LicensebyState

Moving to Maine as a journeyman electrician: every state's rule

Maine has reciprocity agreements with 12 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Maine journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Maine Electricians' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation)

Maine issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the Electricians' Examining Board within the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR). A new applicant qualifies with 8,000 hours as a licensed apprentice or helper plus a 576-hour course of study (or one of the school and college pathways in 32 M.R.S. §1202-B), completes a 45-hour NEC course, and passes the Prov-administered journeyman exam ($90). The license costs $150 for a two-year term plus a $21 State Bureau of Identification criminal-history report. Maine recognizes out-of-state journeymen two ways: a reciprocity license without examination for states that have a formal agreement with the board (New Hampshire, Vermont, North Dakota, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming on the licensing page and application form; the board's FAQ now also names Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island), and, since July 2024, licensure by endorsement under board rule Chapter 180 for any other U.S. state whose journeyman requirements are substantially equivalent.

States Maine reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 12Endorsement 23No credit 15
Every state's path into Maine
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-15
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-15
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-15
CaliforniaEndorsement2026-09-15
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-15
ConnecticutReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-15
District of ColumbiaEndorsement2026-09-15
FloridaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
GeorgiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-15
IdahoReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IndianaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
IowaEndorsement2026-09-15
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-15
MassachusettsReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-15
MinnesotaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-15
NebraskaEndorsement2026-09-15
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
New HampshireReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
New JerseyReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-15
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North DakotaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-15
OregonReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
Rhode IslandReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
South CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasEndorsement2026-09-15
UtahEndorsement2026-09-15
VermontReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-15
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-15
WyomingReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Maine from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Maine issues a journeyman electrician license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Journeyman Electrician by examination

Maine issues the Journeyman Electrician license to applicants who pass the board-approved journeyman exam after qualifying through work hours and a 576-hour course of study. The main route is 8,000 hours of electrical installation work as a licensed apprentice electrician, with the apprentice license tied to a registered apprenticeship program, plus a 576-hour course of study adopted by the board or approved for the apprenticeship; an apprentice who has finished the course and 4,000 of the hours may take the exam early. Licensed helpers, career and technical high school graduates, community college graduates and corrections vocational program graduates have their own routes. You apply to the Electricians' Examining Board for approval first, then schedule the closed-book exam with Prov, Inc.; the passing score is 70%. Before the license is issued you must document the remaining work hours and a 45-hour National Electrical Code course completed within the previous two years. There is no separate law or business exam.

Apply online through the board's licensing portal with transcripts for the coursework and Work Experience Affidavits signed by your supervising master, journeyman or limited electrician; the board credits no more than 40 hours a week unless overtime is verified. Scores from an exam taken before board approval are not recognized. Approval to sit is valid for two years, failed exams may be retaken within that window, and you must apply for the license within two years of passing. The exam has 80 questions in 3 hours and is given at Prov test centers in Auburn, Bangor, Portland and Presque Isle, with results at the test center. Prov's May 2025 bulletin lists the 2023 NEC as the reference, while Maine has required the 2026 NEC for installations begun on or after July 1, 2026, so check the current bulletin before you study. For the board-adopted course, the 576 hours are 45-hour courses in Electricity I, Electricity II, Math I, Controls I and the current NEC, plus 351 hours of electives.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Prov
Exam format
Closed book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
15 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.The apprentice license requires enrollment in a registered apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or a recognized state apprenticeship agency, and apprentices work under the direct supervision of a master, journeyman or limited electrician. The exam may be taken after 4,000 hours once the course of study is complete; the rest must be documented before the license is issued (32 M.R.S. §1202-B(4)(B)(1)).
  • Complete at least 576 hours of classroom or related instruction.

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Licensed helper: 8,000 hours plus the 576-hour course

A licensed helper electrician, or anyone with 8,000 hours of electrical installation work otherwise permitted under Maine's electrician law, qualifies after those hours and the 576-hour course of study adopted by the board. Helpers must be employed by a master electrician, limited electrician or electrical company and work under direct supervision.

