Do I have to take the Delaware journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

How long do I need to have held my Pennsylvania license?

At least 5 years before applying.

What does it cost to get a Delaware journeyman electrician license from Pennsylvania?

Published fees on this path total $105, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Delaware?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Delaware's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from Delaware to Pennsylvania?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Delaware to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.

Pennsylvania to Delaware: journeyman electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Delaware'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 license by reciprocity (any state, Board review of standards)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

Any electrician holding a current journeyperson license issued by another state, U.S. territory or the District of Columbia applies by reciprocity in DELPROS rather than by examination; Delaware does not require the Prov exam of reciprocity applicants. Under 24 Del. C. § 1409(a) the Board must grant the license if the origin state's licensure standards are substantially similar to Delaware's, which Regulation 11.4 defines as at least 4 years of full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, a licensing test by a Board-recognized testing entity, and 5 hours of NEC-based continuing education; if they are not, § 1409(b) requires proof of at least five years of licensed full-time practice as a journeyperson after licensure. The Board's journeyperson page does not name any state as substantially similar and says the Board will make that determination on each application, so every applicant submits a copy of or links to the origin jurisdiction's law and regulations, Verification of Employment forms showing five years of licensed journeyperson experience, and licensure verification sent directly to the Board from every jurisdiction where they are or have been licensed. The application fee is $105 and the application must be completed within six months of starting it. Licenses issued only by a municipality (for example in Pennsylvania) do not qualify; those applicants must take the examination path.

Whether the Board waives the five-year practice proof for journeypersons from Maryland or New Jersey (the states it lists as substantially similar at the master level) is not stated on the journeyperson page, which asks all reciprocity applicants for the five-year Verification of Employment. Applicants without a current out-of-state license apply by examination: 8,000 hours under a licensed master, Prov exam at 75%, $105 fee.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

Your Pennsylvania license must be active and in good standing.
You must have held your Pennsylvania license for at least 5 years.Required when the origin state's standards are not substantially similar to Delaware's: five years of licensed, full-time practice as a journeyperson after licensure, shown on Verification of Employment forms (24 Del. C. § 1409(b); 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 11.2)
Origin state's requirements are reviewed against Regulation 11.4: 4 years of full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, a licensing test administered by a Board-recognized testing entity, and 5 hours of NEC-based continuing education

What you'll do to get licensed in Delaware

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($105). Journeyperson electrician application fee (exam or reciprocity), paid in DELPROS.
2Other. Licensure verification sent directly to the Board from each jurisdiction where the applicant holds or has held a license, plus a copy of or links to each jurisdiction's electrician law and regulations.
3Other. Verification of Employment form(s) showing five years of licensed full-time journeyperson experience (W-2s with an explanatory letter accepted as a substitute).

Published fees on this path total $105, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

How Delaware licenses journeyman electricians

Delaware journeyman electrician · “Journeyperson Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation)

Delaware issues a statewide Journeyperson Electrician license through the Board of Electrical Examiners in the Division of Professional Regulation; a lesser Residential Electrician license (4,000 hours plus a residential exam) also exists. A new journeyperson must be at least 20 and either hold a certificate of completion from a Board-approved apprenticeship (no further exam) or document over 8,000 hours of full-time electrical work under a licensed master electrician (at least 4,000 of them directly under a master) and pass the Prov-administered journeyperson exam with 75%, using only the NEC as a reference. The application fee is $105. Out-of-state journeypersons are licensed by reciprocity under 24 Del. C. § 1409 without a Delaware exam: the Board decides case by case whether the origin state's requirements are substantially similar (Regulation 11.4 sets the benchmark at 4 years of supervised experience, a licensing exam and 5 hours of NEC continuing education) and otherwise requires five years of licensed practice. Unlike the master level, the Board publishes no list of substantially-similar states for journeypersons. Licenses run two years and renew with continuing education.

Moving to Delaware Leaving Delaware

Why Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer

Pennsylvania journeyman electrician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 12 sources

Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician license at any level: none of the Department of State's 29 professional licensing boards covers electricians or electrical contractors, and the Commonwealth's Uniform Construction Code regulates permits and inspections rather than the people doing the work. Journeyman licensing exists only where a city ordinance creates it, and the two largest cities do not: Philadelphia licenses Electrical Contractors (plus electrical inspectors) with no journeyman or apprentice electrician license, and Pittsburgh issues a single master-level Electrical Trade License, so in both cities journeymen work as employees of a licensed contractor without a personal license. Allentown, Harrisburg, Reading and Erie do issue journeyman licenses, all keyed to the ICC National Standard Journeyman Electrician exam (G17) plus four years of experience or a completed apprenticeship, and Harrisburg and Reading publish short reciprocity lists that are mostly other Pennsylvania cities plus Delaware and Maryland. A journeyman license from another state has no state-level standing in Pennsylvania; the arriving journeyman should check the ordinance of each city where they will work, and an ICC journeyman exam already passed elsewhere is the most portable credential.

How local licensing works in Pennsylvania

How local licensing works. Pennsylvania has no state electrical board and no state journeyman, master or contractor license for electricians. Cities that license electricians do so under their own ordinances through local examining or trades boards, almost all of which use ICC exams. A license from one city is not valid in another unless that city's ordinance recognizes it, and there is no statewide reciprocity rule.

Philadelphia. The Department of Licenses and Inspections issues an Electrical Contractor License only; its trade license list has journeyman and apprentice licenses for plumbing, sheet metal and fire suppression but none for electricians. Non-contractor electricians work as employees under a licensed electrical contractor. Years worked for a contractor licensed by any local or state jurisdiction count toward the four years needed for the contractor license.

Pittsburgh. The Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections issues one Electrical Trade License (master level) to individuals; there is no journeyman license. Employees of a licensee work without a personal license.

Allentown. The Electricians' Examining Board issues a Journeyman license on four years of practical experience and the ICC National Standard Journeyman exam (G17), a Residential license on two years and the G18 exam, and a Master license (G16, four years). Applicants must be over 21 with a high school diploma or GED, pay a $50 application fee, and may register for the exam only after Board approval; licenses renew annually. No reciprocity provision is published.

Harrisburg. The Bureau of Codes issues a Journeyman Electrician license ($100) on four years of practical experience (apprenticeship acceptable) or four years of technical school plus two years, with documentation of a passing ICC Journeyman or National Standard Journeyman exam. The city does no testing itself. It accepts documentation by test results or by reciprocity from Allentown, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Reading, Philadelphia, Maryland and Delaware (others considered), and requires a letter of good standing from any other Pennsylvania municipality that licenses the applicant.

Reading. The Electrical Board issues a Journeyman Electrician license ($50 annual) requiring employment by a registered master, a completed four-year PA-registered apprenticeship with 144 hours per year of related instruction or eight years under a registered master, and the ICC G17Y journeyman exam. A reciprocal journeyman license ($150, including a one-time reciprocity fee) is available for licenses from jurisdictions of at least third-class-city standing with an equivalent board; the June 2023 list includes Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, Harford and Montgomery Counties in Maryland (journeyman only), Sullivan County NY, Springfield MO and several Pennsylvania cities.

Erie. Electrical work must be done by a City of Erie-licensed electrical contractor and only master license holders can pull permits; journeyman and apprentice licenses exist, and the Building Code Official may issue temporary journeyman/apprentice licenses (90 days) without Trades Licensing Board approval. Full requirements are in Article 333 of the Codified Ordinances, which could not be opened.

Scranton. Licensing, Inspections and Permits issues Master and journeyman/apprentice contractor licenses; the master application asks about journeyman status and other-municipality licenses but publishes no reciprocity rule.

Out-of-state holders. Only Harrisburg (Maryland, Delaware) and Reading (the list above) recognize out-of-state journeyman licenses, and each still issues its own license and fee. Everywhere else an out-of-state journeyman either needs no license (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh) or must submit ICC journeyman exam results and local experience documentation.

Moving to Pennsylvania Leaving Pennsylvania

Common questions

Do I have to take the Delaware journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Pennsylvania license?: At least 5 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Delaware journeyman electrician license from Pennsylvania?: Published fees on this path total $105, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Delaware?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Delaware's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Delaware to Pennsylvania?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Delaware to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

