Wisconsin to Iowa: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
Iowa has a reciprocity agreement with Wisconsin: a Wisconsin journeyman electrician can get a Iowa license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Wisconsin (journeyman)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Iowa's Electrical Examining Board lists Wisconsin as a reciprocal state: a Wisconsin Journeyman Electrician license may reciprocate to an Iowa Journeyman Class A license (a Wisconsin Master Electrician license may reciprocate to either the Iowa Master or Journeyman Class A license). The applicant must have passed Wisconsin's state-sponsored exam with 70% or better, held the license continuously for one year without expiration, suspension or revocation, and must not have taken and failed the Iowa exam. Under rule 481-401.2(14) the applicant must also have completed an approved apprenticeship or document 16,000 hours of electrical work as a Wisconsin-licensed electrician by sworn affidavit. No Iowa exam is required.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Wisconsin license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have held your Wisconsin license for at least 1 year.Held continuously; license cannot have been expired, suspended or revoked
- Has not taken and failed the Iowa examination
- Completed an approved apprenticeship program, or 16,000 hours of electrical work as an electrician licensed by the other state (sworn affidavit)
What you'll do to get licensed in Iowa
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($75). Journeyman Class A license fee for a full three-year cycle; prorated by month of issue.
- 2Other. Completed Iowa application with a copy of the Wisconsin license showing the license number.
Published fees on this path total $75, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Iowa licenses journeyman electricians
Iowa journeyman electrician · “Class A Journeyman Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Iowa Electrical Examining Board, Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL)
Iowa issues a statewide Class A Journeyman Electrician license through the Electrical Examining Board, now housed in the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL); the Class B journeyman license is a closed grandfather class for people working before 1998. A new Class A applicant must have completed a U.S. DOL-registered apprenticeship (8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 classroom hours, four years as an apprentice) or a board-approved post-secondary electrical program with 6,000 OJT hours, and pass the PSI-administered journeyman exam with 70% or better (2023 NEC). The license runs on a three-year cycle; a full-cycle license costs $75 and the fee is prorated by month of issue. Iowa has reciprocal agreements with 13 states at the journeyman level, under which the Iowa exam is waived. Licensees from any other state can use Iowa's universal licensure-by-verification process (Iowa Code 272C.12), which also waives the exam but requires Iowa residency, or sit the Iowa exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Iowa journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Wisconsin?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Wisconsin.
- How long do I need to have held my Wisconsin license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Iowa journeyman electrician license from Wisconsin?
- Published fees on this path total $75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- Iowa Code Chapter 103 - Electricians and Electrical Contractors (2026) · Iowa Code §§103.10, 103.12, 103.16, 103.18, 103.19, 103.21 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- DIAL - Electrical Licensing FAQs · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- DIAL - Electrical Licensing (Iowa Electrical Examining Board) · Iowa Code ch. 103 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- DIAL - Electrical License Fees for the 2026-2028 license cycle · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- Iowa Electrical Examining Board - Reciprocal Licensing Agreements with Other States (dated 1/29/2026) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 15, 2026
- State of Iowa Testing Sponsorship Requirements and Information (rev. 12/14/2023) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- 481 IAC Chapter 401 - Electrician and Electrical Contractor Licensing Program: Licensing Requirements, Procedures, and Fees (IAC 12/10/25) · 481 IAC 401.2(3), 401.2(6), 401.2(13), 401.2(14), 401.2(15), 401.3, 401.7, 401.8, 401.9, 401.10 · Iowa Legislature / DIAL · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.