hot Spots dashboard.
How to read a row
Use the same five questions in every state:
- Which license class does the agreement cover? Journeyman, master, and contractor are different deals.
- Did you earn the home license by that state's exam? Grandfathered cards and city cards usually fail this test.
- How long have you held it, and is it active and in good standing on the day you apply?
- Does the receiving state still want hours, an apprenticeship record, or a letter from the home board?
- Are you allowed to work on the old card while the new application sits in a queue? In the states checked for this guide, the answer is no. The agreement produces a new state license. It does not let the old one function as a work permit.
GoHereBro tracks 300 IBEW locals. Partner lists below were taken from the board page named in the row. Fees and partners change. If a row says the incoming list was not confirmed, that means this update did not find a current partner table on that state's site. Call that board before you pay.
State by state
| Where you want to work | What the current source says | Where to read the steps |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Texas, on its live out-of-state page checked October 6, 2026, accepts an Alabama journeyman and an Alabama master. Alabama's own incoming partner list was not confirmed as a full table in this update. | Texas reciprocity |
| Alaska | Alaska Labor lists journeyman reciprocity with Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Utah is no longer on that list. You must have tested, held the license at least one year, and still be active. The posted fee is $250: $50 to apply and $200 for a two-year license. | Alaska page linked in this row |
| Arizona | Arizona does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license. | TSMC Arizona and Local 640 |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Labor lists journeyman agreements with Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A master from those states transfers as an Arkansas journeyman, except Iowa, North Dakota, Oregon, and Texas, which are the master agreements. You cannot reciprocate a license you already got by reciprocity. Wyoming applicants need a USDOL apprenticeship of at least 576 classroom hours. | Arkansas page linked in this row |
| California | California requires its own General Electrician certification. A home-state journeyman license does not replace it. | California electrician license |
| Colorado | DORA's journeyman list in the Colorado guide, from the board's September 21, 2026 materials: Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming. Colorado does not issue a master license by reciprocity. | Colorado electrician license |
| Connecticut | No Connecticut partner table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Montana's journeyman checklist treats Connecticut as an endorsement state: active license, held one year, state exam of at least 75 percent, no active complaints. That is Montana's rule for incoming Connecticut licenses, not Connecticut's rule for everyone else. | Montana journeyman checklist |
| Delaware | No Delaware partner table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Maryland's electrician board says it reciprocates a master license from Delaware, along with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Maryland does not treat that as a journeyman transfer. | Maryland how to apply |
| District of Columbia | DLCP says Maryland and Virginia journeyman and master licenses, if earned by exam and still in good standing, can be licensed without the DC exam. An older DLCP instruction sheet still says journeyman reciprocity is Virginia only. Checked October 6, 2026. | DC electrical license. Calls: Local 26 traveler guide |
| Florida | Florida statute 489.5335 lets counties and cities issue journeyman licenses and requires them to recognize a journeyman license issued by another Florida county or city. That is Florida-to-Florida. It is not a waiver for an out-of-state state license. The state licenses electrical contractors. | Florida statute linked in this row |
| Georgia | Georgia licenses electrical contractors, not a statewide journeyman. Contractor reciprocity on the Secretary of State how-to guide is Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. That is not a personal journeyman card. | Local 613 Atlanta guide |
| Hawaii | No Hawaii partner table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Montana lists Hawaii as an endorsement state under the same 75 percent and one-year conditions it uses for Connecticut. | Montana checklist linked above |
| Idaho | DOPL's October 26, 2020 reciprocal sheet and its August 2024 journeyman application name different partner states. Oregon is a separate agreement. Checked October 6, 2026. | Idaho electrical license reciprocity |
| Illinois | No statewide journeyman partner list was confirmed on a state board page for this update. Cities set their own electrician cards. Confirm the city on the call. | City on the call |
| Indiana | Same pattern as Illinois. No statewide journeyman reciprocity table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Ask the city that will inspect the job. | City on the call |
| Iowa | The Iowa guide, checked July 13, 2026, lists 13 journeyman reciprocity states and a separate master map. A one-year hold, a 70 percent exam, and either an approved apprenticeship or 16,000 licensed hours all have to be met. | Iowa electrical license |
| Kansas | No statewide journeyman reciprocity table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Local cards are the ones that show up on calls. | City on the call |
| Kentucky | DHBC checklists posted for electrical applicants name Ohio (contractor license becomes a Kentucky contractor and master), and Virginia or West Virginia (master or journeyman). One checklist also names a Louisiana contractor and master license held active for three years. Use the PDF on dhbc.ky.gov the day you file. Phone (502) 573-2002. | Local 369 Louisville guide |
| Louisiana | Texas accepts a Louisiana state electrical contractor license as a Texas master, and the applicant must live in Louisiana. That is not a journeyman-to-journeyman deal. Kentucky's checklist conflict on Louisiana is described in the Louisville guide. | Texas reciprocity |
| Maine | Arkansas, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, and North Dakota each publish an incoming agreement that names a Maine journeyman. Maine's own full incoming table was not re-read on October 6, 2026. Call Maine before you rely on the reverse direction. | Those states' rows |