  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.
  • Complete at least 576 hours of classroom or related instruction.

Career and technical high school electrical program plus 8,000 hours

A graduate of a secondary school career and technical education electrical program approved under 20-A M.R.S. §8306-B may take the journeyman exam on graduation and is credited with 1,000 work hours. The remaining hours, for 8,000 in total, must be completed before applying for the license.

  • Graduate of an approved secondary school career and technical education electrical program
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.The board's journeyman page describes this route as a 2-year program plus 7,000 hours under the supervision of a master or equivalent.

Community college electrical program plus 8,000 hours

A graduate of an electrical program at an accredited community college consisting of the board's 576-hour course of study may take the exam on completing the program and is credited with 4,000 work hours. The remaining hours, worked as a licensed helper electrician, must be completed before applying for the license.

  • Completion of an accredited community college electrical program consisting of the 576-hour course of study adopted by the board
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.

Department of Corrections vocational-electrical program plus 8,000 hours

A graduate of a state department of corrections vocational-electrical program may take the exam on completing the program and is credited with 4,000 work hours. The remaining hours, worked as a licensed helper electrician, must be completed before applying for the license.

  • Completion of a vocational-electrical program of a state department of corrections
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.

Comparable experience, education or training

The board may accept comparable work experience, education or training, or a combination, completed in Maine or elsewhere. Applicants trained in another state whose license does not qualify for reciprocity or endorsement usually apply this way.

  • Comparable work experience, education or training, completed in Maine or another state, acceptable to the board

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Maine Journeyman Electrician exam administered by Prov: 80 questions in 3 hours, closed book, 70% to pass. Board approval is required before scheduling..
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($90). Prov examination fee, paid when scheduling.
  3. 3Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. 45-hour National Electrical Code course completed within the 2 years before applying for the license.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Journeyman Electrician license fee for a two-year term; $20 for applicants 70 or older. The fee rule lists no separate application fee..
  5. 5Background check. Complete a background check ($21). State Bureau of Identification criminal history record report.

Published fees on this path total $240, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 15 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $150 renewal fee.

A 15-hour update course on the current National Electrical Code, certified at renewal and subject to audit. The board's schedule follows the NEC cycle: renewals in 2026 and 2027 need the 2026 code update course, renewals in 2028 need none, and renewals in 2029 and 2030 need the 2029 update.

The license runs two years from the date first issued. Renewal within 90 days after expiration carries a $50 late fee, a larger penalty applies from 90 days to two years, and after two years you must qualify as a new applicant. Licensees 70 or older renew for $20.

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 · $90

Pre-license education

Where a board mandates a course before the exam, it publishes a list of approved schools. Confirm a provider is on that list before enrolling.

  • Pre-license course

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. Electricians' Examining Board - Examinations (Prov, Inc.) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Electricians' Examining Board - Journeyman Electrician licensing requirements, fees and reciprocity · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Electricians' Examining Board - Journeyman and Master Work Experience Affidavit · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  4. 02-041 CMR Chapter 10 - OPOR Establishment of License Fees, section 5(29) Plumbers' Examining Board · 02-041 CMR ch. 10 §5(29) · Maine Secretary of State / Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  5. State of Maine OPOR Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, MOPOR-2025.05.14) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation / Prov, Inc. · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. 02-318 CMR Chapter 120 - Electrical Installation Standards (2026 NEC adoption) · 02-318 CMR ch. 120 · Maine Secretary of State / Electricians' Examining Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. 02-318 CMR Chapter 130 - Electricians' Examining Board: Examination and Licensing Requirements · 02-318 CMR ch. 130 · Maine Secretary of State / Electricians' Examining Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  8. 32 MRSA §1202-B - Issuance and scope of licenses (journeyman and master qualifications) · 32 M.R.S. §1202-B · Maine Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  9. 32 MRSA §1204 - Renewals · 32 M.R.S. §1204 · Maine Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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