LicensebyState

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

Virginia has reciprocity agreements with 3 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Virginia journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrical Tradesman (ELE)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesmen Program (DPOR)

Virginia issues a statewide Journeyman Electrical tradesman license to individuals (never to companies) through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). A first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI journeyman exam ($100) with a combination of practical experience and vocational training (4 years plus 240 hours down to 7 years plus 40 hours), a related degree plus experience, 8 years of verified experience, or completion of a registered apprenticeship, which exempts the applicant from the exam. The application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75, which includes the $7.25-per-year technology fee added by 2026 House Bill 30 on top of the $150 fee in 18VAC50-30-90. A journeyman or master license from another state qualifies its holder to sit the Virginia exam without documenting hours, and a licensee who has held that out-of-state license for at least one year may instead apply through Universal License Recognition, which issues the license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board also has signed journeyman-level examination reciprocity agreements with the District of Columbia, Kentucky and West Virginia. Anyone who contracts for work over $1,000 needs a separate Virginia contractor business license.

States Virginia reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 3Endorsement 31No credit 16
Every state's path into Virginia
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-15
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-15
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-15
CaliforniaEndorsement2026-09-15
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-15
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-15
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-15
District of ColumbiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
FloridaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
GeorgiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-15
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-15
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IowaEndorsement2026-09-15
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MaineEndorsement2026-09-15
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-15
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-15
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-15
MinnesotaEndorsement2026-09-15
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 HampshireEndorsement2026-09-15
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-15
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-15
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-15
OregonEndorsement2026-09-15
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-15
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
VermontEndorsement2026-09-15
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-15
West VirginiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-15
WyomingEndorsement2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Virginia from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 12 sources

Journeyman Electrical Tradesman by examination

The Board for Contractors approves you to take the PSI journeyman electrician exam once you document enough practical experience and formal vocational training in the electrical trade. The route the application lists first is four years of experience plus 240 hours of vocational training. Less training can be offset by more experience, a related degree shortens the experience needed, and eight years of verified experience qualifies with no training. Completing an apprenticeship approved by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement exempts you from the exam. You apply on the Tradesman Exam & License Application ($171.75), and after the Board approves it you schedule the open-book exam with PSI ($100). You need a score of 70 percent to pass.

Experience is documented on the Board's Individual Experience Verification Form, and training with certificates of completion or official transcripts. Formal vocational training means trade courses at an accredited school, or Board-approved training run by trade associations, employers, the military or similar organizations. The exam has 70 questions (49 correct to pass) in 210 minutes and includes a few questions on the Board's regulations; there is no separate law exam. References are the 2020 National Electrical Code, NFPA 70E and the Board's tradesman regulations. You bring your own books, which may be highlighted and permanently tabbed but not written in. You can test at a PSI center or by remote proctoring. The PSI fee is valid for one year, and a failed exam can be retaken as soon as two business days later if seats are available. Application fees are non-refundable and stay valid for one year. A journeyman or master electrician licensed in another state should see the out-of-state route above instead.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 3 years
Continuing education
3 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.Verified on the Individual Experience Verification Form.
  • Complete at least 240 hours of classroom or related instruction.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Other ways to qualify

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

More experience with less vocational training

18VAC50-30-39 lets experience substitute for training: 5 years with 160 hours of vocational training, 6 years with 80 hours, or 7 years with 40 hours. The 7-year case is shown here.

  • You must document at least 7 years of qualifying work experience.
  • Complete at least 40 hours of classroom or related instruction.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Associate degree plus two years of experience

An associate degree, or a certificate from a program of at least two years in a tradesman-related field at an accredited community college or technical school, plus two years of practical experience in the electrical trade.

  • Associate degree or certificate of completion from a program of at least two years in a tradesman-related field
  • You must document at least 2 years of qualifying work experience.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Engineering bachelor's degree plus one year of experience

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in an engineering curriculum related to the electrical trade, plus one year of practical experience in the trade.

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum related to the electrical trade
  • You must document at least 1 year of qualifying work experience.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Eight years of experience without vocational training

Eight years of practical experience in the electrical trade, verified by people who have observed your work, qualifies you for the exam without any formal vocational training.

  • You must document at least 8 years of qualifying work experience.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Completed Virginia-approved apprenticeship (no exam)

Completing an electrical apprenticeship approved by the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement exempts you from the journeyman exam. Attach the Apprenticeship Agreement Form with its completion approval stamp, or an Apprenticeship Verification Form, and select the Apprenticeship Program method on the application; the $171.75 fee still applies. Graduates of an apprenticeship registered in another state use the same application with proof of the sponsor's registration and the sponsor's verification of experience and training.

  • Complete a registered apprenticeship: Completion of an electrical apprenticeship program approved by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($171.75). Tradesman Exam & License Application for Journeyman Electrical; covers the $150 license fee plus the technology fee; non-refundable.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Virginia Journeyman Electrician exam administered by PSI: 70 questions in 210 minutes, open book, 49 correct to pass; not required after a Virginia-approved apprenticeship.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). Paid to PSI when scheduling; non-refundable and valid for one year.
  4. 4Background check. Complete a background check. Applicants must disclose any felony or non-marijuana misdemeanor conviction and any action by a licensing board. Report each conviction on the Criminal Conviction Reporting Form with an official criminal history record from each jurisdiction where it occurred; the Board may deny a license under Va. Code 54.1-204..
  5. 5Other. Individual Experience Verification Form, plus certificates of completion or official transcripts for vocational training or a degree.

Published fees on this path total $271.75, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with 3 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $160 renewal fee.

Three hours of board-approved continuing education on electrical code changes, completed before the license expires. A licensee who holds more than one trade designation needs a course in each. License Lookup shows the hours owed, and only courses on the Board's approved list count.

Tradesman licenses expire three years from the last day of the month of issue. The $160 renewal fee is set by regulation; since July 1, 2026 DPOR adds a $7.25-per-year technology fee to certain fees, so check the renewal notice for the current amount. Renewing more than 30 days late requires reinstatement ($210 under the regulation).

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 · $100

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. 18VAC50-30-10 - Definitions · 18VAC50-30-10 · Virginia Register / Board for Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  2. 18VAC50-30-100 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-30-100 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  3. 18VAC50-30-120 - Renewal · 18VAC50-30-120; Va. Code § 54.1-1133 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  4. 18VAC50-30-30 - General requirements for licensure or certification · 18VAC50-30-30 · Virginia Register / Board for Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  5. 18VAC50-30-39 - Qualifications for examination approval for a tradesman license · 18VAC50-30-39 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  6. 18VAC50-30-50 - Exemptions from examination · 18VAC50-30-50 · Virginia Register / Board for Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. 18VAC50-30-90 - Fees for licensure and certification · 18VAC50-30-90 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Va. Code 54.1-1131 - Exemptions · Va. Code 54.1-1131(A)(3) · Virginia General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Form A501-2710EXLIC - Tradesman Exam & License Application (v8, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  10. DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesman Licensing Information and Application Instructions · Va. Code 54.1-1128 through 54.1-1131 · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  11. DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  12. PSI - Virginia DPOR Individual License and Certification Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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