| Maryland | The Maryland Board of Electricians says a journeyman license reciprocates only with Virginia: valid, obtained by exam or a Virginia apprenticeship, held at least one year, and printed as a journeyperson license. Master reciprocity on that page is Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, and some local masters obtained by exam. | Maryland page linked in this row |
| Massachusetts | The Board FAQ says Massachusetts reciprocates journeyman and master licenses with New Hampshire only. Everyone else sits the Massachusetts exam. An out-of-state master can be used to waive the one-year Massachusetts journeyman hold when you apply for the master exam, after you hold the Massachusetts journeyman license. | Mass.gov FAQ linked in this row |
| Michigan | A LARA verification form states that Michigan does not reciprocate with any other state. Out-of-state experience can be submitted for exam approval. You still test. | Michigan form linked in this row |
| Minnesota | DLI issues a Class A journeyworker license without the Minnesota exam from Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, including an equivalent master from those states. Class A master reciprocity is Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. One-year hold, state exam, current, no failed Minnesota exam of the same or higher class. The reciprocity application fee on that page is $50, then the license fee after approval. | Minnesota page linked in this row |
| Mississippi | No statewide journeyman partner table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Confirm the city inspector before you treat a home-state card as enough. | City on the call |
| Missouri | The Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors licenses electrical contractors. That office does not advertise a statewide journeyman license. Some cities still card the individual. | Missouri contractor office linked in this row |
| Montana | The journeyman checklist lists reciprocal states Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Active, good standing, held one year. Endorsement, a separate path on the same checklist, names Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia: active, one year, state exam of at least 75 percent, no active complaints. Reciprocity fee on the checklist is $250. Exam-route application fee is $240. Phone (406) 444-5711. | Montana checklist linked in this row |
| Nebraska | The Nebraska reciprocal page, as it rendered on October 6, 2026, names Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, and Iowa, and it tells you to call before applying. Posted conditions include a state exam of at least 75 percent and one year in good standing. If a Nebraska license lapses, the page says you test to get it back. Phone (402) 471-3550. Other states list Nebraska on their incoming tables. That does not enlarge Nebraska's own list. | Nebraska page linked in this row |
| Nevada | Nevada licenses electrical contractors through the State Contractors Board. A statewide journeyman card was not part of the contractor license described for this update. Confirm the local jurisdiction on the call. | City or county on the call |
| New Hampshire | Massachusetts says New Hampshire is its only journeyman and master partner. Wisconsin's guide says Wisconsin reciprocates with Iowa and New Hampshire only. New Hampshire's own full incoming table was not re-checked on October 6, 2026. | Wisconsin guide and the Massachusetts FAQ |
| New Jersey | No New Jersey partner table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Montana lists New Jersey as an endorsement state under the 75 percent and one-year conditions. Utah's 2022 endorsement sheet tells New Jersey applicants to document exams equivalent to Utah's journeyman exams. | Montana checklist and Utah endorsement sheet |
| New Mexico | The Construction Industries Division continuing-education page lists journeyman-only reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. You need a journeyman credential earned by exam after a four-year apprenticeship or four years the other state counted as equivalent, and the license must be current. An older 2012 link sheet is not this list. | New Mexico page linked in this row |
| New York | No statewide journeyman license was confirmed on October 6, 2026. New York City licenses master electricians and special electricians through its Department of Buildings. Other cities write their own rules. | City on the call |
| North Carolina | The 2025 West Virginia reciprocity application from the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors is for a West Virginia master electrical contractor license held three consecutive years. The qualifier still takes a 25-question North Carolina laws, rules, and business exam and needs 70 percent. Texas accepts a North Carolina master electrician or unlimited electrical contractor toward a Texas master. This is a contractor credential, not a traveler's journeyman card. | North Carolina form linked in this row |
| North Dakota | The North Dakota guide's reciprocal application lists journeyman reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Master reciprocity on that form is Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. | North Dakota electrical license |
| Ohio | Texas announced a master agreement with Ohio on June 5, 2026. TDLR treats an Ohio master electrical contractor license as the match for a Texas master. Ohio's own incoming journeyman table was not confirmed in this update. | Texas reciprocity |
| Oklahoma | The Construction Industries Board lists journeyman reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The license cannot be grandfathered, and you must have held it at least one year. The May 2022 application prints $75 for an electrical journeyman license, reciprocal or not: $50 license and $25 processing. | Oklahoma page linked in this row |
| Oregon | Building Codes Division journeyman (J) reciprocity: Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. Washington applicants have an added apprenticeship rule. California and Texas are not on that list. | Oregon electrician license |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide journeyman reciprocity table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Cities and townships license separately. | City on the call |
| Rhode Island | No Rhode Island partner table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Montana lists Rhode Island as an endorsement state under the 75 percent and one-year conditions. | Montana checklist linked above |
| South Carolina | No South Carolina journeyman partner table was confirmed on October 6, 2026. Georgia's contractor reciprocity names South Carolina for the contractor license, which is not a personal journeyman card. | Local 613 guide |
