Do I have to take the District of Columbia journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in New York?

Yes. District of Columbia requires the trade exam on this path.

What does it cost to get a District of Columbia journeyman electrician license from New York?

Published fees on this path total $175, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my New York work hours count in District of Columbia?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward District of Columbia's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from District of Columbia to New York?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from District of Columbia to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

New York to District of Columbia: journeyman electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

New York does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is District of Columbia'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.

Out-of-state journeyman from a state other than Maryland or Virginia

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

The Board of Industrial Trades publishes reciprocity only for Maryland and Virginia. A journeyman from any other state applies through the DLCP online portal as a new applicant with employment verification letters, a letter of good standing and a copy of the state-issued license, pays the $65 application fee, must show the 8,000-hour/4-year apprentice experience (or equivalent) and a DC Electrical Code class taken within 2 years, and schedules the journeyman exam with PSI. D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b) directs boards to waive the exam for anyone licensed in good standing in a state with equivalent standards that reciprocates with the District, and § 47-2853.08 lets the Board find another state's standards substantially equivalent case by case, so an applicant may ask the Board to apply those provisions; the Board's pages describe no such process beyond Maryland and Virginia. Separately, § 47-2853.92(b-1) requires the Board to accept a national certifying organization's journeyman certificate (for example from a nationally recognized trade organization or labor union) in lieu of the exam and experience requirements, which is the practical exam-free route for many out-of-state journeymen. No District-law exam applies to journeyman electricians.

The Board's fee page refers exam fees to '§ 3500.3' without stating an amount; the PSI exam fee for the DC journeyman exam could not be confirmed from an official page. Whether apprentice hours worked outside the District are accepted, and which national certifying organizations the Board recognizes (the required-documents list mentions 'NASCLA accreditation'), were not confirmed from an official page.

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.Worked as an apprentice electrician at least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years, or an electrical engineering degree plus 2 years of certified practical experience, or comparable experience the Board deems equivalent (D.C. Code § 47-2853.92(b)).
Completed a class on Title 12C DCMR (DC Electrical Code) or an equivalent code within the 2 years before applying

What you'll do to get licensed in District of Columbia

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee (non-refundable).
2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. DC Journeyman Electrician examination administered by PSI (schedule at psiexams.com after Board pre-approval); waived for holders of a recognized national certifying organization's journeyman certificate under § 47-2853.92(b-1).
3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee, amount set by 17 DCMR § 3500.3 (not stated on the Board page).
4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($110). Journeyman license fee, 2-year term (renewal $110).

Published fees on this path total $175, 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

How District of Columbia licenses journeyman electricians

District of Columbia journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)

The District of Columbia issues a Journeyman Electrician license through the Board of Industrial Trades, which now sits in the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP, the successor to DCRA's Occupational and Professional Licensing Administration for this board; DLCP's fee page and forms still carry some DCRA branding). Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.92 a new applicant must have completed a class on the DC Electrical Code (Title 12C DCMR) or an equivalent code within the 2 years before applying and have worked at least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years as an apprentice (an electrical engineering degree plus 2 certified years, or equivalent experience the Board accepts, also qualifies), then pass the PSI-administered journeyman exam. The statute also requires the Board to accept a certificate from a national certifying organization, including a nationally recognized trade organization or labor union, in lieu of the exam and experience requirements. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $110 license fee for a 2-year term. Maryland and Virginia journeymen licensed by examination are licensed by reciprocity without the DC exam; the master electrician limited (low voltage) license shares the journeyman qualifications and is treated as a separate specialty category.

Moving to District of Columbia Leaving District of Columbia

Why New York has nothing to transfer

New York journeyman electrician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 15 sources

New York has no statewide electrician license at any level: the Department of State's Division of Licensing Services issues no electrician license, and its only page on the subject treats master electrician licenses as credentials issued by local governments. Journeyman-level licensing therefore exists only where a city or county ordinance creates it, and most jurisdictions do not. New York City licenses only Master and Special Electricians; journeymen and helpers work as employees under a licensed master or special electrician without any personal license, and their supervised hours (at least two years in the city) are what later qualify them for the master exam. Buffalo is the main city with a true Journeyman Electrician license (five years under a licensed master plus a New York State journeyman card, an ICC exam or a city exam), and Suffolk County carries a journeyman category in its Consumer Affairs licensing codes. Rochester's lower tier is a Single-Phase (residential) license rather than a journeyman card. An out-of-state journeyman license has no state-level recognition in New York; a journeyman should confirm the rules of the specific city or county where they will work and, in most places, simply work for a licensed master while accumulating local hours.

How local licensing works in New York

How local licensing works. No state agency licenses electricians in New York. Each city or county that requires a license runs its own examining board under its own ordinance, so requirements, exams and fees differ from one jurisdiction to the next, and a license from one jurisdiction is not automatically valid in another.

New York City. The Department of Buildings issues Master Electrician and Special Electrician licenses only; there is no journeyman license or registration. Electricians work as employees under a licensed master or special electrician. Experience toward the master license must be gained 'under the direct and continuing supervision of a licensed master or special electrician in the United States', with at least two of the required years in New York City, so out-of-state supervised hours count toward the master exam but do not create any journeyman credential.

