Do I have to take the West Virginia journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Washington?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

How long do I need to have held my Washington license?

At least 1 year before applying.

What does it cost to get a West Virginia journeyman electrician license from Washington?

Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Washington work hours count in West Virginia?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward West Virginia's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from West Virginia to Washington?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to Washington, the mechanism is experience credit.

Washington to West Virginia: journeyman electrician license reciprocity

Endorsement· Board reviewVerified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

West Virginia has no reciprocity agreement with Washington. A Washington journeyman electrician applies by endorsement.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Licensure without written examination for out-of-state journeymen (all other jurisdictions)

The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.

A journeyman licensed by any other state (or a county or city that licenses electricians) does not take the West Virginia trade exam. W. Va. Code 29-3B-4 provides that for jurisdictions licensing electricians the State Fire Marshal shall grant the same or equivalent classification of license without written examination upon satisfactory proof that the applicant can perform the work safely and competently and is in good standing with every jurisdiction where they are licensed, once the fee is paid. Separately, 103CSR5 section 6.3 (the RECAP Act, W. Va. Code 29-33-3) obliges the SFM to issue the license when the applicant has held a similar out-of-state license for at least one year, met that state's education and exam requirements, is in good standing with no revocation, surrender or pending complaint, has no disqualifying criminal record, and has established West Virginia residency; a person who worked at least two years in a state that does not license electricians can qualify on experience (section 6.4). The applicant files the SFM application with a written certification of current licensure from the home jurisdiction, documents at least one year of electrical experience (the WV minimum for the journeyman class), and pays the $50 annual license fee; licenses expire June 30. Anyone who previously failed a West Virginia electrician exam or let a West Virginia license lapse is not eligible for a reciprocal license and must test.

103CSR5 section 6.5 lets the board require a West Virginia jurisprudence exam, but the SFM's pages do not say one is given for electricians, so examLawRequired is false. The SFM does not publish a reciprocity application form or fee sheet online; the $50 figure is the annual license fee set in 103CSR5 section 7.2 and cited in section 9.1.1.e for reciprocal licenses. Third-party sources describe bilateral agreements with Kentucky and Ohio and SFM acceptance of licenses from 'all 50 states'; neither could be confirmed on an official page. The residency condition applies only to the RECAP route (section 6.3), not to the statutory 29-3B-4 route.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

Your Washington license must be active and in good standing.
You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
You must have held your Washington license for at least 1 year.Required under the RECAP route (103CSR5 section 6.3.2); the statutory 29-3B-4 route states no minimum holding period.
Your Washington license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
You must document at least 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.West Virginia's journeyman class requires at least one year of electrical work experience (W. Va. Code 29-3B-2; 103CSR5 section 4.2); 2,000 hours is the one-year equivalent, the rule itself is expressed in years.
Has never failed a West Virginia electrician examination and has not let a West Virginia electrician license expire without renewal (103CSR5 section 9.6)
West Virginia residency (as defined in W. Va. Code 11-21-7(a)) is required for the RECAP universal-recognition route

What you'll do to get licensed in West Virginia

1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($50). Annual journeyman electrician license fee (103CSR5 sections 7.2 and 9.1.1.e); licenses expire June 30 each year.
2Other. Written statement from the origin jurisdiction certifying a current electrician license, submitted with the SFM application (paper or the sfm-permit-public.wvoasis.gov portal).

Published fees on this path total $50, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

How West Virginia licenses journeyman electricians

West Virginia journeyman electrician · “Journeyman Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal, Regulatory and Licensing Division