24 Del. C. Chapter 14, Subchapter II - License (Board of Electrical Examiners) · 24 Del. C. §§ 1407-1411 · Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online) · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§ 1408(a)(1) master electrician: knowledge of residential, commercial and industrial work plus six years' full-time experience under a licensed master, or 8,000 hours plus 576 hours of related instruction in an apprenticeship, or four years' experience plus two years' technical training; § 1408(a)(4) journeyperson: age 20 and either a Board-approved apprenticeship with final exam or over 8,000 hours of full-time electrical work under a licensed master; § 1408(a)(5) residential electrician: exam plus over 4,000 hours or a residential apprenticeship; all except apprentices pass a standardized written exam. § 1409(a): on application and fee the Board 'shall grant a license' to an applicant with proof of current licensure in good standing in another state, D.C. or territory whose standards are substantially similar; § 1409(b): an applicant from a state whose standards are not substantially similar 'shall have practiced for a minimum of 5 years after licensure'. § 1411: proof of general liability insurance as required by the Board; licenses renew biennially with continuing education.
Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners - Home · 24 Del. C. ch. 18 · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched through the r.jina.ai text proxy because dpr.delaware.gov rejects direct fetches. 'The Board issues master plumber, master HVACR and master restricted HVACR licenses'; restricted licenses limit practice to a specialty such as air conditioning. Notes the March 11, 2025 regulation update (restricted candidates take only the relevant bypass exam sections; continuing education clarified for the 2026 renewal). Board meets the second Tuesday monthly and reviews only complete applications.
Delaware DPR - Board of Electrical Examiners examination information (Prov) · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by Prov at Delaware test sites (Wilmington, Newark, Dover) or online via Examroom; a minimum score of 75% is required; exams are based on the most current NEC adopted in Delaware; candidates apply in DELPROS first and Prov contacts approved candidates within 1-2 weeks with a Candidate Information Bulletin. Exam fees are not stated on the page.
Delaware DPR - Plumbing and HVACR Fee Schedule · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Fetched through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Application fees: Master HVACR $173; Master Restricted HVACR $173; Plumber or HVACR Temporary $40. Commercial Hood System Examination $50; Verification of Licensure $35 ($45 with exam scores/hours/history). Renewal fee is announced at renewal; late renewal adds 50%. All fees are non-refundable and paid in DELPROS.
Delaware DPR - Apply for a Journeyperson Electrician license (certificate, examination or reciprocity) · 24 Del. C. § 1408(a)(4); 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 11.0 · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Three paths: apprenticeship certificate of completion (no exam), examination (8,000 hours of full-time electrical work under a licensed master electrician), or reciprocity for holders of a current journeyperson license from another state, U.S. territory or D.C. Reciprocity applicants must submit licensure verification from every jurisdiction, a copy of or links to each jurisdiction's law and regulations, and Verification of Employment forms showing five years of licensed full-time journeyperson experience; 'the Board will determine whether the licensure requirements in any jurisdiction where you hold a current license are substantially similar to those of Delaware'. No list of substantially-similar states is published for journeypersons.
Delaware DPR - Apply for a Master or Limited Electrician license by Examination or by Reciprocity · 24 Del. C. § 1408(a); 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Reciprocity is for holders of a current license of the same type from another state, U.S. territory or D.C. Applicants licensed in Maryland or New Jersey need no proof of experience (standards substantially similar). Applicants licensed in Arkansas, Colorado, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia or Wyoming must submit Verification of Employment forms (or W-2s/Schedule C with an explanation) showing five years of licensed practice. Applicants from any other state must submit that state's laws and regulations for Board evaluation. Pennsylvania issues no state license, so holders of only Pennsylvania municipal licenses must apply by examination. All applicants: proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 and licensure verification sent directly from every jurisdiction; master by exam needs six years' full-time experience or four years under a master plus two years of technical training; applications must be completed within six months of starting in DELPROS.
Delaware Register of Regulations, 18 DE Reg. 704 (March 1, 2015) - Board of Electrical Examiners final order (Regulations 3.0 Qualifications and 4.0 Examinations) · 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 §§ 3.0, 4.0 · Delaware Registrar of Regulations / Board of Electrical Examiners · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Regulation 3.0: qualifications are proven by affidavit on a Board form (supervising-electrician affidavits or W-2s); two years of technical training may be a vocational/technical high school program or 48 post-secondary credit hours; for journeyperson licensure at least 4,000 of the 8,000 hours must be under a licensed master electrician. Regulation 4.0: applicants must score 75% on the Division-approved test with only the NEC book as a reference; applications with credentials are due 45 days before the test; the license issues on a passing score, proof of insurance and payment of the fee.
Delaware Register of Regulations, 27 DE Reg. 885 (May 1, 2024) - Board of Electrical Examiners final order amending Regulation 11.0 Reciprocity · 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 11.0 · Delaware Registrar of Regulations / Board of Electrical Examiners · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Final order signed April 3, 2024, effective ten days after publication. 11.1: reciprocity applicants present proof of current licensure in good standing from every jurisdiction where licensed (inactive, lapsed, expired, suspended or revoked licenses do not qualify) and copies of the reciprocal state's requirements. 11.2: if the reciprocal state's requirements are not substantially similar, proof of practice under the license for at least 5 years after licensure (employer affidavits, or W-2s/tax documents showing five years of full-time employment). 11.3: a state's master electrician requirements are substantially similar if it requires at least 6 years full-time experience under a licensed master, passing a licensing test by a Board-recognized testing entity, 5 hours of NEC-based continuing education, and inspection of electrical work by qualified inspectors. 11.4: journeyperson requirements are substantially similar if the state requires at least 4 years full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, a licensing test by a Board-recognized testing entity, and 5 hours of NEC-based continuing education.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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