Illinois to Nebraska: master electrician license reciprocity
Illinois does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Nebraska'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.
Out-of-state master or electrical contractor without a reciprocity agreement
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master electrician or electrical contractor from a state outside Nebraska's contractor agreements applies for the Electrical Contractor exam on the standard Application for State Electrical License, documenting at least one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician (or an electrical engineering degree plus one year, or five years of planning, laying out, supervising and installing electrical wiring) with employer verification letters, pays the $180 application fee, and must pass the Nebraska contractor exam through PSI. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120(1) also lets the Board license without examination, in the same grade and class, an electrician licensed for at least one year by a state that provides similar treatment and whose qualifications equal Nebraska's, but the Division's pages do not describe using that authority outside the listed agreements. After passing, the applicant pays the license fee and must keep the public liability insurance required by the Board. There is no separate business or law exam; State Electrical Act questions are part of the trade exam.
The PSI exam fee and the Board's required liability insurance limits are not published on the Division's pages fetched for this file. Whether an out-of-state journeyman license satisfies the 'licensed journeyman electrician' experience requirement was not confirmed from an official page, although the application form accepts any listed current license.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- At least one year of experience acceptable to the Board as a licensed journeyman electrician, or a four-year electrical engineering degree plus one year as a journeyman, or five years planning, laying out, supervising and installing electrical wiring (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2107; 2026 application)
What you'll do to get licensed in Nebraska
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($180). Electrical Contractor application fee, non-refundable once processed.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Nebraska Electrical Contractor exam administered by PSI: 2023 NEC (open book), basic electrical theory, Nebraska State Electrical Act, emergency and fire alarm circuits.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($187.50). License fee when issued in an even-numbered year (2026); $375 when issued in an odd-numbered year, covering the remainder of the two-year term.
- 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Public liability insurance policy as required by the State Electrical Board (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2104(6)(c)); limits not published on the Division's pages.
Published fees on this path total $367.50, 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
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
How Nebraska licenses master electricians
Nebraska master electrician · “Electrical Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by Nebraska State Electrical Division (State Electrical Board)
Nebraska's highest person-held electrical license is the Electrical Contractor license, issued by the State Electrical Division to an individual who has at least one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician (or a four-year electrical engineering degree plus one year as a journeyman) and passes the PSI-administered contractor exam. Nebraska stopped issuing new Class A Master Electrician licenses in 1993; the master, Class B contractor and Class B journeyman fees in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118(4) apply only to renewals of licenses issued before September 9, 1993, so this site maps the Electrical Contractor license to the master level. The application fee is $180 and the license fee is $187.50 per year of the two-year term ($187.50 when issued in an even-numbered year, $375 in an odd-numbered year); licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years. Contractors must keep in force the public liability insurance required by the Board. The Board has reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreements with Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas, and its Electrical Contractor page also names Iowa.
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 Nebraska master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?
- Yes. Nebraska requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Nebraska master electrician license from Illinois?
- Published fees on this path total $367.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Illinois work hours count in Nebraska?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Nebraska's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Nebraska to Illinois?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Nebraska to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Application for State Electrical License (updated 3/2026) · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Form · verified September 15, 2026One form for Electrical Contractor, Journeyman Electrician, Residential Journeyman, Fire Alarm Installer, Special Installer and Apprentice; applicants tick 'Application for License By: PSI Examination / Reciprocity with Other States / Having Passed an Approved Municipal Examination' and list current licenses with whether each was obtained by written exam. Application fees: Electrical Contractor $180; Journeyman $90; Residential Journeyman $90; Fire Alarm Installer $90. License fees issued in even years: Contractor $187.50, Journeyman $37.50; odd years: Contractor $375, Journeyman $75. 'Applicants for reciprocal licenses are required to submit a registration fee equal to the application fee plus license fee.' Experience: contractor needs an EE degree plus one year as a journeyman, one year as a licensed journeyman, or five years planning, laying out, supervising and installing electrical wiring; journeyman needs four years verifiable experience or three years plus an electrical technology degree.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Electrical Contractor · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Qualifications: a four-year electrical engineering degree plus one year as a licensed journeyman electrician, or at least one year of experience acceptable to the Board as a licensed journeyman electrician. Application fee $180; license fee $187.50 (even-numbered year) or $375 (odd-numbered year). States that the Board has a reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreement with Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas; the Reciprocal Information page lists only Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Exam Information and Licensing Applications · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams for all license types except apprentice registration cover the 2023 National Electrical Code, basic electricity theory, the Nebraska State Electrical Act and emergency circuits including fire alarm circuits. Links the 2026 mail-in licensing application, the online application portal, and Policy 37 on the retest waiting period (effective July 11, 2025).
