Maine to Montana: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Montana has no reciprocity agreement with Maine. Your Maine experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Montana exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by examination for states not determined substantially equivalent
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
A journeyman from a state that the board's Substantial Equivalency Determinations mark 'No' (for example Texas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico or Maine) must take the Montana journeyman exam: the checklist states 'If not SE, you must take our exam.' Out-of-state experience is credited: the applicant submits a Journeyman Experience Verification Affidavit from each employer listing the states in which the 8,000 hours were earned (or an apprenticeship completion certificate or union travel letter), plus verifications for every license ever held. MCA 37-1-304 also requires the board to determine whether an applicant's actual qualifications and work experience cure a deficiency in the origin state's standards. After board approval the applicant pays PSI $75 for the open-book 2020 NEC exam (70% to pass) and may buy a $50 temporary practice permit valid 90 days.
No timeline is published; approved candidates can usually sit for the PSI exam within about a week of the admission letter. Applicants who fail with 64% or less are not eligible for a second temporary permit.
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.Legally obtained practical experience in wiring for, installing and repairing electrical apparatus for light, heat and power, verified by a third party; no more than 50% residential (ARM 24.141.515). Alternatives: completion of an approved apprenticeship, or 20,000 maintenance hours with employer certification
- Official license verification from every state or jurisdiction in which the applicant holds or has ever held a professional license of any type
What you'll do to get licensed in Montana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($190). Application for license by examination, includes the original license fee (ARM 24.141.405); nonrefundable.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Montana Journeyman Electrician examination administered by PSI, open book on the 2020 NEC, at least 60 questions, 70% to pass.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI after board approval; nonrefundable, valid one year.
- 4Other. Optional temporary practice permit for exam candidates (90 days or until exam results), in addition to the application fee ($50) (if applicable).
Published fees on this path total $265, 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
- Exam fee · $75
How Montana licenses journeyman electricians
Montana journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Montana State Electrical Board (Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division)
Montana issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the State Electrical Board within the Department of Labor & Industry. A new applicant qualifies under MCA 37-68-305 by completing an approved apprenticeship (a Montana registered program or a substantially equivalent one), 8,000 hours of legally obtained practical experience (no more than half residential), or 20,000 hours of electrical maintenance work, and then passes the PSI-administered open-book exam on the 2020 NEC with 70%. The $190 application fee includes the original license; a $50 temporary practice permit lets exam candidates work for a licensed contractor for 90 days. Licenses renew every two years for $140 with 16 hours of continuing education. Out-of-state journeymen are handled through substantial equivalency (SE): the board publishes a state-by-state determination table, and licensees from the twenty 'Yes' states are licensed by endorsement without the exam, while everyone else must test. Licenses issued by cities or counties are not considered.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Montana journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Maine?
- Yes. Montana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Montana journeyman electrician license from Maine?
- Published fees on this path total $265, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Maine work hours count in Montana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Montana's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Montana to Maine?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Montana to Maine, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Montana State Electrical Board - Exam Information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana State Electrical Board / PSI Examination Information Sheet (3/27/2025) · Montana Department of Labor & Industry / PSI Services · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana State Electrical Board - Home · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana State Electrical Board - Journeyman Electrician Licensing Requirements, Application Checklist and Application (Rev. 07/22/2024) · MCA 37-68-305; ARM 24.141.502, 24.141.515 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana State Electrical Board - Journeyman Electrician license information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana State Electrical Board Laws and Rules Booklet (MCA Title 37 Chapter 68 and ARM Title 24 Chapter 141) · ARM 24.141.405, 24.141.502, 24.141.503, 24.141.504, 24.141.515 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Mont. Code Ann. sec. 37-1-304 - Licensure by endorsement; reciprocity · Mont. Code Ann. sec. 37-1-304 · Montana Legislative Services Division · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- MCA 37-68-305 - Journeyman and residential electricians -- application -- qualifications -- contents of examination · MCA 37-68-305 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana Substantial Equivalency Determinations (all boards and programs) · MCA 37-1-304 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.