Moving to South Dakota as a journeyman electrician: every state's rule
South Dakota has reciprocity agreements with 14 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.
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.
States South Dakota reciprocates with
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Alaska | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| California | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Colorado | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Connecticut | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| District of Columbia | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Florida | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Georgia | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Hawaii | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Idaho | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Louisiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maine | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Maryland | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Michigan | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Minnesota | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Montana | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Nebraska | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Hampshire | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| New Jersey | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| New Mexico | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Dakota | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Ohio | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Oklahoma | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Oregon | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Rhode Island | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Texas | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Utah | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Vermont | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Virginia | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Washington | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| West Virginia | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wisconsin | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |