North Dakota to Rhode Island: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Rhode Island has no reciprocity agreement with North Dakota. Your North Dakota experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Rhode Island exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state journeyperson or contractor admitted to the Rhode Island journeyperson exam (all states)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
An electrician holding a journeyperson's or contractor's license from any other state applies to DLT for the journeyperson examination under the 'Out-of-State Applicants: Journeyperson Electrician B' code. The application must include a notarized statement from present or past employers detailing all work-related experience, a valid copy of the out-of-state electrician trade license and an official license verification from that state (computer printouts are not accepted), a copy of government-issued ID, and the $75 non-refundable processing fee; the form is signed before a notary. Under 260-RICR-30-15-7 § 7.7.D, holding the out-of-state license is what makes the applicant eligible to sit the Rhode Island journeyperson exam without a Rhode Island-registered apprenticeship; the exam itself is not waived and must be passed at 70%. Applicants who pass are invoiced for the $72 two-year Certificate B license fee. The application instructions state that all journeyperson tests require verification of at least four years of trade experience and 576 hours of approved related instruction.
DLT does not publish whether the 576-hour related-instruction requirement is separately enforced for out-of-state licensees admitted under § 7.7.D, or how it verifies out-of-state schooling; the regulation itself conditions exam admission only on holding the out-of-state license. Applications must be received 15 working days before an exam date. Processing time is not published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your North Dakota license must be active and in good standing.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.At least four years of trade experience (8,000 hours), verified by notarized employer statements on company letterhead.
- 576 hours of related instruction approved by DLT (per the application instructions for all journeyperson tests)
- At least 18 years of age
What you'll do to get licensed in Rhode Island
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($75). Non-refundable application processing fee for the journeyperson examination (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-17).
- 2Other. Notarized application, copy of government-issued ID, notarized employer experience letters, copy of the out-of-state license and official license verification.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Rhode Island Journeyperson Electrician (Certificate B) examination administered by DLT; 70% required to pass.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($72). Two-year Journeyperson Electrician Class B license fee, invoiced after a passing score (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-16).
Published fees on this path total $147, 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
How Rhode Island licenses journeyman electricians
Rhode Island journeyman electrician · “Journeyperson Electrician (Certificate B, Class B)”
Statewide license
Rhode Island issues a statewide Journeyperson Electrician license (Certificate B) through the Department of Labor and Training (DLT), which writes and administers the exam itself. A new applicant must show at least four years of trade experience (8,000 hours as a registered apprentice, R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-24.3) and 576 hours of DLT-approved related instruction, then pass the DLT journeyperson exam with a score of 70% or better. Rhode Island has no reciprocity agreements and no statute allowing a journeyperson license without examination; instead, DLT's regulation provides that an out-of-state applicant who holds a contractor's or journeyperson's license is allowed to take the Rhode Island journeyperson exam, and the application packet has a dedicated out-of-state journeyperson application code. Fees are a $75 non-refundable application fee and a $72 two-year license fee invoiced after passing; licenses renew every two years on the licensee's birthday with 15 hours of continuing education.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Rhode Island journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in North Dakota?
- Yes. Rhode Island requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Rhode Island journeyman electrician license from North Dakota?
- Published fees on this path total $147, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my North Dakota work hours count in Rhode Island?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Rhode Island's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- Rhode Island DLT - Electrician Application Instructions and Application for Examination · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulations Unit · Form · verified September 15, 2026Non-refundable $75 application processing fee. All electrical contractor tests require verification of at least six years of trade experience and possession of a Rhode Island journeyperson's license held at least two years before applying for the contractor exam. All electrical journeyperson tests require verification of at least four years of trade experience and 576 hours of DLT-approved related instruction. Out-of-state applicants must attach a valid copy of the out-of-state electrician trade license and an official license verification from that state (computer printouts not accepted). Fee table: Electrical Contractor A, $75 application, $240 two-year license; Journeyperson Electrician B, $75, $72; a separate 'Out-of-State Applicants: Journeyperson Electrician B' application code (29, $75). Individuals scoring 70 or greater are invoiced for the license fee.
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation: Electricians · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Confirms that the DLT Professional Regulation unit licenses, tests and disciplines electricians itself (exams are given by DLT, not a vendor) and links to exam information, applications and the Board of Examiners of Electricians. Contact: Chief Investigator of Electrical, (401) 462-8571.
- Rhode Island DLT - Professional Regulation Forms and Applications · Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists the Mechanical Trade application (English and Spanish), the Mechanical Corporation application and the Apprentice Completion and Application for Examination form; there is no separate refrigeration-only form, the mechanical application covers pipefitter, refrigeration, sheet metal and sprinkler fitter exams.
- 260-RICR-30-15-7 - Board of Examiners of Electricians (DLT regulation, effective January 4, 2022) · 260-RICR-30-15-7 §§ 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.14 · Rhode Island Department of State (Code of Rhode Island Regulations) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026§7.5: exams are written and may include practical demonstrations; 70% required to obtain a license. §7.6: Certificate A is the electrical contractor's license and Certificate B the journeyperson electrician's license. §7.7.C: Certificate B applicants must show at least 8,000 hours (4 years) of experience as a registered apprentice. §7.7.D: Certificate A applicants must have at least 12,000 hours (6 years) of experience and have held a Rhode Island Certificate B for two years; 'Out-of-state applicants who hold a contractor's license or journeyperson's license will be allowed to take the Rhode Island journeyperson's exam', and out-of-state contractors who have held a Rhode Island journeyperson's license for two years and have 12,000 hours may take the contractor exam. Applicants for Certificate A must be at least 21; others at least 18. §7.14: 15 hours of continuing education per renewal for Certificate A and B holders.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-16 - License fees · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-16 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Electrical contractor's license Class A $240; journeyperson electrician's license Class B $72. Licenses expire on the licensee's birthday every two years and renew on payment of the biennial fee.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-17 - Application for examination; fee · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-17 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Examination application on the state form with a $75 fee.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-24.3 - Credit for electrical license exams · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-24.3 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Apprenticeship path to the Class B exam: minimum 8,000 on-the-job learning hours with 144 hours of related instruction for every 2,000 hours (Class M maintenance: 6,000 hours). Effective June 25, 2024.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-7 - Forms of licenses · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-7 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Certificate A is the electrical contractor's license and Certificate B the journeyperson electrician's license; Rhode Island has no license titled 'master electrician'. Also lists Certificates C, D, M, E, F, AF, BF, SCF, CF, LPC, LPI and SRL.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-9 - Journeyperson's certificate/license · R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-6-9 · Rhode Island General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Certificate B is granted to any person who has passed an examination before the division of professional regulation. No reciprocity or exam-waiver language.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.