Illinois to Montana: master electrician license reciprocity
Illinois does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Montana'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.
Licensure by examination for states not determined substantially equivalent
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master electrician from any state other than the five marked 'Yes' in the board's Substantial Equivalency Determinations must take the Montana master exam. Out-of-state journeyman-level experience counts: the applicant submits third-party experience verification of 8,000 hours of journeyman-level work in planning, laying out or supervising installations (or EE transcripts sent directly by the school plus 2,000 hours), together with verifications for every license ever held and any discipline records. MCA 37-1-304 lets the board weigh actual experience and credentials against any deficiency in the origin state's standards. After approval the applicant pays PSI $85 for the open-book 2020 NEC master exam (75% to pass); a $50 journeyman-level temporary practice permit is available while waiting to test.
Applicants who fail the master exam with 69% or less are not eligible for a temporary practice permit. No processing timeline is published.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Legally obtained journeyman-level experience in planning, laying out or supervising installation and repair of wiring, apparatus or equipment; no more than 50% residential (ARM 24.141.515(2)). Alternative: electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 hours of practical experience
- Official license verification from every state or jurisdiction in which the applicant holds or has ever held a professional license of any type
What you'll do to get licensed in Montana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($190). Application for license by examination, includes the original license fee (ARM 24.141.405); nonrefundable.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Montana Master Electrician examination administered by PSI, open book on the 2020 NEC, at least 80 questions, 75% to pass.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($85). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI after board approval; nonrefundable, valid one year.
- 4Other. Optional journeyman temporary practice permit for master exam candidates (90 days or until exam results) ($50) (if applicable).
Published fees on this path total $275, 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 · $85
How Montana licenses master electricians
Montana master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Montana State Electrical Board (Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division)
Montana issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the State Electrical Board. Under MCA 37-68-304 an applicant needs either an electrical engineering degree from an accredited college plus 2,000 hours of practical experience, or at least 8,000 hours of legally obtained journeyman-level experience in planning, laying out or supervising electrical installations (no more than 50% residential), and must pass the PSI open-book exam on the 2020 NEC (at least 80 questions) with 75%. The $190 application fee includes the original license; renewal is $140 every two years with 16 CE hours. Out-of-state masters are reviewed for substantial equivalency: the board's published determinations mark only Alabama, Idaho, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming as 'Yes', and their licensees are licensed by endorsement without the exam; masters from all other states must take the Montana exam. The board does not sign formal master-level reciprocity agreements (ARM 24.141.504(1) limits those to residential and journeyman licenses).
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 Montana master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- Yes. Montana requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Montana master electrician license from Illinois?
- Published fees on this path total $275, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Illinois work hours count in Montana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Montana's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Montana to Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Montana to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Montana State Electrical Board - Exam Information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026PSI is the exam vendor; exams are based on the 2020 NEC as of June 10, 2022; only board-approved applicants may register and may sit within about a week of the admission letter; PSI test centers nationwide.
- Montana State Electrical Board / PSI Examination Information Sheet (3/27/2025) · Montana Department of Labor & Industry / PSI Services · Other · verified September 15, 2026PSI examination fees: Master Electrician $85, Journeyman Electrician $75, Residential Electrician $75; fees nonrefundable and valid one year; Montana test sites in Billings, Helena, Missoula, Great Falls and other locations.
- Montana State Electrical Board Laws and Rules Booklet (MCA Title 37 Chapter 68 and ARM Title 24 Chapter 141) · ARM 24.141.405, 24.141.502, 24.141.503, 24.141.504, 24.141.515 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 202624.141.405 fee schedule: application for license by examination $190 (includes original license), application by endorsement or reciprocity $190 (includes original license), temporary permit $50, renewal (two years) master $140 / journeyman $140, exam fees set by the testing agency; fees nonrefundable. 24.141.503: passing grade 70% for residential and journeyman exams, 75% for master; exams open book. 24.141.504: the board may enter reciprocity agreements case by case for residential or journeyman licenses with states whose requirements are substantially equivalent or greater; may issue a license by endorsement to an applicant who files a completed application with fees and holds a current, valid license in good standing in the category applied for; licenses issued by a city, county or municipality are not considered. 24.141.502: temporary practice permit valid 90 days or until exam results. 24.141.515: no more than 50% of experience may be residential.
- Montana State Electrical Board - Master Electrician Licensing Requirements, Application Checklist and Application (Rev. 07/22/2024) · MCA 37-68-304; ARM 24.141.502, 24.141.515(2) · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Form · verified September 15, 2026Same SE structure as the journeyman checklist: an active, unrestricted, good-standing master license from a state that requires an electrical exam and either an EE degree plus 2,000 hours or 8,000 hours of journeyman-level experience is licensed without the Montana exam; otherwise the exam is required. By examination: EE degree plus 2,000 hours, or 8,000 hours of journeyman-level experience with not more than 50% residential. Fees $190 application (includes license) and optional $50 journeyman temporary practice permit; applicants failing the master exam with 69% or less are ineligible for a permit.
- Montana State Electrical Board - Master Electrician license information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Links the Master Electrician application, checklist, online application and the Montana Substantial Equivalency Determinations document; exams on the 2020 NEC; 16 CE hours per renewal cycle; fees nonrefundable.
- MCA 37-1-304 - Licensure by endorsement -- reciprocity · MCA 37-1-304 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026An applicant for licensure by endorsement must have an active license in good standing from a jurisdiction whose qualifications, measured at the time of application, are substantially equivalent to Montana's; where they are not, the board may evaluate whether the applicant's actual work experience and credentials cure the deficiency; reciprocity agreements may not license applicants who have not met substantially equivalent standards.
- MCA 37-68-304 - Master electricians -- application -- qualifications -- contents of examination -- fees · MCA 37-68-304 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Master applicants furnish written evidence of an electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 hours of practical experience, or at least 8,000 hours of legally obtained journeyman-level experience in planning, laying out or supervising installation and repair of wiring; must pass a board-prescribed exam of at least 80 questions on the NEC and Montana rules.
- Montana Substantial Equivalency Determinations - State Electrical Board tables (Residential, Journeyman and Master Electrician) · MCA 37-1-304 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026State-by-state Yes/No tables linked from the board's license pages. Journeyman Electrician 'Yes': Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (all other states No, including Texas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico and Maine). Master Electrician 'Yes': Alabama, Idaho, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming. The document carries no publication date.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.