California to Idaho: master electrician license reciprocity
California does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Idaho's standard path for out-of-state applicants.
Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master electricians (reciprocal application with license verification)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state master electrician files the master application as a 'Reciprocal' application type ($80 processing fee, which is the $15 application fee plus the $65 original license fee) with a License Verification Form completed by the state of licensure; a copy of the license is not accepted. The verification must show that the license was obtained by examination, that the applicant held a journeyman license for at least four years, that the master license is active, and the date it was originally issued. The application's examination section applies to initial applicants only, but the instructions state that 'a passing examination score may be required prior to the issuance of a license', so DOPL may still require the Idaho master exam (PSI) case by case. An applicant who cannot document four years as a journeyman does not qualify; an applicant with four years as a licensed journeyman in any jurisdiction may instead apply as an initial applicant and take the Idaho master exam.
Exam flags reflect the reciprocal application type, which does not include the examination section; DOPL reserves the right to require a passing exam score before issuing the license.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your California license must be active and in good standing.
- Your California license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have held your California license for at least 4 years.Journeyman license held for a minimum of four years, consistent with Idaho Code 54-1007(3).
What you'll do to get licensed in Idaho
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($15). DOPL application fee (the application form shows the combined $80 processing fee, which includes the license fee).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($65). Original Master Electrician license fee, three-year term (renewal $45); a journeyman license is issued with it at no additional cost.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Idaho State Master Electrician exam administered by PSI; required for initial (experience-pathway) applicants and may be required of reciprocal applicants before issuance.
- 4Other. License Verification Form completed by the state of licensure.
Published fees on this path total $80, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
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 · if applicable
How Idaho licenses master electricians
Idaho master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho Electrical Board)
Idaho issues a statewide Master Electrician license through DOPL on behalf of the Idaho Electrical Board. Idaho Code 54-1007(3) qualifies anyone who has worked as a licensed journeyman for at least four years to apply for a master license, and since House Bill 153 a master licensee is automatically issued a journeyman license at no extra cost. The only signed master-level reciprocity agreement is the 2006 bilateral agreement with Wyoming; the multi-state NERA agreement covers journeymen only. For other states, the master application offers a 'Reciprocity Pathway' based on a License Verification Form from the origin state showing licensure by examination, at least four years as a journeyman, and an active master license, but the instructions warn that a passing exam score may still be required before issuance. Applicants who do not qualify that way use the experience pathway (four years as a licensed journeyman) and pass the Idaho master exam administered by PSI.
Why California has nothing to transfer
California master electrician
No individual license at this level
Issued by Contractors State License Board (contractor licensing only)
California does not issue a master electrician license or any personal electrician credential above the DIR General Electrician certification. The state-level credential above that is a C-10 Electrical Contractor license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), which is issued to a business (sole owner, partnership, corporation or LLC) and qualified by a named individual rather than held by the electrician personally, so an out-of-state master electrician has nothing to transfer to unless they intend to contract. A master electrician who only wants to work for an employer needs the DIR electrician certification described at the journeyman level. To contract independently the qualifying individual must document at least four years of journeyman-level or higher experience within the past 10 years, pay the $450 application fee, pass both the CSLB Law and Business exam and the C-10 trade exam through PSI within 18 months, be fingerprinted, post a $25,000 contractor's bond (plus a $25,000 bond of qualifying individual where applicable), carry workers' compensation or file an exemption, and pay the initial license fee of $200 (sole owner) or $350 (non-sole owner) for a two-year license. CSLB's reciprocity program covers contractors licensed for the previous five years in good standing in Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada or North Carolina, but only classifications on the Reciprocal Classifications List: for electrical work the only mapped classifications are Arizona C-11, K-11 and L-11 Electrical, which map to California C-10; Nevada's C-2 Electrical is not mapped (only Nevada C-2d Low Voltage maps to C-7), and the Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina entries cover only general building. Where reciprocity is granted CSLB may waive the C-10 trade exam but retains the right to require it, staff determine comparability case by case, and the Law and Business exam, bond, fingerprinting and all other licensure requirements still apply. A DIR electrician certification is not required for a licensed contractor's own work, only for electricians employed by C-10 contractors.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Idaho master electrician exam if I'm licensed in California?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my California license?
- At least 4 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Idaho master electrician license from California?
- Published fees on this path total $80, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my California work hours count in Idaho?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Idaho's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Idaho to California?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Idaho to California, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Idaho Code 54-1007 - Issuance of licenses - Reciprocity · Idaho Code 54-1007 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 14, 2026Subsection (3): a person who has worked as a licensed journeyman at least four years is qualified to apply for a master license. Subsection (6): 'To the extent that other states that provide for the licensing of electricians require qualifications at least equal to those contained in this chapter, the administrator may enter reciprocal agreements with such other states to grant licenses to electricians licensed by such other states.'
- Idaho Electrical Board - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026Fee table: application fee $15; Journeyman original license $55 (3-year term, renewal $45); Master original license $65 (3-year term, renewal $45).
- Idaho Electrical Board - Program Information and Exams · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026Exams are administered by PSI (registration at test-takers.psiexams.com/idcon/test).
- Idaho Master Electrician License Application and Instructions (revised June 15, 2024) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 14, 2026Two pathways: Experience (journeyman license held at least 4 years, then exam) and Reciprocity (License Verification Form from the state of licensure showing licensure by examination, journeyman license held at least 4 years, active master license, and original issue date). $80.00 processing fee. Examination section is marked 'Initial Applicants Only', but the instructions state 'A passing examination score may be required prior to the issuance of a license.'
- Idaho Electrical Board draft meeting minutes, August 12, 2025 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Other · verified September 14, 2026'DOPL staff are reviewing the current reciprocal agreements as well as changes in other states' legislation that may affect those agreements. A revaluation of the reciprocal agreements will be conducted later this year.' Also notes House Bill 153 amended 54-1007 so a master licensee is automatically issued a journeyman license at no additional cost.
- Idaho Electrical Board meeting minutes, October 29, 2025 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Other · verified September 14, 2026Idaho State Journeyman and Master Electrician exams developed with PSI went live December 1, 2025, replacing the NASCLA exams. Idaho hosted the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA) conference; staff to report on reciprocal status with surrounding states and the list of participating states.
- Reciprocal Agreement - Wyoming and Idaho Journeyman and Master Electrician Licenses (with the November 9, 1999 Multi-State Electrician Reciprocal Agreement and 2006 amendment adding Idaho) · Idaho Code 54-1007 · Idaho Division of Building Safety / Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety · Agreement Document · verified September 14, 2026Bilateral agreement signed 9/21/2006 (Wyoming) and 11/14/2006 (Idaho) covering journeyman and master licenses obtained by examination, current, active, in good standing; journeyman qualified by 8,000 hours plus 576 classroom hours; master qualified by 4 years (8,000 hours) as a licensed journeyman. The same file contains the 1999 Multi-State Electrician Reciprocal Agreement (journeyman only): four-year apprenticeship or 8,000 hours, license current, active and in good standing, and the receiving state may require the license to have been held at least one year.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.