Wyoming to South Dakota: journeyman electrician license reciprocity
South Dakota has a reciprocity agreement with Wyoming: a Wyoming journeyman electrician can get a South Dakota 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 Wyoming (journeyman)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The South Dakota Electrical Commission lists an existing reciprocal agreement with Wyoming covering 'Journeyman, Electrical Contractor'. A Wyoming journeyman who earned the license by examination and has held it in active status for at least one year receives a South Dakota Journeyman license without taking the South Dakota exam. The applicant files the Electrician License Application marked Reciprocal JM with the $60 application fee, the $80 biennial reciprocity license fee as a separate payment, and certificates for continuing education completed since July 1, 2020.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Wyoming license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have held your Wyoming license for at least 1 year.Held at least one year unless otherwise specified
- Your Wyoming license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in South Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($60). Application fee, nonrefundable.
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($80). Biennial reciprocity license fee for journeyman (ARSD 20:44:16:11), submitted as a separate check.
- 3Other. Certificates of completion for all continuing education earned since 7/1/2020.
Published fees on this path total $140, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How South Dakota licenses journeyman electricians
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the South Dakota journeyman electrician exam if I'm licensed in Wyoming?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Wyoming.
- How long do I need to have held my Wyoming license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a South Dakota journeyman electrician license from Wyoming?
- Published fees on this path total $140, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
Sources
- SDCL 36-16-2 - Definition of terms · SDCL 36-16-2 · South Dakota Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Exams for Licensure · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Electrician License Application (REV 10/2025) · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Licensing · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Reciprocal Agreements for Licensure · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Wiring Bulletin (SDCL 36-16 and ARSD Article 20:44) · ARSD 20:44:16:03, 20:44:16:04, 20:44:16:06, 20:44:16:08, 20:44:16:11, 20:44:16:15 · South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, Electrical Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.