Idaho to New Jersey: master electrician license reciprocity
New Jersey has no reciprocity agreement with Idaho. Your Idaho experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the New Jersey exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state electrician or contractor without a recognized reciprocal jurisdiction: qualify and sit the New Jersey electrical contractor exam
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
An applicant from a state the Board has not recognized under N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 receives no exam waiver. They file the Application for Examination with the $100 non-refundable fee, a photo, disclosure of every license held in any jurisdiction, and Work Experience Certifications from each employer proving five years of hands-on electrical construction and installation work in compliance with the NEC; the employer certification asks in what state the employer is licensed, so out-of-state experience is accepted as proof. The five years must be a completed four-year U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship (DOL certificate) plus at least one year (2,000 hours) as a journeyman, or an alternative the Board accepts such as a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or technology (credited for three years) plus two years of hands-on work. After the Board approves eligibility the applicant must pass all three written sections of the Board exam (electrical contractor, business and law, alarm systems), then pay the prorated license fee ($225 in the first year of the triennial period). To actually contract, the licensee's business must then obtain a business permit ($150 prorated) with a $1,000 surety bond, $300,000 general liability coverage or bank letter of credit, a federal tax ID and a pressure seal. Reciprocity without examination is available only where the Board finds equal reciprocity and substantial equivalence (2,000 supervised hours count as one apprenticeship year), the applicant has practiced as a contractor for two of the last five years, and completes an eight-hour New Jersey business-law course; no qualifying states are published, and the Board's FAQ says New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state.
The PSI examination fee is not published by the Board; it is given in the candidate information bulletin sent on approval, and the Board can be reached at (973) 504-6410. The Board does not publish whether any state meets the 'equal reciprocity' test of N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 and N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.8. Older Board documents quote a $150 initial license fee and $90 renewal; the current N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 schedule (effective June 2, 2025) sets $225.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Five years in electrical construction and installation immediately preceding the application: a completed four-year U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship plus at least one year (2,000 hours) of hands-on work as a journeyman, or a Board-accepted alternative (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9(b); N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3)
- Over 21 years of age with a high school diploma or equivalency certificate (N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.1)
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in New Jersey
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Non-refundable Application for Examination filing fee (N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Board electrical contractor examination: electrical contractor section and alarm systems section (all sections must be passed; retakes after six months).
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Business and law section of the Board electrical contractor examination.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($225). Initial electrical contractor license fee when paid in the first year of the triennial period ($150 second year, $75 third year); triennial renewal $225.
- 5Business license. Obtain a business license ($150). Initial business permit fee when issued in the first year of the triennial period ($100 second year, $50 third year); required to contract, one licensee may qualify only one permit.
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($1,000). Surety bond in favor of the State of New Jersey for a 36-month term (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-19), filed with the business permit application.
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($300,000). General liability insurance (or bank letter of credit) of at least $300,000 naming the Board as certificate holder, with 10-day cancellation notice (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9.1).
- 8Other. Work Experience Certification from each employer covering the five years claimed, U.S. DOL apprenticeship Certificate of Completion or diploma, and a 2x2 photograph.
Published fees on this path total $325, 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
- Law / code exam
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Business license · $150
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 · $1,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $300,000
How New Jersey licenses master electricians
New Jersey master electrician · “Licensed Electrical Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs)
New Jersey has no license called 'master electrician'; its highest person-held electrical credential is the Electrical Contractor license, issued by the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors to an individual who establishes five years of qualifying experience and passes the Board's three-part written examination (electrical contractor, business and law, and alarm systems). This file treats that license as the master level. Under N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9 as amended by P.L. 2021, c.479, the five years must consist of a completed four-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship followed by at least one year (2,000 hours) as a journeyman; the Board's Application for Examination still lets a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or technology count for three of the five years, with the other two years hands-on. The individual license alone does not permit contracting: the licensee's business must also hold a Board business permit backed by a $1,000 surety bond and $300,000 of general liability insurance, and every licensee must be over 21 with a high school diploma or equivalent. Licenses and permits run on a three-year cycle. N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 allows licensure without examination for electrical contractors from jurisdictions that give New Jersey equal reciprocity and have substantially equivalent requirements, but the Board publishes no list of such states, and its FAQ says New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the New Jersey master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Idaho?
- Yes. New Jersey requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a New Jersey master electrician license from Idaho?
- Published fees on this path total $325, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Idaho work hours count in New Jersey?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Jersey's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from New Jersey to Idaho?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Jersey to Idaho, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Application for Examination (electrical contractor) · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Frequently Asked Questions · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Faq · verified October 12, 2026
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Application for an Initial Business Permit · N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9.1, 45:5A-19; N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 - Fee schedule (Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors) · N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.1 - Qualifications of applicants for the electrical contractor examination · N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.1 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.2 - Board licensing examination (electrical contractor) · N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.2 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3 - Experience requirements for the electrical contractor examination · N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 - Electrical contractor licensure by reciprocity · N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
- Electrical Contractors Licensing Act of 1962, N.J.S.A. 45:5A-1 et seq., with Board regulations (compilation) · N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9, 45:5A-9.1, 45:5A-19 · State of New Jersey (nj.gov) · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- P.L. 2021, c.479 - An Act concerning the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Class A journeyman, Class A apprentice and Class B wireman licenses) · N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9, 45:5A-11.1, 45:5A-11.7, 45:5A-11.8, 45:5A-11.9 · New Jersey Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.