Illinois to Alaska: master electrician license reciprocity
Illinois does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Alaska'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.
Electrical Administrator license by credentials (all states)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Alaska publishes no state-by-state reciprocity list for electrical administrators; every out-of-state applicant uses licensure by credentials under AS 08.40.120(b) and 12 AAC 32.025. The department waives the examination if the applicant holds a current, active electrical administrator (or equivalent) license in another state, has that state send verification of licensure directly to the division, has the state verify on form 08-4899b that the applicant passed an exam equivalent to Alaska's (with the exam content outline), and meets the experience qualifications for the category applied for. CBPL warns that passing an exam in another state does not guarantee qualification, and transcripts must come directly from the school if education is used to qualify. The fee is $150 (nonrefundable application) plus $170 (license), $320 in total. An applicant who cannot document an equivalent exam applies by examination instead (form 08-4898) and must score at least 70% on the PSI electrical administrator exam within the 12 months before licensure.
The division does not publish which states' administrator, master or contractor exams it accepts as equivalent; each is reviewed with the exam content outline. The PSI exam fee for the by-examination route is not published on the application form. A journeyman-level trade license alone is not an electrical administrator equivalent.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Illinois license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Illinois that the destination considers comparable.
- Meets the category qualifications in 12 AAC 32.055-32.075 (e.g. Unlimited Commercial Wiring: journeyman electrician in inside commercial wiring for four of the last six years, or an EE degree plus one year, or other listed combinations)
What you'll do to get licensed in Alaska
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($150). Nonrefundable application fee (12 AAC 02.210).
- 2License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($170). Biennial license fee; licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years.
- 3Other. Verification of licensure sent directly by every jurisdiction where an electrical administrator license is or was held, including any disciplinary history.
- 4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). PSI Electrical Administrator examination (70% minimum, results valid one year) - required only if an equivalent out-of-state exam cannot be verified.
Published fees on this path total $320, 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 Alaska licenses master electricians
Alaska master electrician · “Electrical Administrator”
Statewide license
Alaska has no master electrician license. Its highest person-held electrical credential is the Electrical Administrator license issued under AS 08.40 by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL), which is treated here as the master level; CBPL describes it as a supervisory license required for at least one employee of every Alaska contractor doing NEC or NESC work, and it does not by itself allow the holder to perform that work (a journeyman certificate of fitness from the Department of Labor is needed for hands-on work). An electrical administrator is an individual who passes the PSI-administered administrator exam (70%) and meets category experience rules, for example four of the last six years as a journeyman electrician in inside commercial wiring for the Unlimited Commercial Wiring category (12 AAC 32.145); the license is issued in categories (Unlimited Linework Outside, Outside Communications, Unlimited Commercial Wiring, Inside Communications, Residential Wiring, Controls) and the holder may be assigned to only one registered contractor. The administrator license does not by itself allow the holder to perform code work; administrators who also hold a journeyman COF from the Department of Labor function like a master electrician in other states. Fees are $150 to apply plus $170 for the biennial license, which expires December 31 of odd-numbered years.
Why Illinois has nothing to transfer
Illinois master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Illinois does not issue a statewide master electrician license and has no state electrical board; the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation does not license electricians. The master-level credential exists only at the municipal level, under names that vary by city: Chicago issues a Supervising Electrician license (2 years of experience plus a written exam) and separately licenses Electrical Contractors, Springfield issues an Electrical License based on 5 years of experience and the ICC Master Electrician exam, and Peoria, Aurora, Naperville and Elgin accept ICC Master/Residential Electrician certificates or licenses from Illinois testing municipalities. An out-of-state master electrician license carries no state-level recognition in Illinois and none of the major jurisdictions publish a reciprocity or endorsement path for it. A master electrician from another state must apply with each municipality where they will work, which typically means passing the ICC or local exam once and then registering as an electrical contractor in each additional city.
How local licensing works in Illinois
How local licensing works. Illinois has no state electrician license and no state electrical board. The Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/11-33-1) allows each municipality to require registration of electrical contractors, with an annual fee of $25, and provides that a contractor registered in one municipality cannot be required to register or pay a fee in another. Anything beyond registration (examinations, experience requirements, supervising or master licenses) comes from each city's or county's own ordinance.
Chicago. The Department of Buildings licenses Supervising Electricians (individuals) and Electrical Contractors (businesses); the supervising electrician is Chicago's equivalent of a master electrician. Eligibility for the supervising electrician exam is age 21 and at least 2 years of experience installing, altering, repairing and maintaining electrical wiring under a supervising electrician or equivalent, verified by supervisor letters. General and low-voltage exams are administered by Continental Testing Services (2026 fees: $150 per exam, $150 initial license, $150 annual renewal). An electrical contractor license ($150 initial, $150 renewal) is issued to a business, including a sole proprietorship, that is owned by or employs at least one licensed supervising electrician, who must perform or supervise all of the contractor's electrical work and may be the primary supervising electrician for only one contractor. Chicago's pages do not describe any reciprocity or endorsement for out-of-state licenses.
