Tennessee to Nebraska: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Tennessee does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Nebraska'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 without a reciprocity agreement
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
The Division's pages describe only two routes: reciprocity with the thirteen listed states, or the PSI examination. A journeyman from any other state files the standard Application for State Electrical License, lists current licenses and documents four years of verifiable experience with employer verification letters on company letterhead (out-of-state experience is accepted, but an applicant with fewer than 4,000 hours in Nebraska receives a 'Restricted' license that cannot later reciprocate onward), pays the $90 application fee, and must pass the Nebraska exam. Separately, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120(1) lets the Board license without examination an electrician licensed for at least one year by a state that offers similar treatment and whose qualifications equal Nebraska's, and § 81-2120(2) (2024) directs the Board to issue a license to an applicant who has held for at least one year a license whose prerequisite was completion of a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, provided the license was obtained by exam or training standards and there is no disqualifying record or pending complaint. The Division does not describe how it applies these statutory routes outside its agreement list. There is no separate law exam; State Electrical Act questions are part of the trade exam.
The PSI exam fee is paid to PSI when scheduling and is not published on the Division's pages, so no amount is listed. Whether the Board grants § 81-2120(2) apprenticeship-based licenses without examination in practice could not be confirmed from an 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 verifiable experience acceptable to the Board (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2109); three years plus an associate degree in electrical technology also qualifies.
What you'll do to get licensed in Nebraska
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($90). Journeyman Electrician application fee, non-refundable once processed.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Nebraska journeyman exam administered by PSI: 2023 NEC (open book), basic electrical theory, Nebraska State Electrical Act, emergency and fire alarm circuits.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($37.50). License fee when issued in an even-numbered year (2026); $75 when issued in an odd-numbered year, covering the remainder of the two-year term ending December 31 of the even year.
Published fees on this path total $127.50, 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
How Nebraska licenses journeyman electricians
Nebraska journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Nebraska State Electrical Division (State Electrical Board)
Nebraska issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the State Electrical Division under the State Electrical Act. A new applicant needs four years (8,000 hours) of verifiable experience acceptable to the State Electrical Board (apprentice registration counts, and an associate degree in electrical technology earns one year of credit), pays a $90 application fee, and passes the PSI-administered exam covering the 2023 NEC (open book), electrical theory, the State Electrical Act and emergency circuits. The license fee is $37.50 when issued in an even-numbered year or $75 in an odd-numbered year; all licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years and renewal requires 12 hours of continuing education. The Board has reciprocal journeyman agreements with thirteen states, and reciprocal applicants are licensed without the Nebraska exam. A Residential Journeyman (RW) license with a three-year requirement also exists.
Why Tennessee has nothing to transfer
Tennessee journeyman electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Tennessee has no statewide journeyman electrician license. The Board for Licensing Contractors regulates electrical work at only two levels: the contractor license with the CE (electrical) classification, required for projects of $25,000 and up, and the Limited Licensed Electrician (LLE), a personal license for projects under $25,000 that is accepted only in the roughly 65 counties where the State Fire Marshal's Division of Fire Prevention issues permits and inspects. The Board itself says the LLE exam 'is NOT comparable to the journeyman/master', that no experience is required to take it, and that 'there are no out-of-state reciprocal (exam waiver) agreements for the LLE'. Journeyman cards exist only where a city or county runs its own testing, licensing and inspection program: Nashville, Memphis/Shelby County, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Jackson and about two dozen other 'exempt jurisdictions' listed by the state do not accept the LLE and require their local journeyman or master license, or a state CE contractor license, to obtain permits. An out-of-state journeyman license has no state-level recognition in Tennessee; the state's LLE packet states flatly that 'out-of-state electricians and contractors must obtain a license in Tennessee', and none of the largest local programs publish a reciprocity or exam-waiver path, so a journeyman arriving from another state should expect to sit the local exam in each jurisdiction where they will work (or take the $50 LLE exam for small jobs in fire-marshal counties).
