Ohio to Connecticut: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Ohio does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Connecticut'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.
Journeyperson by equivalent out-of-state license (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An electrician licensed in any other state applies under DCP's 'Electrical Journeyperson - Equivalent Out of State License' path. DCP reviews one out-of-state license for equivalency: it must have required the same number of classroom hours (720 for the E-2), an equivalent classroom curriculum, and the same on-the-job training hours (8,000 for the E-2) as the Connecticut license. The applicant submits a copy of the license, an official license verification, the laws and regulations that set the requirements met to obtain it, and the scope of work for that license; only one license will be reviewed and the $90 application fee is non-refundable. If the license is found equivalent, DCP approves the applicant to sit the E-2 exam with PSI ($59 per portion), and the license is issued after passing on payment of the $120 initial license fee. The out-of-state license does not waive the Connecticut exam because Connecticut has no reciprocal agreements. If the license cannot be shown equivalent, the applicant must instead document 720 classroom hours and 8,000 OJT hours under the equivalent experience and training path.
DCP's out-of-state license page does not itself restate that the exam is required; the exam requirement follows from the Electrical License page (exam vendor fees due on every path), CGS 20-333 (competency shown by examination) and the PSI bulletin (DCP determines eligibility, then the candidate tests). CGS 20-333a permits licensure without examination only where the other state reciprocates for Connecticut licensees, and DCP states no such agreements exist. Typical 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 Ohio license must be active and in good standing.
- The out-of-state license must be equivalent: it required the same classroom hours (720), an equivalent curriculum, and the same OJT hours (8,000) as the Connecticut E-2Only one out-of-state license is reviewed for equivalency.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.On-the-job training hours required for the E-2; demonstrated through the equivalent out-of-state license or, failing that, through notarized employer letters under the experience and training path.
What you'll do to get licensed in Connecticut
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($90). Journeyperson application fee, non-refundable (CGS 20-333).
- 2Other. Copy of the out-of-state license, official license verification, the laws/regulations listing the requirements met to obtain it, and the scope of work for that license.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson exam administered by PSI: 80 questions, 3.5 hours, 70% to pass, open book (2020 or 2023 NEC).
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59). PSI examination fee per portion (same fee for retakes).
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($120). Initial license fee for a journeyperson license after passing the exam (CGS 20-335); renews annually for $120.
Published fees on this path total $269, 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 · $59
How Connecticut licenses journeyman electricians
Connecticut journeyman electrician · “E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson”
Statewide license
Connecticut licenses electricians statewide through the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP); the journeyman-level license is the E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson, which allows all electrical work defined in CGS 20-330 while employed by a licensed contractor (limited journeyperson classes such as C-6, L-2, L-6, T-2 and PV-2 also exist). A new E-2 applicant qualifies through a Connecticut apprenticeship, through equivalent experience and training, or by holding an equivalent out-of-state license, and in every path must pass the PSI-administered E-2 exam (80 questions, 3.5 hours, 70%, open book on the 2020 or 2023 NEC). DCP states that Connecticut does not have reciprocal agreements with any other jurisdiction, even though CGS 20-333a would allow the Commissioner to waive the exam for licensees of states that reciprocate. The application fee is $90, the exam is $59 per portion, and the initial license fee is $120; licenses expire every September 30 and renew for $120.
Why Ohio has nothing to transfer
Ohio journeyman electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by No state authority; Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses contractors only
Ohio does not issue a journeyman electrician license. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) licenses individual electrical contractors for commercial work, and R.C. 4740.01 defines everyone else on the job as a 'tradesperson' employed by a contractor, with no state license or card. Where a personal journeyman credential exists it comes from a city ordinance: Toledo examines and licenses Journeyman and Residential Journeyman Electricians through its Division of Building Inspection and registers 'traveler' journeymen from other jurisdictions, while Cincinnati and Hamilton only register contractors (a 'Master Registration' in Hamilton) and do not license individual electricians. An out-of-state journeyman license has no state-level recognition in Ohio; it is useful only as proof of experience when a city requires it, or as one of the documents OCILB accepts (an active journeyman's card) toward the five-year experience requirement for the state contractor exam.
How local licensing works in Ohio
How local licensing works. Ohio's contractor licensing statute (R.C. Chapter 4740) covers only the individual electrical contractor license issued by OCILB and does not license tradespersons; any journeyman requirement is local. Most large cities require only that electrical work be done by or under a state-licensed contractor who has registered with the city.
Toledo. The Division of Building Inspection issues Journeyman Electrician and Residential Journeyman licenses after an examination ($100 exam fee), with proof of graduation from an apprenticeship program with 8,000 hours or an equivalent qualification (a journeyman certificate earned by testing in another city jurisdiction, completion of a recognized apprenticeship, or four years in the electrical construction industry). A Traveler Journeyman registration ($100) is available with the same documentation, and apprentices register for $25. Licenses renew annually by December 31.
Cincinnati. Contractors performing work in the city must hold a contractor registration under Municipal Code Chapter 1106 ($131.25 per year including surcharges); registration of state-licensed contractors runs until the state license expires. Toledo's application does accept a journeyman certificate obtained by testing in another city jurisdiction as a qualification to sit for (or register for) its exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Connecticut journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Ohio?
- Yes. Connecticut requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Connecticut journeyman electrician license from Ohio?
- Published fees on this path total $269, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Ohio work hours count in Connecticut?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Connecticut's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Connecticut to Ohio?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Connecticut to Ohio, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 393 - Occupational Licensing (Electrical, Plumbing and Piping, Heating, Cooling...) · CGS §§ 20-330, 20-333, 20-333a, 20-334a, 20-335 · Connecticut General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Electrical License (application paths, fees, renewal) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Electrical Journeyperson: Equivalent Out of State License · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Connecticut DCP - Electrical License Types and Scope of Work · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Connecticut DCP Occupational Licensing - Electrical Trades Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, updated 2/4/2026) · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection / PSI Services LLC · Form · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.