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

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

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

At least 3 years before applying.

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

Published fees on this path total $130, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Illinois work hours count in Virginia?

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

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

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

Illinois to Virginia: master electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 10 sources

Illinois does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Virginia'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.

Universal License Recognition for out-of-state masters (all other states)

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

A master electrician licensed by any state without a reciprocal agreement applies on the Tradesman Universal License Recognition form for a 'Licensed Master Electrical (ELE)' license, which DPOR issues without the Virginia trade examination. The Tradesman ULR form requires that the current out-of-state master license has been held for at least three years, that the licensing state required an examination and required education, training or experience to obtain it, that there are no unresolved complaints or pending investigations, and that a Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing dated within 90 days is sent directly by every state board that has licensed the applicant. DPOR reserves the right to require an exam specific to Virginia law (Va. Code 54.1-205). The fee printed on the 2023 ULR form is $130. A master who has held the license less than three years instead files the standard Tradesman Exam & License Application ($171.75), where 'individuals currently certified or licensed as a journeyman or a master by a governing body located outside the Commonwealth' is an accepted qualification to sit the PSI master exam ($125) with no experience documentation; the license verification must show the license number, initial date, expiration, means of licensure and disciplinary history.

DPOR's general ULR page says one year of licensure, while the Tradesman ULR application (v2, 08/14/2023) requires three years; the trade-specific form is recorded here. The ULR form predates the 2025 fee change and 2026 technology fee, so the current charge may be $171.75 rather than $130. Whether DPOR actually imposes a Virginia-law exam on tradesman ULR applicants is not stated on any page found. The contractor business license (Class A/B/C) is a separate application with its own exams and is not covered here.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

You must have held your Illinois license for at least 3 years.Current out-of-state master license held at least 3 years (Tradesman ULR form); DPOR's general ULR page states 1 year
Your Illinois license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
Your Illinois license must be active and in good standing.
You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.

What you'll do to get licensed in Virginia

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($130). Tradesman Universal License Recognition application fee as printed on form A501-2710ULR (2023); non-refundable. The 2026 exam/license form charges $171.75 including the technology fee..
2Other. Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing from each state board where licensed, sent directly to the Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program and dated within 90 days.
3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam (if applicable). DPOR may require an examination specific to Virginia law under Va. Code 54.1-205.
4Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Only for applicants who do not meet the ULR criteria: PSI Virginia master electrical exam ($125) via the Tradesman Exam & License Application ($171.75), for which an out-of-state journeyman or master license is itself the qualification.

Published fees on this path total $130, 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.

Law / code exam · if applicable
Trade exam · if applicable

How Virginia licenses master electricians

Virginia master electrician · “Master Electrical Tradesman (ELE)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesmen Program (DPOR)

Virginia issues a statewide Master Electrical tradesman license to individuals through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at DPOR. Under 18VAC50-30-39 a first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI master exam ($125) with one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman, three years as a Virginia residential tradesman, or nine years of verified practical experience in the trade; the application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75 including the technology fee. A current journeyman or master license from another state is itself an accepted qualification to sit the master exam, and a master licensed elsewhere for three years may apply through Universal License Recognition and receive the license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board has master-level examination reciprocity agreements with Alabama, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia. The master tradesman license is a personal qualification; contracting for work over $1,000 requires a separate Class A, B or C contractor business license from the same Board, and the North Carolina and Ohio agreements also cover that business license's exams.

Moving to Virginia Leaving Virginia

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 Virginia master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Illinois?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Illinois license?: At least 3 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Virginia master electrician license from Illinois?: Published fees on this path total $130, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Illinois work hours count in Virginia?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Virginia to Illinois?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia to Illinois, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