How local licensing works in Tennessee
How local licensing works. T.C.A. Title 62, Chapter 6 gives the Board for Licensing Contractors the CE contractor license (business-level, $25,000 and up, accepted by every jurisdiction) and the LLE (individual, under $25,000, valid only where the state inspects). Local governments that operate their own electrical inspection programs may license electricians for smaller work under their own codes, and the state publishes a list of exempt jurisdictions that do not accept the LLE. Every one of them accepts a state CE contractor license for permits, but none accepts another city's or state's journeyman card by rule.
Nashville (Metro Codes and Building Safety). The Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical Examiners and Appeals Board examines and licenses Master Electricians, Equipment Installers, Low Voltage Installers and Journeyman Electricians. A journeyman applicant must show completion of an electrical construction apprenticeship program or regular employment as a journeyman under an electrical contractor or master electrician, submit employer verification letters and a character letter, be approved by the Chief Electrical Inspector, and pass the Prov-administered Metro journeyman exam with 70% (30-day wait to retest). The application asks whether the applicant holds a master license in another city or state but describes no exam waiver.
Memphis / Shelby County (Office of Construction Code Enforcement). The joint Memphis and Shelby County Electrical Code licenses Journeyman Electricians and Linemen (age 20, three years of experience in the electrical field immediately preceding application, application in person with three industry recommendations, 30-day investigation, exam before the Electrical Code Advisory Board; exam $50, annual renewal $50) and registers apprentices ($12). Journeymen work under a licensed Master Electrician who pulls the permit. No reciprocity provision appears in the code.
Knoxville (Plans Review & Inspections). Knoxville is on the state's exempt list and requires everyone pulling a permit to hold a city registration matching their qualifications (state contractor, homeowner, or unlicensed/LLE-LLP registration). The city's own electrical exam, experience and fee details are not published on the pages found; contact 865-215-4311.
Chattanooga (Land Development Office). Issues a Journeyman electrical license ($55, two-year term) to applicants with 3 years or 6,000 documented hours of experience with an electrical contractor who pass the city test, and a separate 'state certified' journeyman registration on the same terms; a Board of Electrical Examiners oversees testing. No reciprocity is mentioned.
Out-of-state holders. The state has no journeyman license to endorse, the LLE has no reciprocity, and the four largest local programs publish no exam waiver for other jurisdictions' journeyman cards. Practical routes are: pass the local journeyman exam in each exempt jurisdiction where you will work; take the LLE exam ($50 license, no experience required) for sub-$25,000 work in fire-marshal counties; or, for independent contracting, obtain the state CE contractor license, which every jurisdiction accepts.
- Nashville / Davidson County (Metro Codes and Building Safety)
- Memphis / Shelby County (Office of Construction Code Enforcement)
- Knoxville (Plans Review & Inspections)
- Chattanooga (Land Development Office)
- Hamilton County
- Clarksville
- Murfreesboro
- Franklin
- Jackson
- Kingsport
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Nebraska journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
- Yes. Nebraska requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Nebraska journeyman electrician license from Tennessee?
- Published fees on this path total $127.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Tennessee work hours count in Nebraska?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Nebraska's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Nebraska to Tennessee?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Nebraska to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Application for State Electrical License (updated 3/2026) · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Form · verified September 15, 2026One form for Electrical Contractor, Journeyman Electrician, Residential Journeyman, Fire Alarm Installer, Special Installer and Apprentice; applicants tick 'Application for License By: PSI Examination / Reciprocity with Other States / Having Passed an Approved Municipal Examination' and list current licenses with whether each was obtained by written exam. Application fees: Electrical Contractor $180; Journeyman $90; Residential Journeyman $90; Fire Alarm Installer $90. License fees issued in even years: Contractor $187.50, Journeyman $37.50; odd years: Contractor $375, Journeyman $75. 'Applicants for reciprocal licenses are required to submit a registration fee equal to the application fee plus license fee.' Experience: contractor needs an EE degree plus one year as a journeyman, one year as a licensed journeyman, or five years planning, laying out, supervising and installing electrical wiring; journeyman needs four years verifiable experience or three years plus an electrical technology degree.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Exam Information and Licensing Applications · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams for all license types except apprentice registration cover the 2023 National Electrical Code, basic electricity theory, the Nebraska State Electrical Act and emergency circuits including fire alarm circuits. Links the 2026 mail-in licensing application, the online application portal, and Policy 37 on the retest waiting period (effective July 11, 2025).
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Exam Scheduling · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Applicants submit an Exam Application to the Division, and after approval receive an email from PSI (the third-party testing provider) with a link to schedule and pay for the exam. The page does not state the PSI exam fee.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Journeyman Electrician · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Requires at least four years (8,000 hours) of verifiable experience acceptable to the board in the electrical trade; apprentice registration counts; one year of credit for an associate degree in electrical technology; military experience may be credited. Application fee $90; license fee $37.50 in an even-numbered year or $75 in an odd-numbered year. An applicant with fewer than 4,000 hours in Nebraska receives a 'Restricted' license that cannot reciprocate to other states. Lists the same thirteen reciprocal states.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Reciprocal Information · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Journeyman Electrician reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming; Electrical Contractor reciprocity with Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas. Conditions: the applicant must have passed a state examination with 75% or greater for the license to be reciprocated and must have held that license in good standing for at least one year. One-time reciprocation policy: a reciprocal licensee who lets the Nebraska license lapse must take an exam to get it back. Refunds are not made for processed applications. Applications are filed through the online portal or the mail-in form.
- State Electrical Act and State Electrical Board Rules (March 2026 booklet) · Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 81-2104(6), 81-2107, 81-2108, 81-2109, 81-2115, 81-2118, 81-2120 · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Statute · verified September 15, 2026'Important Facts' section: all state electrical licenses expire December 31 of each even-numbered year; 12 hours of continuing education (six on the NEC) per two-year period; reciprocal journeyman agreements with the thirteen listed states and reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreements with Minnesota and South Dakota. §81-2108: wiring for others requires licensure as a Class B electrical contractor, electrical contractor, Class A master electrician or fire alarm installer; journeymen must be employed by one of those. §81-2118(4): Class B electrical contractor, Class A master electrician and Class B journeyman fees apply only to renewal of licenses issued before September 9, 1993. §81-2104(6)(c): the board may revoke the license of an electrical contractor or master electrician who fails to keep in force a public liability insurance policy as required by the board. §81-2115: the written exam covers the current NEC and electrical theory; the NEC portion is open book.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2109 - Journeyman electrician license; qualifications · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2109 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026A journeyman electrician applicant shall have at least four years' experience, acceptable to the board, in the electrical trade; apprentice registration constitutes evidence of such experience; the board may allow one year of credit for an approved two-year post-high-school electrical course. Residential journeyman: three years, valid only for residential installations.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 - Licenses and registrations; expiration; fees · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026All licenses expire December 31 of each even-numbered year; the board sets examination, issuance and renewal fees by unanimous vote; expired licenses may be renewed for three months with a 10% per month penalty, after which a new application is required.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120 - Licenses; issued without examination based on reciprocity; qualifications; reciprocal credentialing agreement, military occupational specialty, or apprenticeship training program · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120 (as amended by Laws 2024, LB16) · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(1) To the extent another state provides for similar action, the board may grant licenses without examination, of the same grade and class, to an electrician licensed by that state for at least one year, on payment of the fee and proof that the applicant's qualifications equal those of Nebraska licensees. (2) The board shall issue a license to an applicant who holds a credential in a state with a reciprocal credentialing agreement, a qualifying military occupational specialty, or a license whose prerequisite was completion of a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, if the credential has been held at least one year, was obtained by exam or education/training/experience standards, and the applicant has no disqualifying criminal record, revocation, surrender or pending complaint, and pays the fees; the board acts within 60 days or five business days after its next meeting.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.