Buffalo. The Electrical Examining Board issues a Journeyman Electrician License. Minimum qualification is five years working as an employee of a licensed master electrician (not self-employed), plus one of: a New York State journeyman electrician license/card, a passing ICC exam score together with the five years of experience, or at the board's discretion other proof such as a passing score on a City of Buffalo-administered exam. The notarized application lists every master electrician worked for with dates and hours, supported by master electrician affidavits.

Rochester. No journeyman license. The Electrical Examining Board issues a Single-Phase (residential) license requiring two years of applicable experience, interpreted as at least 3,000 hours within the past five years (at least half in the field with tools, up to 1,500 hours from course work or estimating/design/supervision), and an ICC-based exam with a 70 percent passing grade.

Syracuse and Albany. Both cities license electricians through their own examining boards (Syracuse Division of Code Enforcement; Albany Electrical Examining Board under General Code Chapter 171, Article III). The pages that could be opened describe master-level licensing and application deadlines but publish no journeyman card requirements.

Suffolk County. The Department of Consumer Affairs licenses Master Electricians and Restricted Electrical licensees and its licensing code list includes an 'AJ - Journeyman' category; the journeyman requirements themselves are not on the pages that could be opened.

Westchester County and Yonkers. Westchester County issues master and special electrician licenses by examination; it has no journeyman license. Yonkers does not license electricians itself and its electrical permits are issued to master electricians licensed by Westchester County.

Nassau County. The county's FAQ recognizes electricians as a trade held to a 'standard of competency' by state or local law, but no page describing a Nassau electrician license could be opened; treat Nassau's requirements as unverified.

Out-of-state holders. No jurisdiction above publishes a reciprocity or endorsement path for a journeyman license from another state. Buffalo will accept an ICC exam score with five years of experience under any licensed master; elsewhere an arriving journeyman works under a locally licensed master electrician until eligible for that jurisdiction's master exam.

Moving to New York Leaving New York

Common questions

Do I have to take the District of Columbia journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in New York?: Yes. District of Columbia requires the trade exam on this path.
What does it cost to get a District of Columbia journeyman electrician license from New York?: Published fees on this path total $175, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my New York work hours count in District of Columbia?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward District of Columbia's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from District of Columbia to New York?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from District of Columbia to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

D.C. Code § 47-2853.08 - Powers of the boards (reciprocity and endorsement) · D.C. Code § 47-2853.08(2) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Each board may determine whether another jurisdiction's licensure standards, or a national certifying organization's certification, are substantially equivalent and authorize licensure by reciprocity or endorsement for an applicant licensed and in good standing in a state whose requirements were substantially equivalent at the time of licensure and which admits District licensees in a like manner.
D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(d) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(b) a board 'shall waive the requirements for passage of an examination or other proof of fitness' for a person licensed in good standing in a state whose standards were at least as high as the District's and which admits District licensees in a like manner, or who holds an acceptable national certification. (c)(4) an applicant for licensure as a journeyman refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic under § 47-2853.202 is exempt from any District-law examination. (d)-(d-1) each board must keep a list of states and national certifying organizations whose standards qualify, and the Board of Industrial Trades must update its list of national certifying organizations annually.
D.C. Code § 47-2853.91 - Scope of practice for electricians · D.C. Code § 47-2853.91 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Defines an electrician as any person who designs, installs, maintains, alters, repairs, removes or inspects electrical wiring, equipment, conductors or systems; excludes elevator and conveyance work covered by the elevator licensing part.
D.C. Code § 47-2853.92 - Electricians: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.92 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(a) apprentices are registered without examination and work under a licensed master. (b) journeyman electrician and master electrician limited (low voltage) applicants must have completed a class on Title 12C DCMR (the DC Electrical Code) or equivalent within 2 years and have worked as an apprentice at least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years, or hold an electrical engineering degree plus 2 years certified practical experience, or comparable experience/education the Board deems equivalent. (b-1) the Board shall accept, in lieu of examination and the (b) requirements, a certificate from a national certifying organization (including a nationally recognized trade organization or labor union) that the applicant passed its exam, is designated a journeyman electrician, and has not been disciplined. (c) master electrician applicants must meet (b) and have worked as a journeyman electrician for at least 4 years.
DC DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades (fees, renewal dates, board members) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Fee table for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics: application $65; license Mechanic $110 (up to 2 years), Contractor $120; renewal Mechanic $155, Contractor $180; late renewal $50; examination/re-examination 'See §3500.3'; reinstated or inactive Mechanic $155, Contractor $180; duplicate license $30; verification of records $30. Refrigeration and Air Conditioning licenses expire September 30 in even-numbered years. Board members include two Master Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics.
DC DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades landing page (apply, items needed, examination, reciprocity) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched through the r.jina.ai text proxy because dlcp.dc.gov returns 403 to direct fetches. Lists the items needed for a Refrigeration/Air-Conditioning application (certificate of completion, 'CFC Certification (Master ONLY)', employment verification letter, passport photo, government ID, card for fees), the online application portal (govservices.dcra.dc.gov/oplanewlicense), PSI exam scheduling (psiexams.com, 855-557-0616), the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning bond form for trade contractors, and a Reciprocity section that names only Maryland and Virginia electricians (and, via a linked bulletin, Maryland plumbers); no refrigeration or air conditioning reciprocity is published.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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