| South Dakota | Electrical Commission agreements for journeyman, and in some cases contractor or master equivalents: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming. Maine, Vermont, and Wisconsin are listed as NERA states without an agreement. Checked October 6, 2026. | South Dakota electrical license |
| Tennessee | Tennessee does not issue a statewide journeyman license. The Limited Licensed Electrician card has no out-of-state exam waiver, and Nashville is on the state's list of places that do not accept it. Larger work uses a contractor license with a CE classification. Texas accepts a Tennessee electrical contractor license toward a Texas master. | Local 429 Nashville guide |
| Texas | TDLR journeyman agreements: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming. Master agreements: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa Class A, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee. No reciprocity for industrial, residential, sign, or lineman licenses. Checked October 6, 2026. | Texas reciprocity application. Calls: Texas data center guide |
| Utah | Wyoming's licensing page accepts a Utah journeyman, and Colorado's list accepts one. Utah's own 2022 endorsement sheet still describes the Utah journeyman exam, and it says a city or county card can only document part of the qualifications. Do not treat a Utah city card as a state journeyman license. | Wyoming and Colorado rows |
| Vermont | Arkansas lists a Vermont journeyman agreement. South Dakota lists Vermont as a NERA state without a South Dakota agreement. Vermont's own incoming table was not confirmed on October 6, 2026. | Arkansas row and the South Dakota guide |
| Virginia | The Board for Contractors list covers the District of Columbia, Kentucky, and West Virginia for journeyman and master, Maryland for master only, and an Alabama electrical contractor license toward a Virginia master. Universal license recognition is a separate three-year path and still requires an application. | Local 666 Richmond guide |
| Washington | L&I journey-level (01) reciprocity is Oregon only. Washington left its other agreements in 2009. | Washington electrician license |
| West Virginia | Virginia and Kentucky publish journeyman agreements that name West Virginia. Maryland publishes a master agreement. North Carolina's 2025 form takes a West Virginia master electrical contractor license held three years, then a short North Carolina business exam. West Virginia's own full incoming table was not confirmed on October 6, 2026. | Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, and North Carolina rows |
| Wisconsin | The Wisconsin guide says journeyman reciprocity is Iowa and New Hampshire only. | Wisconsin journeyman electrician license |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety lists journeyman reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah. You still need 8,000 hours on the job and 576 hours of apprenticeship school. The exam waiver requires a score of at least 70 percent and one year from the exam date, with no violations. Oregon and Utah verifications must be emailed by those boards to [email protected]. | Wyoming page linked in this row |
Direction matters. South Dakota will consider a Texas journeyman or master for a South Dakota license. Texas accepts a South Dakota journeyman and does not list a South Dakota master. Read the row for the state where the job sits.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is electrician license reciprocity?
It is an agreement that lets a person who already holds a specific license in one state apply for an equivalent license in another state, usually without taking the second state's exam. The new state still issues its own license.
Does electrician license reciprocity work in every state?
No. Washington accepts Oregon only. Michigan's verification form says it reciprocates with nobody. Texas publishes two different lists. Several states do not license journeymen statewide at all.
Which states do not issue a statewide journeyman license?
Arizona and Georgia do not. Tennessee does not. Florida leaves the journeyman card to counties and cities under section 489.5335. Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, New York, and Pennsylvania did not have a statewide journeyman partner table on a board page checked for this update, and cities in those states often license locally. Missouri and Nevada license the contractor at the state level.
Can I work on my home-state license while reciprocity is pending?
No. The agreements described here are applications for a new license. They are not permission to work on the out-of-state card during the review.
Does an IBEW journeyman ticket count as reciprocity?
No. Boards ask for the state license you earned by examination. The union classification is a separate credential.
Is NERA the same as a reciprocal license?
No. NERA's membership form says its bylaws are not a reciprocity agreement between member states. South Dakota lists Maine, Vermont, and Wisconsin as NERA states it does not have an agreement with.
Which page do I trust when two states disagree?
Trust the board in the state where you want to work, and trust the page that shows today's partner list over an older PDF. Texas is the clearest example: a February 2026 TDLR summary still lists Montana and omits Alabama, Ohio, and Tennessee, while the live out-of-state page checked October 6, 2026 does the opposite. Idaho's 2020 sheet and its August 2024 application disagree the same way.
Official sources
Checked October 6, 2026, unless the row names an earlier guide date:
- Alaska reciprocal journeyman license
- Arkansas reciprocal agreements
- Florida statute 489.5335
- Maryland how to apply
- Massachusetts electrician FAQ
- Michigan out-of-state verification form
- Minnesota electrical license reciprocity
- Missouri Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors
- Montana journeyman checklist
- Nebraska reciprocal information
- New Mexico reciprocal agreements
- North Carolina West Virginia reciprocity application, 2025
- Oklahoma reciprocity guidelines
- TDLR out-of-state electrician page
- South Dakota reciprocal agreements
- Utah journeyman endorsement sheet, September 2022
- Wyoming electrical licensing
- DC Board of Industrial Trades
- NERA membership form, for the statement that the bylaws are not a reciprocity agreement
- The linked GoHereBro guides for Texas, Idaho, Iowa, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, Wisconsin, California, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee
Confirm the partner list with the receiving board before you pay an application fee or give notice at home.
