LicensebyState

Georgia to North Carolina: master electrician license reciprocity

Reciprocity· Exam waivedVerified September 15, 2026· 12 sources

North Carolina has a reciprocity agreement with Georgia: a Georgia master electrician can get a North Carolina 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 Georgia (unlimited electrical contractor)

A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.

Under the agreement with the Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors, a Georgia unlimited electrical contractor licensee may obtain any North Carolina classification (SP, Limited, Intermediate or Unlimited) without taking the NC technical examination (G.S. 87-50; 21 NCAC 18B .0701). Georgia is also one of the five neighboring states covered by G.S. 93B-15.3. The applicant files the Georgia reciprocity packet with the classification license fee, an official verification of licensure and examination from the Georgia board, a notarized Qualified Individual Affidavit naming the same individual who qualified the Georgia license, two character statements, and must pass the 25-question North Carolina Laws, Rules and Business Practices Examination enclosed with the packet. Intermediate and Unlimited applicants add the bonding-ability statement, and Unlimited applicants add two supervise-and-direct statements.

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Required
Typical processing
About 10 days
Agreement
Active

What you must already have

  • Your Georgia license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
  • Your Georgia license must be active and in good standing.
  • The North Carolina license must list the same qualified individual who is listed on the Georgia license (21 NCAC 18B .0701)

What you'll do to get licensed in North Carolina

  1. 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). License fee for the classification requested: Unlimited $200, Intermediate $150, Limited or Special Restricted $100.
  2. 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. 25-question North Carolina Laws, Rules and Business Practices Examination submitted with the reciprocity application.
  3. 3Surety bond. Post a surety bond. Statement of bonding ability or bank line-of-credit letter: $150,001 for Unlimited, $60,001 for Intermediate.
  4. 4Other. Notarized Qualified Individual Affidavit, two character statements, two supervise-and-direct statements (Unlimited only), NC Secretary of State registration for corporations/LLCs, free 4-hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months.

Published fees on this path total $200, 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

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond

How North Carolina licenses master electricians

North Carolina master electrician · “Electrical Contractor (Limited / Intermediate / Unlimited) - Listed Qualified Individual”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

Issued by North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC)

North Carolina has no license called 'master electrician'; its highest and only exam-qualified electrical credential is the electrical contracting license issued by the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors under G.S. 87-43 in the Limited (single projects up to $60,000, equipment up to 600 V), Intermediate (up to $150,000) and Unlimited (any value) classifications, plus seven Special Restricted classifications such as SP-SFD (single-family dwellings) and SP-FA/LV (fire alarm/low voltage). The license is issued in the name of a business, which may be a sole proprietorship, but it is earned by a listed qualified individual: the person who passed the PSI-administered classification exam and is named on the license with the statutory duty and authority to supervise and direct all electrical work done in the licensee's name (G.S. 87-41.1). That qualification is personal, follows the individual between licenses through the Board's add/drop form, carries the continuing-education duty, and is what Texas and Virginia treat as equivalent to their master electrician licenses, so this site maps it to the master level. A new qualified individual needs 3,000 hours of experience (2,000 primary) for Limited, 5,750 (5,000 primary) for Intermediate or 9,000 (8,000 primary) for Unlimited, and must pass a 100-question open-book exam (6 hours, 70% to pass) that also covers the licensing law, Board rules and business practices; the exam application fee is $125 and annual license fees are $100, $150 and $200 by classification. Intermediate and Unlimited applicants must also show bonding ability ($60,001 and $150,001). Licenses expire one year after issuance; qualifiers complete a free 4-hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months and 8 hours of CE per year. The Board has reciprocity agreements with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia under G.S. 87-50, which waive the technical exam but not a short NC laws, rules and business exam.

Moving to North CarolinaLeaving North Carolina

Common questions

Do I have to take the North Carolina master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Georgia?
The trade exam is waived, but North Carolina requires a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a North Carolina master electrician license from Georgia?
Published fees on this path total $200, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
How long does the application take?
The board's published or typical processing time is about 10 days.

