Pennsylvania to New Jersey: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Jersey'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.
Out-of-state journeyman: Board review under N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 or a standard experience-based application
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
New Jersey has no journeyman examination, so nothing is waived by reciprocity except the documentation burden. Under N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 the Board may grant a Class A journeyman license to a journeyman licensed in good standing in another jurisdiction, but only where that jurisdiction gives equal reciprocity to New Jersey Class A journeymen and the Board finds its qualifications substantially equivalent; the applicant must also have practiced as a journeyman for two of the last five years, have no discipline or unresolved complaints, be current on the origin state's continuing education, complete a 15-hour Board-approved NEC course, and have the origin board send license verification directly. Because the Board publishes no partner list, every out-of-state journeyman should expect a case-by-case determination. The alternative, open to anyone, is the standard application: document 8,000 hours of hands-on experience (at least 4,000 within five years) and 576 classroom hours with employer work-experience certifications, which may come from out-of-state employers, and pay the $100 application fee plus the prorated license fee ($150 in the first year of the triennial period). Journeymen coming for a short job can instead obtain one 30-day temporary Class A journeyman license per triennial period ($75) to work under a licensed electrical contractor.
The Board's FAQ page (njconsumeraffairs.gov/elec/pages/faq.aspx) could not be opened, so whether the Board has actually recognized any state under 13:31-5.8 is unconfirmed; the rule itself was adopted June 2, 2025. The journeyman application form on the Board's site still uses the pre-2025 'registration' title and quotes an older $40 application fee; the current fee schedule (N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6) sets $100.
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.
- Origin jurisdiction provides equal reciprocity to New Jersey Class A journeymen and the Board finds its qualifications substantially equivalent (reciprocity route only)
- Active practice as a journeyman electrician for at least two of the last five years (reciprocity route only)
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Standard route: 8,000 hours of practical hands-on experience with tools (at least 4,000 within five years of application) plus 576 classroom hours of related instruction, documented by employer certifications (N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.1).
What you'll do to get licensed in New Jersey
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Non-refundable application fee for all licenses (N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Initial Class A journeyman electrician license fee when paid in the first year of the triennial period ($100 in the second year, $50 in the third).
- 3Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Reciprocity route: 15-hour Board-approved course on the most recent National Electrical Code before licensure; all licensees: 15 CE hours per triennial renewal.
- 4Other. Reciprocity route: written or electronic verification of licensure sent directly to the Board by the origin state board, plus a list of all jurisdictions where ever licensed.
- 5Other. Standard route: work-experience certification completed by each employer for the 8,000 hours claimed and certificates of completion for the 576 classroom hours.
Published fees on this path total $250, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How New Jersey licenses journeyman electricians
New Jersey journeyman electrician · “Class A Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs)
New Jersey issues a statewide, person-held Class A Journeyman Electrician license through the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. Until recently the credential was a voluntary 'qualified journeyman electrician' registration; P.L. 2021, c.479 converted it into a license and, with the Class A electrical apprentice and Class B wireman licenses, made a Board license mandatory for anyone performing electrical work for a business-permit holder, with the implementing rules taking effect June 2, 2025. The license is earned on experience rather than examination: 8,000 hours of practical hands-on work with tools in the installation, alteration or repair of wiring (at least 4,000 within the last five years) plus 576 classroom hours of related instruction, documented by employer work-experience certifications; supervising, estimating and managerial time does not count. Licenses run on a three-year cycle with 15 hours of NEC continuing education per renewal. A Class A journeyman may perform in-house electrical work for an employer under N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18(k) and may supervise electrical work, but contracting still requires the separate Electrical Contractor license and business permit. New Jersey's rules include a reciprocity path (N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8) and a 30-day temporary license for out-of-state journeymen, but the Board publishes no list of reciprocal states.
