Florida to North Dakota: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Florida does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is North Dakota's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state journeyman without a reciprocal agreement (licensure by examination)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A journeyman from a state that is not on NDSEB's reciprocity list must qualify for the North Dakota license by examination. Out-of-state hours count: the board accepts electrical construction experience earned under the supervision of a master electrician in any jurisdiction with licensing and inspection rules similar to North Dakota's, and the exam application requires a minimum of 8,000 hours documented on the Employment Verification form (SFN 11845). The related-training requirement (two-year school, 576 hours of classes or a recognized apprenticeship) applies only when the majority of the practical experience was obtained in North Dakota, and 2,000 hours of credit is available to graduates of a board-approved two-year electrical program. The applicant files the exam application with the $25 fee, receives an exam invitation, must test within six months, and needs 70% on the board's journeyman exam; the $25 annual license fee is paid after passing. NDCC 43-09-25 lets the board license electricians from other states on proof of equal qualifications, but the board's published practice limits no-exam licensure to its listed reciprocity partners.
NDAC 24.1-03-01-01 says exam fees are paid separately to the testing center provider 'if required'; no exam fee amount is published on the NDSEB pages or forms opened. The exam covers North Dakota laws, rules and wiring standards as well as the NEC, so there is no separate law exam.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Earned over not less than three years under a contracting master or master of record in a jurisdiction with similar licensing and inspection rules (NDAC 24.1-03-01-03).
- If the majority of practical experience was obtained in North Dakota, must have completed two years of board-approved electrical school, 576 hours of approved training classes, or a board-recognized apprenticeship program
What you'll do to get licensed in North Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25). Journeyman exam application fee (SFN 11858), NDAC 24.1-03-01-01.
- 2Other. Employment Verification form SFN 11845 documenting hours, submitted with the application.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. NDSEB journeyman examination (one-hour closed-book and 3.5-hour open-book sections on the NEC and North Dakota laws, rules and wiring standards; 70% to pass).
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). Annual journeyman license fee, paid after passing the exam; license expires March 31.
Published fees on this path total $50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Trade exam
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.
Why Florida has nothing to transfer
Florida journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician Certificate of Competency (county-issued)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by County and municipal licensing boards (no state journeyman license)
Florida has no state journeyman electrician license. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation says it 'does not license or regulate the journeyman's license' and directs applicants to the county licensing office where they intend to work, and Hillsborough County's instructions add that 'There is no State of Florida requirement for anyone to hold a Journeyman Certificate of Competency.' Under s. 489.5335, F.S., counties and municipalities may issue journeyman electrician licenses to applicants who pass an exam, document apprenticeship or training hours and complete building-code coursework, and every county and municipality must recognize a journeyman license issued by any other Florida county or municipality. The large urban counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Pinellas and others) run journeyman programs with three to six years of experience and a 70-75% open-book exam; elsewhere an electrician simply works as an employee of a certified or registered electrical contractor with no personal license. An out-of-state journeyman license carries no state-level recognition in Florida and none of the county programs reviewed publish an out-of-state reciprocity rule (Miami-Dade reciprocates only with Broward and Palm Beach counties), so an arriving journeyman should expect to document experience and take the county exam in the first county that requires a card, after which that card is portable statewide.
How local licensing works in Florida
How local licensing works. DBPR certifies and registers electrical contractors only. Section 489.5335, F.S. authorizes counties and municipalities to issue journeyman licenses in the electrical and alarm system trades to an individual who passes an exam, documents apprenticeship or training hours, and completes building-code coursework, and subsection (2) requires every county and municipality to recognize a journeyman licensed by any other Florida county or municipality. A journeyman certificate never authorizes contracting; the holder works under a certified or registered electrical contractor.
Miami-Dade County. The Construction Trades Qualifying Board issues journeyman certificates of competency. Applicants need three years of proven experience in the trade (up to one-half may be equivalent education), must pass an open-book exam with 75% or above, and pay $240. Journeymen may work only in the employ of a certificate-holding contractor, one journeyman is required for every three trainees on a permitted site, and continuing education is required each certificate term. The county states it 'only reciprocates with Broward and Palm Beach County in specific trade categories'; reciprocating journeymen must show a 75% or higher exam score, and a Request to Reciprocate letter costs $20.
