Michigan to Maryland: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Maryland has no reciprocity agreement with Michigan. Your Michigan experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Maryland exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state journeyperson (all states)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
A journeyperson licensed in any other state must apply for an original Maryland license by examination; the Board says there are currently no provisions to reciprocate a journeyperson license obtained out of state. The applicant documents at least 4 years of regular, principal employment providing electrical services under the direction and supervision of a master electrician or a similarly qualified governmental employee (the statute does not limit this to Maryland-licensed masters), registers with PSI, passes the 70-question open-book journeyperson exam with 70%, and then pays the $18.50 license fee. Business Occupations and Professions §6-308 does allow the Board, by majority vote, to waive the exam for any state that waives its exam for Maryland licensees to a similar extent, provided the applicant was licensed by examination and has 4 years' experience with at least 2 years before out-of-state licensure; the Board has not published a process for invoking that waiver outside its four agreements.
Whether the Board credits experience gained under an out-of-state master electrician is not stated in the board's published materials; the statute and application page say only 'a master electrician'. The PSI bulletin says the Board may allow up to 3 years of credit for formal study toward the journeyperson requirement, and the exam bulletin still references the 2020 NEC.
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 4 years of qualifying work experience.At least 4 years engaged regularly and principally in providing electrical services under the direction and supervision of a master electrician or a similarly qualified employee of a governmental unit (Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-304); completing an MATC- or federal Office of Apprenticeship-approved apprenticeship with 576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours waives both the experience and the exam (§6-307.1).
What you'll do to get licensed in Maryland
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Maryland Journeyperson Electrician exam administered by PSI: 70 questions, 49 correct (70%) to pass, 210 minutes, open book on NFPA 70.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($65). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI, valid for one exam attempt.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($18.50). Original journeyperson license fee (non-refundable), effective July 1, 2025.
Published fees on this path total $83.50, 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
- Exam fee · $65
How Maryland licenses journeyman electricians
Maryland journeyman electrician · “Journeyperson Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Maryland State Board of Electricians (Department of Labor)
Maryland issues a statewide Journeyperson Electrician license through the State Board of Electricians in the Department of Labor. Statewide journeyperson and apprentice licensing began July 1, 2021 under the Maryland Electricians Act; before that the State licensed only master electricians and each county or Baltimore City licensed journeypersons, and those local bodies now issue registrations rather than licenses. A new applicant qualifies with 4 years of electrical work under the direction and supervision of a master electrician (or a similarly qualified employee of a governmental unit) and then passes the PSI-administered journeyperson exam (70 questions, 70% to pass, open book on the NEC, $65); completing a MATC- or federally-approved apprenticeship with 576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours waives both the experience and the exam requirements. The original license fee is $18.50. Maryland no longer reciprocates out-of-state journeyperson licenses: the Board's how-to-apply page says 'currently there are no provisions to reciprocate a journeyperson license obtained out of state' and that applicants must apply by examination. Master-license reciprocity with Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia is unaffected. Licensed journeypersons work under the direction and control of a master electrician.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Maryland journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Michigan?
- Yes. Maryland requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Maryland journeyman electrician license from Michigan?
- Published fees on this path total $83.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Michigan work hours count in Maryland?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Maryland's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Maryland Electricians Act (2021 statewide licensing) · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. Title 6 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Taking the Exam (PSI) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Licensing FAQs · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Fees (effective July 1, 2025) · COMAR 09.09 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Home · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-604 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Licensing Applications (how to apply) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Other Electrical Licenses in Maryland · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-304 - Qualifications of applicants · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-304 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-306 - Examinations · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-306 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-307 - Waiver of examination for local registrants · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-307 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-307.1 - Waiver of experience and examination for journeyperson applicants · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-307.1 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-308 - Waiver of examination for out-of-state licensees (reciprocity) · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-308 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- PSI - Maryland Master and Journeyperson Electrician Qualification Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Maryland State Board of Electricians · Other · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.