Florida to Rhode Island: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Florida does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Rhode Island'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 journeyperson or contractor admitted to the Rhode Island journeyperson exam (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An electrician holding a journeyperson's or contractor's license from any other state applies to DLT for the journeyperson examination under the 'Out-of-State Applicants: Journeyperson Electrician B' code. The application must include a notarized statement from present or past employers detailing all work-related experience, a valid copy of the out-of-state electrician trade license and an official license verification from that state (computer printouts are not accepted), a copy of government-issued ID, and the $75 non-refundable processing fee; the form is signed before a notary. Under 260-RICR-30-15-7 § 7.7.D, holding the out-of-state license is what makes the applicant eligible to sit the Rhode Island journeyperson exam without a Rhode Island-registered apprenticeship; the exam itself is not waived and must be passed at 70%. Applicants who pass are invoiced for the $72 two-year Certificate B license fee. The application instructions state that all journeyperson tests require verification of at least four years of trade experience and 576 hours of approved related instruction.
DLT does not publish whether the 576-hour related-instruction requirement is separately enforced for out-of-state licensees admitted under § 7.7.D, or how it verifies out-of-state schooling; the regulation itself conditions exam admission only on holding the out-of-state license. Applications must be received 15 working days before an exam date. Processing time is not published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Florida license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least four years of trade experience (8,000 hours), verified by notarized employer statements on company letterhead.
- 576 hours of related instruction approved by DLT (per the application instructions for all journeyperson tests)
- At least 18 years of age
What you'll do to get licensed in Rhode Island
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($75). Non-refundable application processing fee for the journeyperson examination (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-17).
- 2Other. Notarized application, copy of government-issued ID, notarized employer experience letters, copy of the out-of-state license and official license verification.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Rhode Island Journeyperson Electrician (Certificate B) examination administered by DLT; 70% required to pass.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($72). Two-year Journeyperson Electrician Class B license fee, invoiced after a passing score (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-16).
Published fees on this path total $147, 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 Rhode Island licenses journeyman electricians
Rhode Island journeyman electrician · “Journeyperson Electrician (Certificate B, Class B)”
Statewide license
Rhode Island issues a statewide Journeyperson Electrician license (Certificate B) through the Department of Labor and Training (DLT), which writes and administers the exam itself. A new applicant must show at least four years of trade experience (8,000 hours as a registered apprentice, R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-24.3) and 576 hours of DLT-approved related instruction, then pass the DLT journeyperson exam with a score of 70% or better. Rhode Island has no reciprocity agreements and no statute allowing a journeyperson license without examination; instead, DLT's regulation provides that an out-of-state applicant who holds a contractor's or journeyperson's license is allowed to take the Rhode Island journeyperson exam, and the application packet has a dedicated out-of-state journeyperson application code. Fees are a $75 non-refundable application fee and a $72 two-year license fee invoiced after passing; licenses renew every two years on the licensee's birthday with 15 hours of continuing education.
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 Rhode Island journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Florida?
- Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Rhode Island journeyman electrician license from Florida?
- Published fees on this path total $147, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Florida work hours count in Rhode Island?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Rhode Island's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Rhode Island to Florida?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Rhode Island to Florida, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Rhode Island DLT - Electrician Application Instructions and Application for Examination · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulations Unit · Form · verified September 15, 2026Non-refundable $75 application processing fee. All electrical contractor tests require verification of at least six years of trade experience and possession of a Rhode Island journeyperson's license held at least two years before applying for the contractor exam. All electrical journeyperson tests require verification of at least four years of trade experience and 576 hours of DLT-approved related instruction. Out-of-state applicants must attach a valid copy of the out-of-state electrician trade license and an official license verification from that state (computer printouts not accepted). Fee table: Electrical Contractor A, $75 application, $240 two-year license; Journeyperson Electrician B, $75, $72; a separate 'Out-of-State Applicants: Journeyperson Electrician B' application code (29, $75). Individuals scoring 70 or greater are invoiced for the license fee.
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation: Electricians · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Confirms that the DLT Professional Regulation unit licenses, tests and disciplines electricians itself (exams are given by DLT, not a vendor) and links to exam information, applications and the Board of Examiners of Electricians. Contact: Chief Investigator of Electrical, (401) 462-8571.
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation Forms and Applications · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists the Mechanical Trade application (English and Spanish), the Mechanical Corporation application and the Apprentice Completion and Application for Examination form; there is no separate refrigeration-only form, the mechanical application covers pipefitter, refrigeration, sheet metal and sprinkler fitter exams.
- 260-RICR-30-15-7 - Board of Examiners of Electricians (DLT regulation, effective January 4, 2022) · 260-RICR-30-15-7 §§ 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.14 · Rhode Island Department of State (Code of Rhode Island Regulations) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026§7.5: exams are written and may include practical demonstrations; 70% required to obtain a license. §7.6: Certificate A is the electrical contractor's license and Certificate B the journeyperson electrician's license. §7.7.C: Certificate B applicants must show at least 8,000 hours (4 years) of experience as a registered apprentice. §7.7.D: Certificate A applicants must have at least 12,000 hours (6 years) of experience and have held a Rhode Island Certificate B for two years; 'Out-of-state applicants who hold a contractor's license or journeyperson's license will be allowed to take the Rhode Island journeyperson's exam', and out-of-state contractors who have held a Rhode Island journeyperson's license for two years and have 12,000 hours may take the contractor exam. Applicants for Certificate A must be at least 21; others at least 18. §7.14: 15 hours of continuing education per renewal for Certificate A and B holders.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-16 - License fees · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-16 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Electrical contractor's license Class A $240; journeyperson electrician's license Class B $72. Licenses expire on the licensee's birthday every two years and renew on payment of the biennial fee.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-17 - Application for examination; fee · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-17 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Examination application on the state form with a $75 fee.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-24.3 - Credit for electrical license exams · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-24.3 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Apprenticeship path to the Class B exam: minimum 8,000 on-the-job learning hours with 144 hours of related instruction for every 2,000 hours (Class M maintenance: 6,000 hours). Effective June 25, 2024.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-7 - Forms of licenses · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-7 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Certificate A is the electrical contractor's license and Certificate B the journeyperson electrician's license; Rhode Island has no license titled 'master electrician'. Also lists Certificates C, D, M, E, F, AF, BF, SCF, CF, LPC, LPI and SRL.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-9 - Journeyperson's certificate/license · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-9 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Certificate B is granted to any person who has passed an examination before the division of professional regulation. No reciprocity or exam-waiver language.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.