Oregon to Iowa: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Iowa has no reciprocity agreement with Oregon. A Oregon journeyman electrician applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by verification (states without a reciprocal agreement)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
An out-of-state journeyman from a state that is not on Iowa's reciprocity list can apply for licensure by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 and rule 481-401.9. The board issues the Iowa license without examination if the applicant has been licensed in the other jurisdiction for at least one year, the scope of practice there is substantially similar, the license is in good standing everywhere it is held, the applicant passed the exam the origin state required, and there is no revocation, discipline or pending complaint. For electrician licenses the statute additionally requires that the applicant has established Iowa residency (or is the spouse of an active-duty service member on permanent change of station to Iowa). The origin jurisdiction must complete the board's License by Verification form and send it directly to the board, and the applicant pays the regular license fee ($75 for a full three-year journeyman cycle, prorated). An applicant who cannot meet the residency requirement can instead be sponsored for the Iowa journeyman exam on the strength of a current out-of-state journeyman or master license obtained by exam, but must first complete 18 hours of board-approved continuing education and 1,000 hours of work in Iowa as a licensed unclassified person.
DIAL's page tags the License by Verification form as 'Archived' but the form itself is dated 10/20/25 and rule 481-401.9 remains in the December 2025 Administrative Code; confirm current availability with the board before relying on it. The PSI exam fee for the alternative exam route is $87 per attempt. Rule 481-401.10 separately allows applicants from jurisdictions that do not license electricians to qualify on three years of full-time work experience within the last four years.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must have held your Oregon license for at least 1 year.Licensed by another issuing jurisdiction for at least one year (481-401.9(1)b).
- 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.
- Scope of practice in the transferring jurisdiction is substantially similar to Iowa's
- Has established Iowa residency (rule 701-300.17) or is married to an active-duty service member accompanying them on an official permanent change of station to Iowa
What you'll do to get licensed in Iowa
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($75). Journeyman Class A license fee for a full three-year cycle (481-401.3); prorated by month when issued mid-cycle.
- 2Other. License by Verification form completed by the transferring jurisdiction and sent directly to the board.
- 3Other. Proof of Iowa residency (homestead credit, voter registration, Iowa driver's license, or days-of-residence test) and documentation of complete criminal record.
Published fees on this path total $75, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Iowa licenses journeyman electricians
Iowa journeyman electrician · “Class A Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Iowa Electrical Examining Board, Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL)
Iowa issues a statewide Class A Journeyman Electrician license through the Electrical Examining Board, now housed in the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL); the Class B journeyman license is a closed grandfather class for people working before 1998. A new Class A applicant must have completed a U.S. DOL-registered apprenticeship (8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 classroom hours, four years as an apprentice) or a board-approved post-secondary electrical program with 6,000 OJT hours, and pass the PSI-administered journeyman exam with 70% or better (2023 NEC). The license runs on a three-year cycle; a full-cycle license costs $75 and the fee is prorated by month of issue. Iowa has reciprocal agreements with 13 states at the journeyman level, under which the Iowa exam is waived. Licensees from any other state can use Iowa's universal licensure-by-verification process (Iowa Code 272C.12), which also waives the exam but requires Iowa residency, or sit the Iowa exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Iowa journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Oregon?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Oregon license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Iowa journeyman electrician license from Oregon?
- Published fees on this path total $75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Oregon work hours count in Iowa?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Iowa's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Iowa to Oregon?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Iowa to Oregon, the mechanism is experience credit.
Sources
- Iowa Code Chapter 103 - Electricians and Electrical Contractors (2026) · Iowa Code §§103.10, 103.12, 103.16, 103.18, 103.19, 103.21 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Iowa Code 272C.12 - Licensure of persons licensed in other jurisdictions (2026) · Iowa Code 272C.12 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- DIAL - Electrical Licensing FAQs · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- DIAL - Electrical Licensing (Iowa Electrical Examining Board) · Iowa Code ch. 103 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- DIAL - Electrical License Fees for the 2026-2028 license cycle · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- State of Iowa Testing Sponsorship Requirements and Information (rev. 12/14/2023) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- Iowa Electrical Examining Board - License by Verification Form (Iowa Code 272C.12), rev. 10/20/25 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- 481 IAC Chapter 401 - Electrician and Electrical Contractor Licensing Program: Licensing Requirements, Procedures, and Fees (IAC 12/10/25) · 481 IAC 401.2(3), 401.2(6), 401.2(13), 401.2(14), 401.2(15), 401.3, 401.7, 401.8, 401.9, 401.10 · Iowa Legislature / DIAL · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Iowa Electrical Examining Board (updated 9/19/2025) · 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.