Do I have to take the Ohio master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?

Yes. Ohio requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.

How long do I need to have held my Illinois license?

At least 5 years before applying.

What does it cost to get a Ohio master electrician license from Illinois?

Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Illinois work hours count in Ohio?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Ohio's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from Ohio to Illinois?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Ohio to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.

Illinois to Ohio: master electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

Illinois does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Ohio'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 contractor licensee without a reciprocity agreement (examination route)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

An electrical contractor or master electrician licensed in a state without an OCILB reciprocity agreement must take the Ohio examination. R.C. 4740.06(C) and OCILB's Licensed Out-of-State Contractor Application let the out-of-state license stand in for the usual five years of Ohio tax and permit documentation: the applicant instead shows the license has been active for at least five years (letter of good standing), at least five building authorizations issued under it, one tax return reflecting income under the license (plus a W-2 if not the owner), and that their employer is registered in Ohio as a foreign corporation or LLC with a designated agent. After board approval (valid one year) the applicant completes BCI and FBI background checks, then passes both sections of the PSI exam (trade and Business & Law). The license is issued on submission of the results, a $25 fee and a $500,000 certificate of liability insurance, and must be assigned to a contracting company. OCILB describes no case-by-case endorsement that waives the exam outside a written reciprocity agreement.

The PSI examination fee amount is published only in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin sent to approved candidates and was not confirmed from an official page. R.C. 4740.06(F) requires the board to authorize the license within 90 days of the application when the applicant qualifies and passes the exam. Applicants who fail may retake after 60 days.

At a glance

Trade exam: Required
Law / code exam: Required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

You must have held your Illinois license for at least 5 years.Proof the substantially similar out-of-state license has been active at least five years (letter of good standing); otherwise the standard five years as a tradesperson applies.
At least five authorizations for construction, erection, equipment, alteration or addition of a building issued under the out-of-state license, and at least one tax return reflecting income earned under it (R.C. 4740.06(C))
Employer contracting company licensed as a foreign corporation (R.C. 1703.04) or registered as a foreign LLC (R.C. 1706.511) in Ohio with a designated agent
You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.

What you'll do to get licensed in Ohio

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25). OCILB Out-of-State Examination Application fee, payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio.
2Background check. Complete a background check. BCI and FBI background checks after board approval and before sitting for the exam (valid one year).
3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Ohio Electrical Contractor examination, trade section, administered by PSI (computer-based).
4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Ohio Business and Law examination section, administered by PSI.
5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee per the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (amount not published on the OCILB pages).
6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). License issuance fee submitted with the exam results, payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio.
7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). Certificate of contractor liability insurance of at least $500,000 in one contracting company name.
8Other. Assignment of the license and insurance to a contracting company as defined in R.C. 4740.01(C).

Published fees on this path total $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
Law / code exam
Exam fee

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

Insurance · $500,000

How Ohio licenses master electricians

Ohio master electrician · “Electrical Contractor (OCILB state license)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce

Ohio has no license called 'master electrician'; its top person-held electrical credential is the statewide Electrical Contractor license issued by the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) to an individual (R.C. 4740.01(A)), who must then assign it to a contracting company. It is the credential Texas treats as equivalent to a master electrician license, and other states' reciprocity forms pair it with their master electrician licenses. A new applicant must be 18, a citizen or legal alien, have five years as a tradesperson in the electrical trade immediately before applying (or be an Ohio registered engineer with three years of construction business experience), pass BCI and FBI background checks, pass both sections of the PSI-administered examination (trade and Business & Law), carry $500,000 of contractor liability insurance in one company name, and pay a $25 application fee and $25 license fee. OCILB publishes reciprocity application pages for Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Louisiana, and Texas announced a master-level agreement with OCILB in June 2026. Licenses expire annually and renew with continuing education.

Moving to Ohio Leaving Ohio

Why Illinois has nothing to transfer

Illinois master electrician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 14, 2026· 12 sources

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.

