Oregon to Idaho: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Idaho has a reciprocity agreement with Oregon: a Oregon journeyman electrician can get a Idaho license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Oregon (journeyman)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Idaho and Oregon signed a bilateral journeyman reciprocity agreement (BCD# 73-0-468) in 2009 under Idaho Code 54-1007 and ORS 670.380. Idaho issues a journeyman license without examination to an Oregon journeyman electrician whose license is current, active and in good standing (no pending discipline or restrictions), who qualified for the Oregon exam through four years of apprenticeship education (576 classroom hours minimum) plus 8,000 hours of supervised experience, and who passed the Oregon journeyman exam. Idaho's application requires a License Verification Form from Oregon showing status, completion of the four-year program and 8,000 hours, licensure by examination, and issue date. Oregon General Supervising Electricians are deemed to meet the experience requirement. The applicant pays the $70 processing fee ($15 application plus $55 license).
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active since August 4, 2009
What you must already have
- Your Oregon license must be active and in good standing.
- Your Oregon license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.No pending disciplinary actions and no current restrictions or limitations on the license.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Plus completion of four years of electrical apprenticeship vocational education (576 classroom hours minimum).
What you'll do to get licensed in Idaho
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($15). DOPL application fee.
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($55). Original Journeyman Electrician license fee (three-year term).
- 3Other. License Verification Form completed by the State of Oregon.
Published fees on this path total $70, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Idaho licenses journeyman electricians
Idaho journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho Electrical Board)
Idaho issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) on behalf of the Idaho Electrical Board, under Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 10 and IDAPA 24.39.10. Idaho Code 54-1007(6) lets the administrator sign reciprocal agreements with states whose qualifications are at least equal to Idaho's, and Idaho participates in the multi-state National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA) agreement as well as a separate bilateral agreement with Oregon. Journeymen from those states are licensed without examination on proof of an active license obtained by examination. Everyone else applies on the standard route, where out-of-state hours count toward the 8,000-hour (with a four-year program) or 16,000-hour experience requirement and the Idaho journeyman exam (PSI) must be passed. DOPL was re-evaluating its reciprocal agreements in late 2025, so the partner list may change.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Idaho journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Oregon?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Oregon.
- What does it cost to get a Idaho journeyman electrician license from Oregon?
- Published fees on this path total $70, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- Idaho Code 54-1007 - Issuance of licenses - Reciprocity · Idaho Code 54-1007 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 14, 2026Subsection (3): a person who has worked as a licensed journeyman at least four years is qualified to apply for a master license. Subsection (6): 'To the extent that other states that provide for the licensing of electricians require qualifications at least equal to those contained in this chapter, the administrator may enter reciprocal agreements with such other states to grant licenses to electricians licensed by such other states.'
- Idaho Electrical Board - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026Fee table: application fee $15; Journeyman original license $55 (3-year term, renewal $45); Master original license $65 (3-year term, renewal $45).
- Idaho Electrical Board - Frequently Asked Questions · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Faq · verified September 14, 2026Q: Does Idaho have Reciprocal Licensing agreements? A: 'Yes. The states that Idaho has an agreement with are listed in the Reciprocal Information document.' The linked PDF (bcre-reciprocal-info.pdf) returned 404 on 2026-09-14; the current list is on the journeyman application form.
- Idaho Electrical Journeyman License Application and Instructions (revised August 2, 2024) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 14, 2026Reciprocal Pathway lists NERA states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming (DOPL obtains license status, proof of licensure by examination, and issue date from the origin state), plus a separate Oregon pathway. Initial and reciprocal applications carry a $70.00 processing fee. Work hours for the standard route 'can be obtained in or out of the State of Idaho.'
- Idaho Electrical Board draft meeting minutes, August 12, 2025 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Other · verified September 14, 2026'DOPL staff are reviewing the current reciprocal agreements as well as changes in other states' legislation that may affect those agreements. A revaluation of the reciprocal agreements will be conducted later this year.' Also notes House Bill 153 amended 54-1007 so a master licensee is automatically issued a journeyman license at no additional cost.
- Reciprocal Agreement - Idaho Journeyman and Oregon Journeyman Electrical Licenses (BCD# 73-0-468) · Idaho Code 54-1007; ORS 670.380 · Idaho Division of Building Safety / Oregon Building Codes Division · Agreement Document · verified September 14, 2026Signed by Idaho 7/20/2009 and Oregon 8/3/2009 and 8/4/2009; effective when all parties signed. Journeyman level only. Requires current, active license in good standing; qualification by 4 years (576 classroom hours) of apprenticeship education plus 4 years (8,000 hours) supervised experience; passed the journeyman exam in Oregon or Idaho.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.