Oregon to New Mexico: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
New Mexico has no reciprocity agreement with Oregon. Your Oregon experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the New Mexico exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state journeyman without a reciprocity agreement
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
CID publishes no endorsement process for journeymen from states outside its EE-98J reciprocity list, and 14.6.4 NMAC contains no general reciprocity provision (only an expedited path for military service members, spouses and veterans). An applicant from a non-reciprocal state files the standard notarized Journeyman Certificate Application with PSI, documents 8,000 hours of experience within the past ten years on notarized work-experience forms, and must pass all three parts of the EE-98J exam. Out-of-state experience counts if it was gained while employed by a contractor licensed in the trade or was legal work in the state where it was performed. New Mexico has no separate law exam for journeymen; state code questions are part of the Part 1 Code exam.
All certification requirements must be met within six months of CID receiving the application, and passing scores are valid for one year. Whether CID would waive the exam for a non-listed state under NMSA 60-13-14(C) is not addressed on any 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.Four years of accredited training, apprenticeship or practical experience in the electrical trade (two years commercial/industrial), gained within the ten years before application (NMSA 60-13-38(I); 14.6.4.8(C) NMAC).
What you'll do to get licensed in New Mexico
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($75). Journeyman Certificate Application fee paid to PSI (per classification).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. EE-98J exam: Part 1 Code (50 questions, open book, 2020 NEC), Part 2 Theory (closed book) and a practical exam; 75% required on each.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($206.64). PSI exam combination fee for the three EE-98J parts ($68.88 per part, charged per attempt).
Published fees on this path total $281.64, 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 · $206.64
How New Mexico licenses journeyman electricians
New Mexico journeyman electrician · “EE-98J Journeyman Electrician (certificate of competence)”
Statewide license
Issued by New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID)
New Mexico issues statewide journeyman certificates of competence through the Construction Industries Division (CID) of the Regulation and Licensing Department; PSI processes applications and administers the exams under contract. The residential and commercial journeyman electrician classification is EE-98J, which requires four years (8,000 hours) of experience gained within the ten years before application; a residential-only ER-1J and several two-year specialty journeyman classifications also exist. A new EE-98J applicant passes a two-part written exam (Part 1 Code, open book on the 2020 NEC; Part 2 Theory, closed book) and a practical exam, each with a 75% passing score. CID reciprocates only the EE-98J classification, with ten states. Certificates are active for three years, and EE-98J holders complete 16 hours of continuing education per three-year code cycle.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the New Mexico journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Oregon?
- Yes. New Mexico requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a New Mexico journeyman electrician license from Oregon?
- Published fees on this path total $281.64, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Oregon work hours count in New Mexico?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Mexico's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13 · NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-2(E), 60-13-14, 60-13-16, 60-13-38 · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- 14.6.4 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Journeyman Certification · 14.6.4.8 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 14.6.6 NMAC - Construction Industries Licensing: Classifications and Scopes of Work · 14.6.6.8 and 14.6.6.9 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI - How to Obtain a New Mexico Journeyman Certificate · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- State of New Mexico Journeyman Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, updated 4/13/2023) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- NM Regulation and Licensing Department - Apply for a Construction Industries License · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.