Why Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer
Pennsylvania journeyman electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the New Jersey journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- What does it cost to get a New Jersey journeyman electrician license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $250, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in New Jersey?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Jersey's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from New Jersey to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Application Process Overview · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Other · verified September 15, 2026Board slide deck summarizing the journeyman qualification (8,000 hours with 576 classroom hours, 4,000 hours within five years) and the electrical contractor exam eligibility (over 21, high school diploma, five years hands-on experience, or a four-year federally approved apprenticeship plus one year, or a qualified journeyman plus one year, or a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering plus two years). It lists application fees of $40 (journeyman) and $100 (electrical contractor) and a three-year license term; the $40 figure predates the 2025 fee schedule.
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Application for a Certificate of Registration to Practice as a Qualified Journeyman Electrician · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Form · verified September 15, 2026The Board's journeyman application form still carries the pre-2025 'registration' title. It requires proof of 8,000 hours of practical experience working with tools (at least 4,000 within five years) and 576 classroom hours, supported by work-experience certifications from each employer (the certification asks in what state the employer is licensed). No examination is required; the registration/license fee is billed after approval. A form titled for the Class A journeyman license could not be located on the Board's site.
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 - Fee schedule (Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors) · N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Current fee schedule (effective June 2, 2025): non-refundable application fee for all licenses $100; initial electrical contractor license $225/$150/$75 depending on the year of the triennial period (renewal $225); initial business permit $150/$100/$50 (renewal $150); initial Class A journeyman electrician license $150/$100/$50 (renewal $150); Class B wireman $75/$50/$25; temporary courtesy license $75; 30-day temporary license $75; late renewal $50; reinstatement $100.
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.1 - Class A journeyman electrician license required; qualifications · N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.1 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026As amended effective June 2, 2025: a person must hold a Class A journeyman electrician license to perform the in-house electrical work described in N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18(k) and, if not a licensed electrical contractor, to supervise electrical work. Qualification is a current NJ electrical contractor license, or 8,000 hours of practical hands-on experience (at least 4,000 within the last five years) plus 576 classroom hours of related instruction, or equivalent experience shown by alternative means. No examination is listed.
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.5 - Continuing education for Class A journeyman electricians · N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.5 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 202615 credit hours on the most recent National Electrical Code per triennial renewal.
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 - Class A journeyman electrician licensure by reciprocity · N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Adopted effective June 2, 2025. The Board may grant a Class A journeyman license to a journeyman licensed in good standing in another jurisdiction if that jurisdiction gives equal reciprocity to NJ Class A journeymen and its qualifications are substantially equivalent. The applicant must have practiced as a journeyman for two of the last five years, have no discipline or unresolved complaints, be current on the origin state's continuing education, complete a 15-hour Board-approved NEC course, pay the application and license fees, and have the origin board send verification directly. No partner states are listed.
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.9 - Temporary 30-day Class A journeyman electrician license · N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.9 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026An individual from another state who meets Class A journeyman qualifications may receive one 30-day temporary license per triennial period (application fee plus $75 license fee) to work under a licensed electrical contractor without supervising; longer stays require the full license.
- P.L. 2021, c.479 - An Act concerning the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Class A journeyman, Class A apprentice and Class B wireman licenses) · N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9, 45:5A-11.1, 45:5A-11.7, 45:5A-11.8, 45:5A-11.9 · New Jersey Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Converts the former 'qualified journeyman electrician' registration into a mandatory Class A journeyman electrician license and creates Class A electrical apprentice and Class B wireman licenses (registrants had 13 months after enactment to exchange registrations). Amends 45:5A-9(b): an electrical contractor exam applicant needs five years in the trade, spent as one year as a Class A journeyman and four years in a U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship. C.45:5A-11.7: the Board may issue a temporary license without examination to an out-of-state Class A journeyman, apprentice or wireman for up to 30 days (one per triennial period). C.45:5A-11.8: the Board 'may in its discretion grant licenses without examination to applicants so licensed in another state ... provided that equal reciprocity is provided' to New Jersey electrical contractors, Class A journeymen, Class A apprentices and Class B wiremen.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.