Arkansas to North Dakota: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
North Dakota has a reciprocity agreement with Arkansas: a Arkansas journeyman electrician can get a North Dakota license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Arkansas (journeyman)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
NDSEB lists Arkansas among its journeyman reciprocal license states under the multi-state (NERA) reciprocal licensing group. An Arkansas journeyman who passed Arkansas's written exam, holds a license that is current, active and in good standing, has held it continuously for the year before applying, and documents 8,000 hours under a contracting master in a jurisdiction with licensing and inspection rules similar to North Dakota's receives a North Dakota Journeyman license without a written exam. Applicants who failed the North Dakota exam are not eligible, and an applicant whose apprenticeship lacked related training and whose experience was mostly earned in North Dakota is excluded. If Arkansas does not require continuing education, proof of an ND-approved 8-hour code class is required. File form SFN 61913 with the $25 application fee; the $25 license fee is paid after approval.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Arkansas license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Arkansas license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your Arkansas license for at least 1 year.Held continuously during the one year prior to requesting reciprocity
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Under the supervision of a contracting master where electrical construction work is done under licensing and inspection rules similar to North Dakota's
- Not eligible if the applicant has failed the North Dakota written examination
- Not eligible if the apprenticeship did not include related training and the majority of practical experience was obtained in North Dakota with a North Dakota-based contractor
- If reciprocating from a state that does not require continuing education, proof of completing an ND-approved 8-hour code-related class
What you'll do to get licensed in North Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25). Reciprocal journeyman application fee (SFN 61913).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). Journeyman license fee, due after the reciprocal application is approved.
Published fees on this path total $50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How North Dakota licenses journeyman electricians
North Dakota journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB)
North Dakota issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB). A new applicant needs 8,000 hours of experience installing and repairing electrical wiring, earned over not less than three years while registered as an apprentice under a contracting master or master of record in a jurisdiction with licensing and inspection rules similar to North Dakota's, and must pass the board-administered journeyman exam (one-hour closed-book and 3.5-hour open-book sections, 70% to pass). An applicant whose experience was mostly earned in North Dakota must also have completed related apprenticeship training (two years of electrical school, 576 hours of classes or a recognized apprenticeship program). The application fee is $25 and the license fee is $25 per year; journeyman licenses expire March 31. North Dakota belongs to the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA) and has journeyman reciprocity with 13 states, for which no written exam is required.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the North Dakota journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Arkansas?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Arkansas.
- How long do I need to have held my Arkansas license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a North Dakota journeyman electrician license from Arkansas?
- Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- North Dakota Century Code Chapter 43-09 - Electricians · NDCC §§43-09-10, 43-09-11, 43-09-13, 43-09-15, 43-09-25 · North Dakota Legislative Branch · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Applying for an Electrical License · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Exam Dates & Information · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NDSEB 2026 Laws, Rules, Wiring and Conveyance Standards of North Dakota (effective 07/01/2026) · NDAC 24.1-03-01-01, 24.1-03-01-02, 24.1-03-01-03, 24.1-03-01-07 · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Qualifications for Licensure · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Reciprocal License Agreements & Requirements · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- NDSEB Form SFN 61913 - Application for Electrician's License by Reciprocity (12-2020) · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Form · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.