Illinois to Massachusetts: master electrician license reciprocity
Illinois does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Massachusetts'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.
Master by examination with out-of-state credentials
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master electrician from a state without a written reciprocity agreement cannot have the Massachusetts master exam waived and must qualify for it under the Board's standard criteria: at least twelve months as a licensed journeyman (M.G.L. c. 141, § 3; the candidate bulletin lists this as one year as a Massachusetts journeyman) and a 150-hour master curriculum, which may be satisfied by out-of-state schooling if the Board finds it substantially equivalent. The online PSI application has a specific option for out-of-state master applicants, and requires an official board-certified verification of the out-of-state license, out-of-state education and practical-experience forms, a CORI authorization and a 15-hour code-update certificate. The $276 application and exam fee is paid to PSI; the applicant must pass both Part 1 (90 questions, 240 minutes) and the Business and Law part (50 questions, 120 minutes) at 70%, then pay the $155 license fee. The Board's FAQ sets out the route for a master licensed in any state other than New Hampshire: first apply for, sit and pass the Massachusetts journeyman exam; once licensed, apply for the master exam, where 'the requirement to be a Journeyman for a year can be waived with the proof of Master Licensure in said other state', documenting a Board-approved 150-hour master course or an equivalent 150-hour out-of-state course.
Confirmed from the Board's FAQ: an out-of-state master must first obtain the Massachusetts journeyman license by examination, but the twelve-month journeyman requirement for the master exam is waived on proof of the out-of-state master license. Licensure without examination (237 CMR 15.00) applies only to New Hampshire.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
What you must already have
- Hold the Massachusetts journeyman license (Certificate B), obtained by passing the Massachusetts journeyman exam; the usual twelve months as a journeyman is waived on proof of the out-of-state master license (Board FAQ)
- 150-hour master electrician curriculum from a Board-approved program, or out-of-state education the Board finds substantially equivalent
- Your Illinois license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in Massachusetts
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($276). Master application and examination fee paid to PSI with the online application (excludes the license fee); re-exam for both parts $135.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Master Electrician examination Part 1 (PSI): 90 questions, 240 minutes, open book, 70% to pass, NEC as amended by 527 CMR 12.00.
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Business and Law examination (Master Electrician and Systems Contractor): 50 questions, 120 minutes, 70% to pass, based on the NASCLA Contractors Guide, M.G.L. c. 141 and 237 CMR 12-23.
- 4Background check. Complete a background check. CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) authorization form.
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Certificate of completion of a 15-hour code update course from a Board-approved provider, submitted with the application.
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($155). Master license fee paid at the test center after passing.
Published fees on this path total $431, 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.
- Application fee · $276
- Trade exam
- Law / code exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Massachusetts licenses master electricians
Massachusetts master electrician · “Master Electrician (Certificate A, Class A)”
Statewide license
Issued by Board of State Examiners of Electricians (Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure)
Massachusetts issues a statewide Master Electrician license (Certificate A) through the Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Under M.G.L. c. 141, § 3 a master must have held a Certificate B (journeyman) license for at least twelve months and pass the master examination; the Board's candidate bulletin states the work requirement as one year as a Massachusetts journeyman plus a 150-hour master curriculum. The PSI exam is open book and two-part: Part 1 has 90 questions in 240 minutes and Part 2 is a 50-question, 120-minute Business and Law exam, each passed at 70%. The application and exam fee is $276 and the license fee is $155. Under M.G.L. c. 141, § 2B and 237 CMR 15.00 the Board licenses without examination only licensees of states with a written reciprocal agreement, and its only agreement is with New Hampshire: a master who earned the New Hampshire master license by examination is licensed for a $310 fee, holding or concurrently applying for the Massachusetts journeyman license and documenting the 150-hour master program. A master from any other state first earns the Massachusetts journeyman license by exam, after which the one-year journeyman requirement for the master exam is waived on proof of the out-of-state master license.
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 Massachusetts master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts master electrician license from Illinois?
- Published fees on this path total $431, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Illinois work hours count in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts to Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Massachusetts to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- 237 CMR 15.00 - Licensure without examination (by reciprocity), Mass. Register #1561, 11/21/2025 · 237 CMR 15.01, 15.02 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
- Mass.gov - Electricians FAQs for applications · 237 CMR 13.00, 13.05, 13.09 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- MGL Chapter 141, Section 2B - Electricians licensed in other states; reciprocal licensure without examination; fees · M.G.L. c. 141, § 2B · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- MGL Chapter 141, Section 3 - Forms of examinations, licenses and certificates · M.G.L. c. 141, § 3 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 11/1/2024) · 237 CMR 13.00, 18.01 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians / PSI Services LLC · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Mass.gov - Apply for reciprocity for an out-of-state electricians license · 237 CMR 15.00 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians / Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.