West Virginia issues a statewide Journeyman Electrician license through the Office of the State Fire Marshal (SFM); under W. Va. Code 29-3B-2 nobody may perform electrical work for hire without an SFM license, and 29-3B-9 bars cities and counties from requiring any additional electrician license. A new applicant qualifies for the exam with one year of experience as an electrician's assistant/helper under a master or journeyman, completion of a registered apprenticeship, or a 1,080-hour WV Board of Education vocational program, pays a $25 application review fee, and must score 70% on an NEC-based exam (2023 NEC as of January 1, 2026; 50 questions, two points each) given at least four times a year in Charleston and other sites. Licenses expire June 30 every year and renew for $50 per year. Out-of-state journeymen have two statutory routes that both waive the written exam: 29-3B-4 directs the SFM to grant the same or equivalent classification without written examination to anyone licensed by another jurisdiction who proves competency and good standing, and the 2024 electrician rule (103CSR5 section 6.3, implementing the RECAP Act) requires licensure of a person who has held a similar license for at least one year and has established WV residency. The SFM may also sign formal reciprocal agreements (103CSR5 section 9); Virginia's Board for Contractors lists a journeyman and master examination-reciprocity agreement with West Virginia.

Moving to West Virginia Leaving West Virginia

Common questions

Do I have to take the West Virginia journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Washington?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Washington license?: At least 1 year before applying.
What does it cost to get a West Virginia journeyman electrician license from Washington?: Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Washington work hours count in West Virginia?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward West Virginia's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from West Virginia to Washington?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from West Virginia to Washington, the mechanism is experience credit.

Sources

103CSR5 - State Fire Marshal Legislative Rule, Series 5, Electrician Licensing Rules (effective May 1, 2024) · W. Va. Code R. 103-5-4, 103-5-5, 103-5-6, 103-5-7, 103-5-9 · West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Section 4: journeyman needs 1 year as an assistant/helper, a registered apprenticeship, or a 1,080-hour WV vocational program; master needs 2 years as a journeyman. Section 5: $25 application review fee, 70% passing grade, exams from the NEC, exam fees paid to the testing agent. Section 6.3: universal recognition (RECAP) - the board shall license a person who holds a similar out-of-state license for at least one year, met that state's exam requirements, is in good standing and has established WV residency; 6.5 allows a jurisprudence exam. Section 7: licenses expire June 30, renewal $50 per year. Section 9: formal reciprocal agreements let nonresident licensees obtain a WV license without written examination on proof of current licensure and payment of the annual license fee; persons who failed a WV exam or let a WV license lapse are ineligible.
W. Va. Code 29-33-3 - Review and Credential Acknowledgement Procedures (RECAP) Act: issuance of occupational licenses to persons licensed in another state · W. Va. Code 29-33-3 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Boards shall issue a license to an applicant who holds a valid license in another state with a similar scope of practice and similar education, experience and exam requirements, has held it at least one year, met that state's exam requirements, is in good standing, has established WV residency, has no disqualifying record, revocation, surrender or pending complaint, and pays the fees.
W. Va. Code 29-3B-2 - Necessity of license; definitions · W. Va. Code 29-3B-2 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026No electrical work for compensation without a State Fire Marshal license. Defines journeyman electrician (at least one year of experience, may not design systems) and master electrician (at least two years of experience in all phases, competent to design and supervise).
W. Va. Code 29-3B-4 - License classes; issuance; qualifications; expiration; renewal; reciprocity · W. Va. Code 29-3B-4 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Classes: master, journeyman, temporary and specialty electrician. For jurisdictions licensing electricians, the Marshal shall grant the same or equivalent classification of license without written examination upon satisfactory proof that the person can perform work safely and competently and is in good standing with every jurisdiction where licensed, after payment of the fee.
W. Va. Code 29-3B-9 - Nonapplicability of local ordinances; exclusive license · W. Va. Code 29-3B-9 · West Virginia Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026No municipality or county may require any license or other evidence of competence as an electrician from a person who holds a valid State Fire Marshal license.
WV Office of the State Fire Marshal - Regulatory and Licensing Division (electrician licensing) · West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026The division administers electrician licensing statewide. States that as of January 1, 2026 all WV electrical examinations are based on the 2023 NEC and that the master, journeyman and single family dwelling exams contain 50 multiple-choice questions worth two points each. Links the 2026 exam dates/locations sheet and the online license portal (sfm-permit-public.wvoasis.gov). The page does not list reciprocity partner states or fee amounts.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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