Hawaii to South Dakota: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
South Dakota has no reciprocity agreement with Hawaii. A Hawaii journeyman electrician applies by endorsement.
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
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
SDCL 36-16-23 lets the Commission grant a license of the same grade to an electrician licensed by another state, on payment of the fee and proof that the applicant's qualifications equal South Dakota's, to the extent that state provides similar action. The Commission's reciprocity page lists, beyond its agreement states, 'states with similar licensing requirements' (for example Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia) and three NERA states without agreements (Maine, Vermont, Wisconsin), but does not state how those licensees are treated or whether the exam is waived, and says to call the Commission for unverified states. Absent a confirmed waiver, the applicant files the general Electrician License Application with the $60 fee, documents four years (8,000 hours) of apprentice-level experience under a licensed contractor (the form accepts out-of-state employers and records any other-state license and how it was obtained), receives written approval to test, and must pass the Commission's journeyman exam with 70% within 90 days of approval; the $80 biennial license fee is paid on issuance.
No exam fee amount is published on the Commission's exam page or application form; SDCL 36-16-13 caps any exam fee at $150. The Commission's exam includes South Dakota statutes and rules, so there is no separate law exam. Whether the Commission waives the exam for the 'similar licensing requirements' states under SDCL 36-16-23 could not be confirmed from an official page.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least four years of licensed electrical training under the employment and supervision of a licensed electrical contractor or Class B electrician (ARSD 20:44:16:08); one year equals 2,000 hours (20:44:16:06).
What you'll do to get licensed in South Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($60). Journeyman application fee, nonrefundable (ARSD 20:44:16:04).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. South Dakota Electrical Commission journeyman examination (NEC 2023 plus state statutes and rules; 70% to pass; must test within 90 days of written approval).
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($80). Biennial journeyman license fee (ARSD 20:44:16:15); licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years.
Published fees on this path total $140, 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 South Dakota licenses journeyman electricians
South Dakota journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by South Dakota Electrical Commission (Department of Labor & Regulation)
South Dakota issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the South Dakota Electrical Commission, part of the Department of Labor & Regulation. A new applicant must have at least four years (8,000 hours, with one year defined as 2,000 hours) of electrical training as a licensed apprentice under the employment and supervision of a licensed electrical contractor or Class B electrician, and must pass the Commission's own written journeyman exam, drawn from the NEC (2023 edition since December 2, 2024) and South Dakota statutes and rules, with 70%. The application fee is $60 and the biennial license fee is $80; all licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years and renewal requires 16 hours of continuing education (at least 8 code hours). The Commission has journeyman reciprocity agreements with 14 states, under which the exam is waived for a licensee who earned the origin license by exam and has held it in active status for at least one year.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the South Dakota journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Hawaii?
- Yes. South Dakota requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a South Dakota journeyman electrician license from Hawaii?
- Published fees on this path total $140, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Hawaii work hours count in South Dakota?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Dakota's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
- Does it work the other way, from South Dakota to Hawaii?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from South Dakota to Hawaii, the mechanism is experience credit.
Sources
- SDCL 36-16-13 - License required, examination, application, fees · SDCL 36-16-13 · South Dakota Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Licenses issued in the class applied for after successful completion of the Commission's examination; exam fee capped at $150 per exam and application fee at $100. Text read from sdlegislature.gov/api/Statutes/36-16-13.html.
- SDCL 36-16-2 - Definition of terms · SDCL 36-16-2 · South Dakota Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Defines journeyman electrician (at least four years of experience in wiring, installing and repairing), electrical contractor (qualifications to plan, lay out and supervise, and who undertakes work for others), Class B electrician (36 months, farm and residential) and apprentice. Text read from the Legislature's statute rendering at sdlegislature.gov/api/Statutes/36-16-2.html.
- SDCL 36-16-23 - Reciprocal licenses to electricians from other states · SDCL 36-16-23 · South Dakota Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026To the extent other states provide similar action, the Commission may grant a license of the same grade or class to electricians licensed by other states, on payment of the fee and proof that the applicant's qualifications equal those of South Dakota licensees. Text read from sdlegislature.gov/api/Statutes/36-16-23.html.
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Exams for Licensure · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are on the 2023 NEC since December 2, 2024; an applicant must submit the application and fee, be approved, and then has 90 days to arrange testing; no exam without prior written approval. No exam fee amount is shown.
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Electrician License Application (REV 10/2025) · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Form · verified September 15, 2026Fee table: application fee $60 for every class; license or reciprocal fee $80 Journeyman / Reciprocal JM, $200 Electrical Contractor / Reciprocal EC, $100 Class B. Applicant checks Exam or Reciprocal; Part II records other-state licenses and how obtained; experience table accepts out-of-state employers; requires CE certificates from 7/1/20 forward; licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years; processing about 30 days.
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Licensing · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Describes the license classes and progression: apprentice to journeyman after four years (8,000 hours) under an electrical contractor; journeyman to electrical contractor after two more years (4,000 hours, at least 2,000 commercial); 16 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle (minimum 8 code hours).
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Reciprocal Agreements for Licensure · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026States the conditions (license earned by examination, held at least one year, active status for one year) and tabulates existing agreements by state and class: journeyman (JM) with 14 states and Electrical Contractor (EC) with 11 of them (Alaska, Colorado and New Mexico are journeyman-only). Separately lists NERA states without agreements (Maine, Vermont, Wisconsin), 'states with similar licensing requirements' and states with no or unverified state licenses, with no stated treatment other than to call the Commission.
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Wiring Bulletin (SDCL 36-16 and ARSD Article 20:44) · ARSD 20:44:16:03, 20:44:16:04, 20:44:16:06, 20:44:16:08, 20:44:16:11, 20:44:16:15 · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 202620:44:16:03: Commission-written exam from the NEC and state statutes and rules, 70% to pass for EC, Class B, journeyman; license must be issued within 90 days of passing; retake after 30 days. 20:44:16:04: application fees $60. 20:44:16:06: one year of experience is 2,000 hours. 20:44:16:08: apprentice to journeyman four years under a licensed EC or Class B; journeyman to EC two years under an EC with one year commercial. 20:44:16:11: biennial reciprocity fee EC $200, journeyman $80, nonrefundable. 20:44:16:15: biennial license fees EC $200, journeyman $80, Class B $100.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.