LicensebyState

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

Wisconsin has reciprocity agreements with 2 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Wisconsin journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)

Wisconsin issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS); under Wis. Stat. 101.862 no one may install, repair or maintain electrical wiring without a DSPS license or registration, and there is no municipal electrician licensing. A new applicant under Wis. Stat. 101.87 either completes a recognized construction electrician apprenticeship or documents 48 months with at least 8,000 hours of experience, applies in the LicensE portal, and passes the DSPS journeyman exam (open book, 70% to pass; based on the 2017 NEC until October 1, 2026, then the 2023 NEC). Under Wis. Stat. 101.874 DSPS may enter into reciprocal agreements, and Form 3106 currently waives the exam only for journeymen licensed by examination in Iowa or New Hampshire. The license is renewed every four years for $100.

States Wisconsin reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 2Experience credit 32No credit 16
Every state's path into Wisconsin
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-23
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-23
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-23
CaliforniaExperience credit2026-09-23
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-23
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-23
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-23
FloridaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
GeorgiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-23
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-23
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IowaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-23
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MaineExperience credit2026-09-23
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-23
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-23
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-23
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-23
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-23
NebraskaExperience credit2026-09-23
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
New HampshireReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-23
New JerseyExperience credit2026-09-23
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-23
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-23
OregonExperience credit2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-23
South CarolinaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
TexasExperience credit2026-09-23
UtahExperience credit2026-09-23
VermontExperience credit2026-09-23
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-23
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-23
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-23
WyomingExperience credit2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Wisconsin from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Journeyman Electrician license by examination

DSPS issues the Journeyman Electrician license to an applicant who has completed a recognized construction electrician apprenticeship of at least three years, or who documents at least 8,000 hours of electrical wiring experience over at least 48 months, and then passes the state journeyman exam. You apply and pay in the LicensE portal (license.wi.gov) with the apprenticeship completion certificate or the Experience Table (Form 3106T), and DSPS notifies you when you are eligible to schedule the exam. The exam is open book, has 100 questions in 4 hours and takes 70% to pass; it is given at DSPS exam sites or, for a higher fee, at Pearson VUE test centers in Wisconsin. There is no separate law or business exam.

Allowed references are one binder holding Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305 and SPS 316 plus printed notes, the National Electrical Code book or handbook, and up to two printed, bound reference books. Exams are based on the 2017 NEC until October 1, 2026, and on the 2023 NEC from that date. Results from a DSPS exam site are sent within 21 days; after passing, the license must be obtained within 3 months of the results or the exam must be retaken. If DSPS asks for more documents, they must be uploaded within 3 months or a new application and fees may be required. The hours on Form 3106T are signed by witnesses who can confirm them. Neither the statute nor the rule sets a minimum age or education requirement for this license.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Wisconsin DSPS (DSPS exam sites or Pearson VUE centers in Wisconsin)
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 4 years
Continuing education
24 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Complete a registered apprenticeship (3 years): Completion of a construction electrician apprenticeship approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.Attach the certificate of completion from the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards (or the federal equivalent) to the LicensE application.

Other ways to qualify

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

8,000 hours of experience over at least 48 months

Instead of an apprenticeship, you may document experience installing, repairing and maintaining electrical wiring: at least 8,000 hours over a period of at least 48 months, or at least 1,000 hours per year for at least five years, on the Experience Table (Form 3106T). Full-time study in an electrical-related program counts as 500 hours per semester, up to 2,000 hours and two years; a two-year electrical degree or diploma counts as 12 months and 2,000 hours.

  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Over a period of at least 48 months, or at least 1,000 hours per year for at least five years. Up to 2,000 hours may come from full-time electrical schooling.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($35). Journeyman Electrician license application fee (Table 305.02 line 25), paid in LicensE.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($30). Journeyman Electrician examination fee (Table 305.02 line 25), paid again for each retake. Candidates who choose a Pearson VUE test center are billed $95 by Pearson for the exam..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Wisconsin Journeyman Electrician exam: 100 questions, 4 hours, open book on SPS 305, SPS 316 and the NEC; 70% to pass.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). Journeyman Electrician initial license fee (Table 305.02 line 25); four-year license.
  5. 5Other. Apprenticeship completion certificate, or Experience Table (Form 3106T) signed by witnesses plus any school transcripts, uploaded to LicensE.

Published fees on this path total $165, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 4 years with 24 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $100 renewal fee.

24 hours of DSPS-approved continuing education before the license expires. DSPS may waive the requirement for prolonged illness, disability or similar circumstances.

Licenses expire on June 30. A $25 late continuing-education fee applies when hours are completed after expiration.

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.

  • Exam fee · $30
  • Trade exam

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. Wisconsin DSPS - Trades Continuing Education and Exam Information (credential checklist) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Wisconsin DSPS Form 3106 - Journeyman Electrician License Application Information (Rev. 12/04/2025) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Wisconsin DSPS - Journeyman Plumber Exam Information · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Wisconsin DSPS - Journeyman Plumber · Wis. Stat. 145.06; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.93 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Wisconsin DSPS - Pearson VUE Computer-Based Trade Exam Fee Schedule · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Renewal Dates and Fees (Health, Business, and Unarmed Combat Sports) - Wisconsin DSPS · Wis. Stat. 440.08(2)(a)38g., 440.08(3)(a) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Wisconsin DSPS - Trades Credentialing Examination Information · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 305 - Licenses, Certifications and Registrations (Table 305.02 fees; Table 305.06 terms; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91, 305.93, 305.95) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 lines 62 and 65; SPS 305.06 Table 305.06; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91; SPS 305.93; SPS 305.95 · Wisconsin Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Wis. Stat. 101.87 - Journeyman electrician license · Wis. Stat. 101.87 · Wisconsin Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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