Texas to South Dakota: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
South Dakota has a reciprocity agreement with Texas: a Texas journeyman electrician can get a South Dakota license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Texas (journeyman)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The South Dakota Electrical Commission lists an existing reciprocal agreement with Texas covering the journeyman (JM) license (and the Texas Master Electrician for the EC license). A Texas journeyman who earned the license by examination and has held it in active status for at least one year receives a South Dakota Journeyman license without taking the South Dakota exam. The applicant files the Electrician License Application marked Reciprocal JM with the $60 application fee, the $80 biennial reciprocity license fee as a separate payment, and certificates for continuing education completed since July 1, 2020.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Texas license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have held your Texas license for at least 1 year.Held at least one year unless otherwise specified
- Your Texas license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in South Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($60). Application fee, nonrefundable.
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($80). Biennial reciprocity license fee for journeyman (ARSD 20:44:16:11), submitted as a separate check.
- 3Other. Certificates of completion for all continuing education earned since 7/1/2020.
Published fees on this path total $140, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How South Dakota licenses journeyman electricians
South Dakota journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by South Dakota Electrical Commission (Department of Labor & Regulation)
South Dakota issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the South Dakota Electrical Commission, part of the Department of Labor & Regulation. A new applicant must have at least four years (8,000 hours, with one year defined as 2,000 hours) of electrical training as a licensed apprentice under the employment and supervision of a licensed electrical contractor or Class B electrician, and must pass the Commission's own written journeyman exam, drawn from the NEC (2023 edition since December 2, 2024) and South Dakota statutes and rules, with 70%. The application fee is $60 and the biennial license fee is $80; all licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years and renewal requires 16 hours of continuing education (at least 8 code hours). The Commission has journeyman reciprocity agreements with 14 states, under which the exam is waived for a licensee who earned the origin license by exam and has held it in active status for at least one year.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the South Dakota journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Texas?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Texas.
- How long do I need to have held my Texas license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a South Dakota journeyman electrician license from Texas?
- Published fees on this path total $140, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
Sources
- SDCL 36-16-2 - Definition of terms · SDCL 36-16-2 · South Dakota Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Exams for Licensure · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Electrician License Application (REV 10/2025) · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Licensing · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Reciprocal Agreements for Licensure · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Wiring Bulletin (SDCL 36-16 and ARSD Article 20:44) · ARSD 20:44:16:03, 20:44:16:04, 20:44:16:06, 20:44:16:08, 20:44:16:11, 20:44:16:15 · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.