Broward County. The Building Code Division's Central Examining Boards certify Electrical Journeymen (plus fire alarm, limited energy, solar photovoltaic and electrical sign journeymen). Requirements: at least four years of practical electrical experience, a notarized affidavit from the licensed employer, the last four years of W-2s, and a GITS or ProV exam with a minimum passing grade of 75%; journeymen do not take the Business & Law exam. Since January 1, 2025 the journeyman application fee is $225, renewal $120, and a letter of reciprocity $50. The application offers 'License by Reciprocity' for holders of other Florida county cards.
Hillsborough County. Development Services issues a Journeyman Electrician Certificate of Competency to applicants with 12,000 hours (6 years) as an apprentice under a licensed contractor, or 8,000 hours (4 years) plus completion of a Florida-approved 4-year apprenticeship; graduates of a recognized apprenticeship may already have taken the exam. The exam is open book with a 75% minimum. Fees are $150 to apply and $70 to register the certificate, which does not expire. The county states the certificate 'is recognized in all jurisdictions throughout the State of Florida.'
Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board (PCCLB) certifies journeymen under Chapter 75-489, Laws of Florida; the open-book exam by an independent testing agency has a 70% passing grade, the application fee is $75, and applicants file notarized employer experience certificates plus three character letters.
Out-of-state holders. No county page reviewed describes reciprocity for a journeyman license from another state; Miami-Dade limits reciprocity to two neighboring counties, and Broward's form warns that a lower accepted score 'may not be' reciprocable to another county or state. Palm Beach County's journeyman page could not be opened on this verification date and is not described here.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the North Dakota journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Florida?
- Yes. North Dakota requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a North Dakota journeyman electrician license from Florida?
- Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Florida work hours count in North Dakota?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward North Dakota's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from North Dakota to Florida?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from North Dakota to Florida, the mechanism is not applicable.
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 15, 2026§43-09-10 license classes (master, journeyman, class B, power limited). §43-09-11: master requires one year as a licensed journeyman; journeyman requires 8,000 hours over not less than three years plus approved apprenticeship training or a two-year course of study. §43-09-13: fees set by the board. §43-09-15: licenses issued for one year. §43-09-25: board may grant licenses of the same grade to electricians licensed by other states that provide similar action, on proof of equal qualifications.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Applying for an Electrical License · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Experience must be in a jurisdiction with similar licensing and inspection rules and under the supervision of a master electrician; Employment Verification SFN 11845 must accompany the exam application; passing grade 70%; North Dakota participates in the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA).
- NDSEB Form SFN 11858 - Application for Electrician's License by Exam (11-2020) · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Work experience minimums: 10,000 hours for master (one year and 2,000 hours if an ND journeyman), 8,000 hours for journeyman, 3,000 for Class B. Related training (two-year school, 576 hours of classes, or recognized apprenticeship) is required only if the majority of practical experience was obtained in North Dakota. Application fees: Master $50, Class B $40, Journeyman $25; a separate license fee is charged after passing.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Exam Dates & Information · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Board-administered exams offered roughly every two weeks; master, journeyman and Class B exams have a one-hour closed-book and a 3.5-hour open-book section based on the current NEC and North Dakota laws, rules and wiring standards; passing grade 70%; candidates must test within six months of the invitation; retake waits of 0/3/6 months by score.
- 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 15, 202624.1-03-01-01: application fees master $50, journeyman $25; annual license fees master $50 (expires April 30), journeyman $25 (expires March 31); exam fees paid separately to the testing provider if required. 24.1-03-01-02: master needs 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman; contracting masters and masters of record must show liability insurance. 24.1-03-01-03: journeyman needs 8,000 hours over at least three years in a jurisdiction with similar licensing and inspection rules. 24.1-03-01-07: an apprentice without related training whose majority of experience was in North Dakota is ineligible for exam or reciprocal license.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Qualifications for Licensure · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Master: one year and 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman under a contracting master or master of record; three master categories (contracting master, master of record, non-contracting master). Journeyman: 8,000 hours over not less than three years registered as an apprentice; credits for two-year school (2,000 hours) and other categories.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Reciprocal License Agreements & Requirements · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists the master reciprocity states (Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota) and the 13 journeyman reciprocity states; states the requirements (origin exam passed, license current and in good standing, held continuously one year, 8,000 hours journeyman / 10,000 hours master under a contracting master in a jurisdiction with similar licensing and inspection rules, related-training restriction, 8-hour CE proof if the origin state has no CE, no exam, not eligible if the ND exam was failed) and the fees: application $25 journeyman / $50 master, license fee $25 / $50.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.