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Exam Scheduling · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Applicants submit an Exam Application to the Division, and after approval receive an email from PSI (the third-party testing provider) with a link to schedule and pay for the exam. The page does not state the PSI exam fee.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - 2025-2026 License and Registration Fees · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Per year of the two-year license period: Electrical Contractor $187.50; Class A Master $187.50; Class B Electrical Contractor $187.50; Class B Master $187.50; Journeyman Electrician $37.50; Class B Journeyman $37.50; Residential Wireman $37.50; Fire Alarm Installer $37.50; Apprentice Registration $35. Licenses expire December 31, 2026.
- Nebraska State Electrical Division - Reciprocal Information · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Journeyman Electrician reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming; Electrical Contractor reciprocity with Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas. Conditions: the applicant must have passed a state examination with 75% or greater for the license to be reciprocated and must have held that license in good standing for at least one year. One-time reciprocation policy: a reciprocal licensee who lets the Nebraska license lapse must take an exam to get it back. Refunds are not made for processed applications. Applications are filed through the online portal or the mail-in form.
- State Electrical Act and State Electrical Board Rules (March 2026 booklet) · Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 81-2104(6), 81-2107, 81-2108, 81-2109, 81-2115, 81-2118, 81-2120 · Nebraska State Electrical Division · Statute · verified September 15, 2026'Important Facts' section: all state electrical licenses expire December 31 of each even-numbered year; 12 hours of continuing education (six on the NEC) per two-year period; reciprocal journeyman agreements with the thirteen listed states and reciprocal Electrical Contractor agreements with Minnesota and South Dakota. §81-2108: wiring for others requires licensure as a Class B electrical contractor, electrical contractor, Class A master electrician or fire alarm installer; journeymen must be employed by one of those. §81-2118(4): Class B electrical contractor, Class A master electrician and Class B journeyman fees apply only to renewal of licenses issued before September 9, 1993. §81-2104(6)(c): the board may revoke the license of an electrical contractor or master electrician who fails to keep in force a public liability insurance policy as required by the board. §81-2115: the written exam covers the current NEC and electrical theory; the NEC portion is open book.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2107 - Electrical contractor license; applicant; qualifications · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2107 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026An applicant for an electrical contractor license shall (a) be a graduate of a four-year electrical course in an accredited college or university or (b) have at least one year's experience, acceptable to the board, as a journeyman electrician. Class B electrical contractor licenses are limited to residential systems of 400 amperes or less in municipalities under 100,000 population.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 - Licenses and registrations; expiration; fees · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2118 · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026All licenses expire December 31 of each even-numbered year; the board sets examination, issuance and renewal fees by unanimous vote; expired licenses may be renewed for three months with a 10% per month penalty, after which a new application is required.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120 - Licenses; issued without examination based on reciprocity; qualifications; reciprocal credentialing agreement, military occupational specialty, or apprenticeship training program · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2120 (as amended by Laws 2024, LB16) · Nebraska Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(1) To the extent another state provides for similar action, the board may grant licenses without examination, of the same grade and class, to an electrician licensed by that state for at least one year, on payment of the fee and proof that the applicant's qualifications equal those of Nebraska licensees. (2) The board shall issue a license to an applicant who holds a credential in a state with a reciprocal credentialing agreement, a qualifying military occupational specialty, or a license whose prerequisite was completion of a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, if the credential has been held at least one year, was obtained by exam or education/training/experience standards, and the applicant has no disqualifying criminal record, revocation, surrender or pending complaint, and pays the fees; the board acts within 60 days or five business days after its next meeting.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.