Missouri to Montana: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Missouri does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Montana'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.
Licensure by examination for states not determined substantially equivalent
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
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.
Why Missouri has nothing to transfer
Missouri journeyman electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Missouri does not issue a journeyman electrician license. The only state-level electrical credential is the voluntary statewide electrical contractor license created by RSMo 324.900-324.945 (S.B. 240, 2017), and the Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors (OSEC) states that it covers only the electrical contractor, not the electricians the contractor employs. RSMo 324.925.3(8) expressly leaves cities and counties free to license electricians, provided the local license is based on professional experience and passage of a nationally accredited electrical assessment examination given on a routine schedule, and jurisdictions that did not license electricians before August 28, 2017 may not start. Journeyman licensing therefore happens city by city and county by county (Springfield, the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Kansas City and others), each with its own experience rules, exam and fees; there is no statewide reciprocity for journeymen. A journeyman arriving from another state must apply in each jurisdiction where they will work, though the widespread use of ICC, Prometric and other national exams means a previously passed exam is often accepted in place of retesting.
How local licensing works in Missouri
How local licensing works. Missouri has no state electrician license and no state electrical board for individuals. RSMo 324.925.3(8) permits any political subdivision that licensed electricians before August 28, 2017 to keep doing so, as long as the license rests on professional experience plus a nationally accredited Electrical Assessment Examination administered on a routine and accessible schedule. The OSEC FAQ for political subdivisions confirms the statewide contractor license does not extend to a contractor's employees. Requirements below are those verified on the jurisdictions' own pages.
Springfield. Building Development Services certifies Journeyman and Master craftsmen through the Building and Trades Board, which meets the first Thursday of each month. Journeyman Electrical requires 4 years under the supervision of a master in the trade or 6 years of experience in the trade, documented on notarized Applicant Experience forms (one per employer; 1099s for the self-employed). Approved applicants test through ICC (Pearson VUE, roughly $125) and need 75%. Reciprocity from another jurisdiction: submit the same experience forms plus a copy of an exam score notification of at least 75% from Prometric, Experior, Block or ICC on the identical exam Springfield requires, and the board can approve without further testing; the application also asks for any other states where the applicant is licensed and requires copies of those licenses. Fees: $25 initial journeyman certificate (covers the rest of the calendar year) and $25 annual renewal.
City of St. Louis. The Building Division's Committee of Electrical Examiners decides, through written and oral examination, whether applicants have the knowledge and experience for electrical certificates and licenses, testing practical installation competency, electrical theory and the St. Louis Electrical Code. Its page does not publish license classes, experience thresholds, fees or any reciprocity terms.
Other cities and counties. The practical path is to present a passing score on a nationally accredited journeyman exam (ICC, Prometric, Prov, PSI or NASCLA) together with documented experience to each city or county; Springfield explicitly accepts identical exams from Prometric, Experior, Block and ICC in lieu of retesting.
- Springfield (Building Development Services)
- City of St. Louis (Building Division, Committee of Electrical Examiners)
- St. Louis County (Transportation and Public Works, Electrical Licensing)
- Kansas City (City Planning and Development, Contractor Licensing)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Montana journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Missouri?
- Yes. Montana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Montana journeyman electrician license from Missouri?
- Published fees on this path total $265, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Missouri 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 Missouri?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Montana to Missouri, the mechanism is not applicable.
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.