Sources

  1. N.C.G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4 - Electrical Contractors Licensing Law (as published by the Board) · N.C.G.S. 87-41.1, 87-43, 87-43.3, 87-44, 87-50 · North Carolina General Assembly (reproduced by NCBEEC) · Statute · verified September 15, 202687-43 defines electrical contracting as engaging or offering to engage in the business of installing, maintaining, altering or repairing electric work. 87-43.3 sets the classifications and their experience floors (Limited 3,000 hrs / 2,000 primary; Intermediate 5,750 / 5,000; Unlimited 9,000 / 8,000). 87-41.1 defines the 'listed qualified individual' as the person who passed the qualifying exam and is listed on the license with the duty and authority to supervise and direct all electrical contracting done in the licensee's name. 87-44 caps annual license fees at $100/$150/$200. 87-50 authorizes reciprocal licensing without written examination. The Article contains no journeyman license.
  2. N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 - Neighboring states licensure recognition · N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 (S.L. 2025-61) · North Carolina General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Requires occupational licensing boards to license an applicant who has established residence in North Carolina, has been licensed at the same or substantially equivalent level in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia for at least one year, passed any examination required there, is in good standing in every jurisdiction, has no disqualifying criminal history or unresolved discipline, and pays all fees; the board may verify competency through methods it determines, including minimum education, supervision or work-experience requirements.
  3. 21 NCAC 18B - Board Rules for the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law · 21 NCAC 18B .0201, .0202, .0209, .0404, .0701, .1101 · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026.0201 experience per classification; .0202 primary experience (journeyman electrician, foreman, supervisor, estimator at 100%; 2,000 hours = 1 year) and secondary experience (approved apprenticeship 100%, helpers 80%, college coursework 50%, lineman 10%); .0209/.0404 fees ($125 exam application, $25 review, $100-$200 license). .0701 reciprocity: the Board recognizes licenses from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia; the applicant must furnish certification of the current reciprocal-state license, list the same qualified individual as on the original license, document that all non-examination requirements of Sections .0200-.0400 for the classification are met, and pay the license fee. .1101 CE: free 4-hour Laws and Rules course within 12 months of becoming a qualified individual; 8 hours CE per year for Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited/SP-SFD qualifiers.
  4. NCBEEC Examination Information Handbook 2026 (PSI) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors / PSI · Other · verified September 15, 2026Passing score 70% for all exams. Board approval is required before scheduling; one attempt per approval; 3-month wait after a failure. Exam content for Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited includes 15-18 questions on the licensing law, 21 NCAC 18B and the NASCLA business/law guide, so there is no separate law exam for examinees. References the 2020 NEC. Until licensed it is unlawful to engage in electrical contracting (G.S. 87-43).
  5. NCBEEC - Examinations (PSI) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by PSI. Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited exams are 100 multiple-choice questions in 6 hours, open book (NEC, NFPA 72, NASCLA business guide). The page contains no journeyman license or exam.
  6. NCBEEC - Fees & Services · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Application & examination fee $125 (all classifications); examination review $25; license fees Limited $100, Intermediate $150, Unlimited $200, Special Restricted $100; verification of license $25. No separate reciprocity fee is listed.
  7. NCBEEC - Forms & Documents · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists a separate 'Reciprocity License Application' packet for each of the ten reciprocal states (AL, SC, FL, TN, GA, TX, MS, VA, OH, WV), the NASCLA Qualified Individuals License Application, the Examination Application and the Add/Drop Qualified Individual form.
  8. NCBEEC - Reciprocity: Georgia · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Under the agreement with the Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors, Georgia unlimited electrical licensees are eligible for SP, Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited.
  9. North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Home · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Board mission under G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4. Lists the ten current reciprocity states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
  10. NCBEEC - Licensing (classifications, fees, qualified individuals) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Limited ($100/yr, single project up to $60,000, equipment up to 600 V), Intermediate ($150/yr, up to $150,000, bonding ability statement), Unlimited ($200/yr, any value, bonding ability statement) plus seven Special Restricted classifications ($100/yr). The license is issued to the business and the person who passed the exam is listed as the Qualified Individual; qualified individuals may be added or dropped. Licenses expire one year after issuance; $25 late renewal fee.
  11. NCBEEC - Reciprocity · N.C.G.S. 87-50 · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Quotes G.S. 87-50: 'the Board may grant licenses of the same or equivalent classification to electrical contractors licensed by other states without written examination.' Lists the ten reciprocal states and links to a page and application packet per state.
  12. NCBEEC - Application for License by Reciprocity: Texas · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026Texas applicants must have held an active Texas Master Electrician license for at least 1 year and may then apply for any NC classification. Checklist common to all reciprocity packets: license application with the classification's license fee ($200 Unlimited, $150 Intermediate, $100 Limited/SP), official verification of licensure/examination waiver from the origin board (copies not accepted), notarized Qualified Individual Affidavit, 2 character statements, the 25-question North Carolina Laws, Rules and Business Practices Examination submitted with the application (required of everyone licensed under a technical-exam waiver), 2 supervise-and-direct statements and a $150,001 statement of bonding ability or bank line-of-credit letter for Unlimited, a $60,001 statement for Intermediate, NC Secretary of State registration for corporations/LLCs, and the free 4-hour Laws & Rules class within 12 months. Processing 7-10 business days.

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

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