Springfield. The Building and Zoning Department issues an Electrical License to individuals who document 5 years of practical electrical experience with at least 2 years overseeing and directing electrical work and pass the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam (W16). Applications go before the Springfield Electrical Commission; the fee is $25 and licenses expire December 31. A grandfather clause allows applicants licensed in another Illinois or out-of-state municipality with reciprocal testing to substitute proof of that exam only if the license was originally issued before 10/10/2007 and has not lapsed more than two years; otherwise the ICC exam is required.
Peoria. Electrical licenses are issued to individuals ($150 annual). Holders of Normal or Pekin licenses may register without testing; all others submit an ICC contractor exam certificate from the 2017 code cycle or newer.
Rockford. Registration only ($25 per calendar year, or free with proof of registration or license in another Illinois municipality); no exam.
Naperville and Aurora. Both accept current ICC certifications (Standard Master Electrician for commercial, Standard Residential Electrician for residential) or a license from a listed testing municipality (Naperville lists Chicago, Elgin, Libertyville, Orland Park, Ottawa, Peoria and Woodstock) in lieu of local testing. Naperville no longer renews or issues its own electrical licenses as of December 31, 2022 and registers electrical contractors through its Civic Access portal; Aurora requires a certificate of insurance naming the city.
Elgin. Requires a contractor's license from any Illinois city that gives a written NEC-based examination, or Elgin's own exam administered monthly through CLEC Enterprises.
Unincorporated Cook County. Electrical contractors must register with the Department of Building and Zoning ($150 initial, $75 annual renewal per trade), provide $1,000,000 general liability insurance naming the department, and submit a current supervising electrician's license from an Illinois city, town or village that has an electrical commission administering an examination.
Out-of-state holders. No reciprocity or endorsement path for other states' master licenses was found in any of these jurisdictions. The practical route is to pass the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam (accepted by Springfield, Peoria, Aurora and Naperville) or a testing city's exam such as Chicago's, then register as an electrical contractor in each municipality where work will be performed.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Alaska master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Alaska master electrician license from Illinois?
- Published fees on this path total $320, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Illinois work hours count in Alaska?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Alaska's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Alaska to Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Alaska to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Electrical Administrator License by Credentials Application (Form 08-4899, Rev. 06/25/2025) · Alaska DCCED, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 15, 2026Categories: Unlimited Linework Outside, Outside Communications, Unlimited Commercial Wiring, Inside Communications, Residential Wiring, Controls and Control Wiring. Fees: $150 nonrefundable application fee plus $170 license fee ($320 total). Requires verification of licensure from every jurisdiction where the applicant holds or held an electrical administrator license and verification of an equivalent exam (form 08-4899b with content outline) sent directly by that state. Warns that passing an exam in another state does not guarantee qualification. Licenses are biennial, expiring December 31 of odd-numbered years.
- Electrical Administrator License by Examination Application (Form 08-4898, Rev. 06/25/2025) · Alaska DCCED, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 15, 2026By-examination path: $150 application fee plus $170 license fee ($320 total); applicant must score at least 70% on the electrical administrator examination administered by PSI Services; results are valid for one year. The PSI exam fee is not stated on the form.
- Alaska CBPL - Electrical Administrators program page · Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Program page: CBPL staffs the electrical administrator program and the Department of Commerce adopts its regulations and makes licensing decisions, while electricians are regulated by the Department of Labor's Mechanical Inspection Section. Verbatim: 'The Electrical Administrator license is required for at least one employee of a valid Alaskan Contractor that performs work that is covered by the National Electric (NEC) or National Electric Safety (NESC) codes. It is a supervisory license only and does not allow the license holder to perform work covered by the NEC or the NESC.' Lists the six categories (Controls and Control Wiring, Inside Communication, Residential Wiring, Outside Communications, Unlimited Commercial Wiring, Unlimited Line Work), online renewal, and $20 license-verification requests (up to 10 business days). The live page is behind DataDome bot protection and returns HTTP 403 to automated clients; the text was read from the Internet Archive capture of February 5, 2026 on 2026-09-15.
- Statutes and Regulations - Electrical Administrators (AS 08.40 and 12 AAC 32) · AS 08.40.090, AS 08.40.120(b), AS 08.40.130; 12 AAC 32.015, 12 AAC 32.025, 12 AAC 32.145 · Alaska DCCED, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Statute · verified September 15, 2026AS 08.40.090: a person may not act as an electrical administrator without a license. AS 08.40.120(b): the department shall waive the examination for an applicant licensed as an electrical administrator or the equivalent by another state who meets the category qualifications and passed an equivalent examination. 12 AAC 32.025: licensure by credentials requires verification of a current active license and of the equivalent exam, both sent directly by the other state. 12 AAC 32.015: licensure by examination requires a score of at least 70% within the preceding 12 months. 12 AAC 32.145: unlimited commercial wiring category requires e.g. four of the last six years as a journeyman electrician in inside commercial wiring, or an EE degree plus one year, or other listed combinations.
- Alaska DOLWD Mechanical Inspection - Frequently Asked Questions · Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection · Faq · verified September 15, 2026Covers only electrician and plumber certificates; says 'Alaska also has Mechanical Administrator and Electrical Administrator licenses which cover supervision and sign-off of code work. Refer to DCCED for details on these licenses.' Also notes that provisional plumber certificates do not allow fuel gas work because many states exclude gas from their plumber license.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.