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Already licensed? See exactly what each state makes you do to work there. Starting out? See the hours, exams, and fees it takes to earn the license from scratch. Every answer cites the statute or board page and the date we last checked.
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Trades
Electrician license reciprocity
Journeyman and Master levels · 51 of 51 states documented
HVAC Technician license reciprocity
Journeyman and Master levels · 51 of 51 states documented
Plumber license reciprocity
Journeyman and Master levels · 51 of 51 states documented
Contractor license reciprocity
Residential and General levels · 51 of 51 states documented
Home Inspector license reciprocity
51 of 51 states documented
The four answers a state can give
- Reciprocity· Exam waived
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
- Endorsement· Board review
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
- Experience credit· Hours transfer
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
- No credit· Start over
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Boards and trade publications blur these together. We keep them separate because the difference decides whether you sit an exam. How we classify.