Iowa to Wisconsin: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Wisconsin has a reciprocity agreement with Iowa: a Iowa journeyman electrician can get a Wisconsin license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocity for Iowa Journeyman Electricians
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
DSPS's reciprocity method states that a person who holds a valid, unexpired Journeyman Electrician license acquired through a state examination in Iowa may apply for a Wisconsin Journeyman Electrician license without taking the Wisconsin exam, under the reciprocal-agreement authority in Wis. Stat. 101.874. The applicant must have held the Iowa license continuously for at least one year immediately before applying and uploads a copy of the current license; DSPS confirms it with Iowa through an online verification portal. The application and fees are submitted in LicensE; no Wisconsin examination is required.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Iowa license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have held your Iowa license for at least 1 year.Held continuously for at least one year immediately prior to submitting the Wisconsin application
- Your Iowa license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in Wisconsin
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($35). Journeyman Electrician license application fee (Table 305.02 line 25), paid in LicensE.
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). Journeyman Electrician initial license fee (Table 305.02 line 25); four-year credential.
- 3Other. Copy of the current Iowa Journeyman Electrician license uploaded to LicensE; DSPS verifies it with Iowa through an online verification portal.
Published fees on this path total $135, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Wisconsin licenses journeyman electricians
Wisconsin journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)
Wisconsin issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS); under Wis. Stat. 101.862 no one may install, repair or maintain electrical wiring without a DSPS license or registration, and there is no municipal electrician licensing. A new applicant under Wis. Stat. 101.87 either completes a recognized construction electrician apprenticeship or documents 48 months with at least 8,000 hours of experience, applies in the LicensE portal, and passes the DSPS journeyman exam (open book on SPS 305, SPS 316 and the 2023 NEC; 70% to pass). Under Wis. Stat. 101.874 DSPS may enter into reciprocal agreements, and DSPS currently waives the exam only for journeymen licensed by examination in Iowa or New Hampshire. The license is renewed every four years for $100.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Wisconsin journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Iowa?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Iowa.
- How long do I need to have held my Iowa license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Wisconsin journeyman electrician license from Iowa?
- Published fees on this path total $135, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- Wisconsin DSPS - Journeyman Plumber: Licensure by Examination · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.93 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
- Wisconsin DSPS - Journeyman Plumber (profession page) · Wis. Stat. 145.06; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.93 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
- Wisconsin DSPS - Journeyman Electrician: Reciprocity · Wis. Stat. 101.874; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.47 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
- Wisconsin DSPS - Credential Fees and Renewal Dates · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified October 12, 2026
- Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 305 - Licenses, Certifications and Registrations (Table 305.02 fees; Table 305.06 terms; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91, 305.93, 305.95) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 lines 62 and 65; SPS 305.06 Table 305.06; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91; SPS 305.93; SPS 305.95 · Wisconsin Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Wis. Stat. 101.87 - Journeyman electrician license · Wis. Stat. 101.87 · Wisconsin Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Wis. Stat. 101.874 - Reciprocal agreements (electrical credentials) · Wis. Stat. 101.874 · Wisconsin Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.