California to Utah: master electrician license reciprocity
California does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Utah'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 applicants without an equivalent master license (standard route with out-of-state experience credit)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Applicants whose origin jurisdiction is not shown as equivalent on DOPL's master endorsement map must meet Utah's standard master qualifications: 8,000 hours of work experience as a licensed journeyman electrician (4,000 hours with an associate of applied science from an electrical trade school, or 2,000 hours as a licensed apprentice with an EAC/ABET-accredited bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering). Journeyman hours earned in another state count when documented on the Verification of Electrical Experience for Master Level Applicants form with official verification from that jurisdiction. The applicant must pass the Utah Master Electrician Law and Rule Exam (75% minimum) and the Utah Electrician Practical Exam (waived if already passed at the journeyman level), and pay the $116 application fee. Jurisdictions shown in light blue on the map issue contractor licenses; the individual who met the licensing requirements as the contractor's responsible person may instead qualify for endorsement.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.As a licensed journeyman electrician; reduced to 4,000 hours with an AAS from an electrical trade school, or 2,000 apprentice hours with an EAC/ABET-accredited electrical engineering degree.
- Hours obtained outside Utah must be supported by official verification from the jurisdiction where they were obtained.
What you'll do to get licensed in Utah
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($116). Non-refundable DOPL application-processing fee.
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Utah Master Electrician Law and Rule Exam, 75% minimum, administered by Prov; exam fee paid to Prov.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Utah Electrician Practical Exam (6 modules), administered by Prov; waived if previously passed at the journeyman level.
Published fees on this path total $116, 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.
- Law / code exam
- Trade exam
How Utah licenses master electricians
Utah master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)
Utah issues a statewide Master Electrician license through DOPL under Utah Code 58-55 and Rule R156-55b. There are no signed master-level reciprocity agreements; out-of-state masters apply by endorsement under Utah Code 58-1-302 if DOPL's Endorsement to Utah: Master Electrician map lists their license as equivalent, they have held it at least one year, and it is active and in good standing. Unlike the journeyman level, every master applicant, including endorsement applicants, must pass the Utah Master Electrician Law and Rule Examination with a score of at least 75%. Several states issue only an electrical contractor license; DOPL may endorse the individual who qualified as the contractor's responsible person. Applicants without an equivalent license use verified out-of-state journeyman hours toward the standard route.
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 Utah master electrician exam if I'm licensed in California?
- Yes. Utah requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Utah master electrician license from California?
- Published fees on this path total $116, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my California work hours count in Utah?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Utah's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Utah to California?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Utah to California, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Utah DOPL - Electrical Exam Information · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026Journeyman: Utah Journeyman Electrician Written Exam + Utah Electrician Practical Exam (6 modules). Master: Utah Master Electrician Law and Rule Exam + Utah Electrician Practical Exam. Exams administered by Prov; fee amounts are published by Prov, not on this page.
- Master Electrician - Apply for a License · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026States: 'All applicants will be required to pass the Utah Master Electrician Law and Rule examination.'
- Master Electrician - Out of State Applicants Applying by Endorsement · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026
- Utah Electrician Application (JE / RJE / ME / RME) with checklist and instructions · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Form · verified September 14, 2026Form version v20260716. $116.00 non-refundable application-processing fee for all applicants. Endorsement checklist: official verification showing active licensure in good standing for at least one year from a jurisdiction designated as equivalent; master endorsement applicants must pass the Utah Master Electrician Law and Rule Examination at 75% or greater. Hours obtained outside Utah count with official verification from that jurisdiction.
- Endorsement to Utah: Master Electrician (state-by-state equivalency map) · Utah Code 58-55; 58-1-302 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Other · verified September 14, 2026Map last updated 7/27/2020. Green = equivalent license; yellow = additional documentation needed (AK); light blue = contractor license where the responsible individual may qualify; gray = no equivalent statewide license.
- Licensure By Endorsement Verification Form (LE-58-V-App) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Form · verified September 14, 2026Completed by the origin state; records method of licensure (exam date and score, apprenticeship or hours) and disciplinary history.
- Utah Admin. Code R156-55b Electricians Licensing Act Rule - 2025 amendment text (Utah State Bulletin 2025-11, Filing 57162) · Utah Admin. Code R156-55b-302a, R156-55b-302b · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Admin Rule · verified September 14, 2026Rule text as amended in 2025 (anticipated effective 7/22/2025). R156-55b-302a: journeyman = 576-hour program over at least 48 months plus 8,000 apprentice hours, or 16,000 apprentice hours; master = 8,000 journeyman hours (or 4,000 with AAS, or 2,000 apprentice hours with ABET EE degree). R156-55b-302b: journeyman passes Written Exam (75%) and Practical Exam; master passes Law and Rule Exam (75%). The eRules page at adminrules.utah.gov could not be retrieved.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.