Idaho to Georgia: master electrician license reciprocity
Georgia has no reciprocity agreement with Idaho. Your Idaho experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Georgia exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by examination with credit for out-of-state experience (all other states)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
A licensee from a state without a Georgia reciprocity agreement applies for licensure by examination in GOALS, the same as a first-time applicant. The applicant must document at least 4 years of qualifying experience (2,000 hours = 1 year) gained under a licensed electrical contractor; the Board's form expressly allows the qualifying licensee to be an out-of-state contractor, with a note on whether that license is equivalent to a Georgia Restricted or Non-Restricted license, so time worked under an out-of-state license is credited. For Class II the experience must cover all eight primary experience areas, including installations in excess of single-phase 400-ampere systems under a Class II (non-restricted) contractor; Class I needs six of the eight areas. The application ($110) also requires three notarized reference forms, at least one from a licensed electrical contractor, a certified background check from local law enforcement, and the citizenship affidavit. Once the Board approves the application, PSI/AMP contacts the candidate to register, pay the exam fee and schedule the exam; a license is issued after passing. Licenses obtained elsewhere by grandfathering, endorsement, conversion or reciprocity give no advantage in Georgia beyond the experience credit.
The Georgia exam is a single PSI examination for the class applied for; the Board's pages do not describe a separate law exam, and the PSI exam fee was not published on the pages opened. The $110 fee comes from the online how-to guide (the retired 2022 paper form listed $40). The GOALS fee schedule page could not be opened, so the license issuance fee after passing was not confirmed. The 30-day timeline reflects the Board's stated 20-business-day processing.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.4 years at 2,000 hours per year under a licensed electrical contractor (in Georgia or another state); Class II requires all eight primary experience areas and work above single-phase 400 amperes under a Class II contractor
What you'll do to get licensed in Georgia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($110). Electrical Contractor (Restricted or Non-Restricted) licensure-by-examination application fee, paid in GOALS.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Georgia Electrical Contractor Class II (Non-Restricted) or Class I (Restricted) examination administered by PSI/AMP after Board approval.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee paid directly to PSI at registration (amount not published on the Board's pages).
- 4Other. Three notarized Reference Forms returned directly to the Board, at least one from a licensed electrical contractor.
- 5Background check. Complete a background check. Certified criminal background check obtained from local law enforcement.
- 6Other. Primary Experience Record forms completed by the qualifying licensed electrical contractor(s) covering 4 years.
Published fees on this path total $110, 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
- Exam fee
How Georgia licenses master electricians
Georgia master electrician · “Electrical Contractor Class II (Non-Restricted)”
Statewide license
Georgia has no 'master electrician' license; its highest person-held electrical credential is the statewide Electrical Contractor license issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board's Division of Electrical Contractors to an individual who documents experience and passes the PSI-administered exam. It comes in two classes: Class I (Restricted) covers single-phase installations up to 200 amperes, and Class II (Non-Restricted) is unrestricted, so Class II is the master-level equivalent used here. A new applicant needs at least 4 years (8,000 hours) of primary experience under a licensed electrical contractor covering all eight experience areas, including installations above single-phase 400 amperes under a Class II contractor, plus three notarized references and a certified background check; the exam application fee is $110 through the GOALS portal. Georgia has reciprocity agreements, for Class II only, with Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee: a contractor who obtained an unrestricted electrical license in one of those states by passing that state's exam is licensed without the Georgia exam. Everyone else applies by examination, with out-of-state experience under a licensed contractor counting toward the 4 years. Licenses renew by June 30 of even-numbered years; applications are generally processed within 20 business days.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Georgia master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Idaho?
- Yes. Georgia requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Georgia master electrician license from Idaho?
- Published fees on this path total $110, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Idaho work hours count in Georgia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Georgia's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Georgia to Idaho?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Georgia to Idaho, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121-3 - Licensing (Construction Industry Licensing Board) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.04 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Rule 121-3-.04 (Statewide Conditioned Air Contractor License): 'Class I Conditioned Air Contractor licenses are restricted to conditioned air contracting involving conditioned air systems or equipment not exceeding 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling'; 'Class II licenses are unrestricted' and applicants must document installations exceeding those sizes. Class I needs four years: 'two (2) years of residential installation experience as a lead mechanic, one year as a service technician, evidence of having an E.P.A. (Environmental Protection Agency) certification, one year of residential supervisory experience, and a completion of a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course.' Class II needs five years: 'two (2) years of installation as a lead mechanic with at least one of the years being commercial only, one year as a service technician or service supervisor evidence of having an E.P.A. (Environmental Protection Agency) certification, two years of commercial supervisory experience and a Board-approved heat loss and gain and duct design course.' Both require 'a minimum score of seventy (70) on the appropriate examination' and three references. The chapter creates journeyman licenses only for plumbers (Rule 121-3-.02); there is no journeyman conditioned air classification.
- Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors) · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Board home page. States that paper applications are no longer accepted and all applications go through the GOALS portal; licenses expire June 30, 2026 with a late period through August 15, 2026. The board's menu lists only electrical contractor licensing; there is no journeyman electrician license.
- Electrical Contractor License - Application for Licensure by Examination (Class 1 Restricted / Class 2 Non-Restricted), Revised 08/22 · Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026'You must document a minimum of 4 years (2,000 hours = 1 year) of qualifying experience ... gained working under a Licensed Electrical Contractor'; 'If the license holder is from out of state, notate on the application if their license is equivalent to a Restricted or Non-Restricted Georgia license.' Class I requires experience in at least six of the eight Primary Experience areas; Class II requires all eight plus installations in excess of single-phase 400-ampere systems under a Class II contractor. Three notarized references (one licensed electrical contractor), certified background check, PSI/AMP is the testing vendor and collects the exam fee. The 2022 paper form lists a $40 application fee; paper forms are no longer accepted and the online guide lists $110.
- How-To Guide: Electrical Contractors · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists the application types (Restricted, Non-Restricted, Non-Restricted Reciprocity, reinstatements, renewal). Restricted and Non-Restricted exam applications: 'Completed, signed, and notarized application with $110 fee', background check, work experience, three references, citizenship affidavit. Reciprocity: 'Apply for reciprocity if you have a current license with no violations and obtained by exam from Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee', with three references, background check and 'Verification of out of state License'. Applications are generally processed within 20 business days; licenses renew by June 30 of even-numbered years. The fee-schedule link goes to the GOALS portal, which could not be opened.
- Electrical Contractors - Reciprocity Application (Class 2 Non-Restricted), Revised 08/22 · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-2-.03 (cited on the form under its former number 121-2-.05) · Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026'The Board has approved the unrestricted electrical contractor examinations given by' the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board, Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board, and State of Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The Board waives the exam when the applicant obtained the license by passing that state's equivalent exam, holds a current active license, has no penalties or violations, submits a sealed Verification of Licensure showing the exam was passed, and meets all other Georgia requirements; Louisiana licensees must have been licensed at least 3 years. Licenses obtained by grandfathering, endorsement, conversion or reciprocity are not eligible. Requires three notarized reference forms (one from a licensed electrical contractor) and a certified local law-enforcement background check. This 2022 paper form shows a $40 fee ($30 + $10 processing); paper forms are no longer accepted.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.