18VAC50-30-100 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-30-100 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Amended effective March 11, 2026. Exam fees are set by the Board's vendor contract and may not exceed $200 for a journeyman exam or $225 for a master exam; the current PSI fees on the Tradesmen page are $100 and $125.
18VAC50-30-39 - Evidence of ability and proficiency (tradesman qualifications) · 18VAC50-30-39 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Effective April 1, 2025 (replacing repealed 18VAC50-30-40). Journeyman pathways: engineering bachelor's plus one year, associate degree plus two years, 240 hours vocational training plus four years, 160 plus five, 80 plus six, 40 plus seven, or eight years of experience. Master pathways: three years holding a valid residential HVAC tradesman license, one year as a licensed journeyman in the trade, or nine years of practical experience. The regulation does not itself address out-of-state licenses; those are handled through the application form's out-of-state qualification option, reciprocity and ULR.
18VAC50-30-90 - Fees (individual licenses and certifications) · 18VAC50-30-90 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Effective August 1, 2025: original tradesman license with or without examination $150; card exchange $110; additional tradesman designation $105. All fees are non-refundable. The 2026 application form adds the statutory technology fee, giving $171.75.
Va. Code 54.1-103 - Additional training of regulated persons; reciprocity; endorsement · Va. Code 54.1-103(B)-(C) · Virginia General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Subsection B lets regulatory boards enter agreements with other jurisdictions to recognize their licenses; subsection C authorizes regulations recognizing other states' licenses as full or partial fulfillment of Virginia qualifications. Statutory basis for the Maryland HVAC examination reciprocity agreement and the out-of-state qualification route.
Virginia Board for Contractors - Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements with Other Jurisdictions · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Agreement Document · verified September 15, 2026Board-approved list. The only HVAC entry is: 'Maryland HVAC Board Journeyman and Master HVA Tradesman License and Virginia Journeyman and Master HVA License Examination Reciprocity.' All other entries concern electrical tradesmen (AL, DC, KY, MD, WV, NC, OH) or WSSC plumbers and gas fitters. Anyone applying under an agreement must meet all of its terms and submit a complete application with verification of licensure from the out-of-state board.
Form A501-2710EXLIC - Tradesman Exam & License Application (v8, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Designations include Journeyman and Master Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVA). Methods of licensure: Examination (1005), Reciprocity (1021) and Apprenticeship Program (1022) at $171.75 each, Card Exchange (1023) at $131.75; the fees include the $7.25-per-year Technology Fee added by 2026 House Bill 30. Question 10 lets an applicant list a current tradesman license from another jurisdiction 'to qualify you for the tradesman examination' or for reciprocity, with a Certification/Letter of Good Standing. Journeyman qualification options include 'Individuals currently certified or licensed as a journeyman or master by governing body located outside the Commonwealth of Virginia'; master options are one year as a licensed journeyman, three years as a Virginia residential HVAC or plumber tradesman, nine years of practical experience, or a current out-of-state journeyman or master license. Anyone performing work over $1,000 must also hold a Virginia contractor license.
Board for Contractors - Tradesman Licensing Information and Application Instructions · Va. Code 54.1-1128 to 54.1-1131 · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Other · verified September 15, 2026States that tradesman licenses are issued to individuals, not companies. Explains that an out-of-state license can be reviewed 'for experience or eligibility to sit for the exam or reciprocity' when a Certification/Letter of Good Standing showing the license number, initial date, expiration, means of licensure and closed disciplinary actions is provided.
Form A501-2710ULR - Tradesman Universal License Recognition Application (v2, 08/14/2023) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Offers 'Licensed Journeyman Heating, Ventilation & Air Cond. (HVA)' and 'Licensed Master HVAC (HVA)' (transaction code 1021, licensure without examination) and 'Unlicensed Journeyman/Master HVAC (HVA) - ULR by exam' (code 1005), $130 each, non-refundable. Licensed applicants must have held the current out-of-state license for at least 3 years, the issuing state must have required an examination and education/training/experience, there must be no unresolved complaints or pending investigations, and every state board that has licensed the applicant must send a Certification of Licensure/Letter of Good Standing dated within 90 days directly to the Tradesmen Program. The form states DPOR may require an examination specific to Virginia law under Va. Code 54.1-205. Applicants from states that do not regulate the trade need 3 years of employment, an Experience Verification Form, and must take the Virginia exam unless they have passed one elsewhere.
DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Program page for journeyman and master tradesman licenses in electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting. Exams are administered by PSI: $100 for a journeyman tradesman exam, $125 for a master tradesman exam. HVAC journeyman and master licensees complete three hours of board-approved continuing education on the International Mechanical Code each two-year renewal cycle. Links the Tradesman Exam & License Application (A501-2710EXLIC), the Residential Tradesman application (A501-2709EXLIC, launched April 1, 2025), the Universal License Recognition application (A501-2710ULR) and the reciprocal agreements list.
DPOR - Universal License Recognition · Va. Code 54.1-204, 54.1-205 · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026ULR applies to an applicant who holds a valid out-of-state license or certification in an occupation with a similar scope of practice, has been licensed there for at least one year, passed an examination and met training standards, has no disciplinary actions or pending investigations, has no disqualifying criminal history, and pays the Virginia fees. Tradesmen certifications are among the listed occupations.

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

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