Moving to Illinois Leaving Illinois

Common questions

Do I have to take the Ohio master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?: Yes. Ohio requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
How long do I need to have held my Illinois license?: At least 5 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Ohio master electrician license from Illinois?: Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Illinois work hours count in Ohio?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Ohio's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Ohio to Illinois?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Ohio to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Ohio Department of Commerce - Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026States that OCILB issues licenses to qualified electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics and refrigeration contractors who pass the licensing examination. No journeyman or individual electrician license is mentioned.
OCILB - Contractors & Contracting Companies (state license requirements, reciprocity list, document checklists) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy because com.ohio.gov returned 404 to the fetcher. States that OCILB issues state licenses to commercial contractors in five trades: Electrical, HVAC, Hydronics, Plumbing and Refrigeration. Requirements: age 18, citizen or legal alien, five years as a tradesperson in the trade (or Ohio registered engineer with three years of construction business experience), no disqualifying offense, pass the trade examination, $500,000 contractor liability coverage, fees; BCI and FBI background checks after board approval and before the exam. Fees: $25 application per trade, $25 licensing fee per trade, $60 annual escrow renewal. 'Reciprocity with other states' section: Ohio offers reciprocity only to applicants who passed the state-recognized test; Tennessee accepts Ohio grandfathered licensees; where noted the Business and Law (B&L) exam is required. List: Alabama - HVAC and Refrigeration; Arkansas - Plumbing; Kentucky - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration; Louisiana - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration - B&L; Mississippi - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing - B&L; North Carolina - Electrical; South Carolina - Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing - B&L; Tennessee - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing, Hydronics - B&L; West Virginia - Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing; Virginia - Electrical; Texas - Electrical. Reciprocity applicant checklist: notarized reciprocity application, OCILB verification form signed by the other state's board, $25 application fee per trade. The page says nothing about a journeyman, technician or individual HVAC license and nothing about EPA Section 608.
OCILB - Licensed Out-of-State Contractor Application (examination route for out-of-state licensees) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Holders of a substantially similar out-of-state contractor license qualify for the exam by showing the license has been active at least five years (letter of good standing), at least five building authorizations, one tax return (plus a W-2 if not the owner) and that the employer is registered in Ohio as a foreign corporation or LLC. Exams are computer based, both sections, results immediate. After passing, the license issues on a $25 check payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio and a $500,000 certificate of liability insurance. Last reviewed April 2024. Applies to all five OCILB trades including HVAC and Refrigeration.
OCILB Out-of-State Examination Application (PDF) · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board · Form · verified September 15, 2026Check-one exam types: Hydronics, Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Refrigeration. Application fee $25.00 payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio. Out-of-state licensees provide five building authorizations, one tax return reflecting income under the out-of-state license, and proof the employer is a registered foreign corporation or LLC in Ohio. Board approval valid one year; BCI and FBI background checks before testing; approved candidates receive the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin; those who pass both sections receive the license by sending results, a $25 check and proof of $500,000 liability insurance; the insurance and license must be assigned to a contracting company (R.C. 4740.01(C)). The PSI exam fee is not printed on the form.
Ohio Revised Code 4740.01 - Construction industry licensing board definitions · R.C. 4740.01(A), (C), (E) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026'License' means a license the board issues to an individual as a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning contractor, refrigeration contractor, electrical contractor, plumbing contractor, or hydronics contractor. 'Tradesperson' means an individual employed by a contractor who performs the work without assuming responsibility for the means, method or manner of the work; tradespersons are not licensed under the chapter. 'Contracting company' is a company in the construction industry working on construction projects. Effective September 17, 2014.
Ohio Revised Code 4740.06 - License application; qualifications for examination · R.C. 4740.06(B), (C), (F), (H) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(B) age 18, citizen or legal alien, five years as a tradesperson in the trade (or registered engineer with three years' business experience), contractor's liability insurance. (C) alternative qualification for holders of a substantially similar out-of-state license: at least five building authorizations and a tax return showing income under that license. (F) the specialty section authorizes the license within 90 days of the application once the applicant qualifies and passes the exam. (H) renewal without re-examination with continuing education. Effective September 30, 2025 (H.B. 96, 136th General Assembly).
Ohio Revised Code 4740.08 - Reciprocity · R.C. 4740.08 · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026When a written reciprocity agreement between the states exists, an individual licensed in the other state who submits a copy of the agreement and pays the licensure fee is licensed without examination if the specialty section finds the other state's requirements substantially equal and that it extends similar reciprocity to Ohio licensees; the section may withdraw authorization for good cause before issuance. Effective December 29, 2023.
Ohio Revised Code 4740.09 - Fees · R.C. 4740.09 · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026License, renewal and late fees are set by each specialty section subject to Controlling Board approval; the statute itself contains no dollar amounts.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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