Indiana to North Dakota: master electrician license reciprocity
Indiana does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is North Dakota'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 without a reciprocal agreement (licensure by examination)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master electrician from a state other than Iowa, Minnesota or South Dakota must qualify for the North Dakota Master Electrician license by examination. Out-of-state experience counts: the board accepts electrical construction work done under the supervision of a master electrician in a jurisdiction with licensing and inspection rules similar to North Dakota's, and the exam application requires a minimum of 10,000 hours, including one year as a licensed journeyman (NDCC 43-09-11), documented on Employment Verification form SFN 11845. The applicant files the master exam application with the $50 fee, receives an exam invitation, must test within six months, and needs 70% on the board's master exam; the $50 annual license fee is paid after passing, and a contracting master must also file proof of liability insurance. NDCC 43-09-25 permits the board to license electricians from other states on proof of equal qualifications, but NDSEB's published practice limits no-exam licensure to its three master reciprocity partners.
Whether an out-of-state journeyman license satisfies the statutory 'one year's experience as a licensed journeyman electrician' was not stated on an official page; the exam form's 10,000-hour minimum applies to all applicants. NDAC 24.1-03-01-01 says exam fees are paid separately to the testing center provider 'if required'; no exam fee amount is published. The exam covers North Dakota laws, rules and wiring standards as well as the NEC, so there is no separate law exam.
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 10,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Minimum on the exam application; if self-employed, prior work experience must still meet the minimum.
- One year of experience and at least 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman electrician under a contracting master or master of record (NDCC 43-09-11; NDAC 24.1-03-01-02)
What you'll do to get licensed in North Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Master exam application fee (SFN 11858), NDAC 24.1-03-01-01.
- 2Other. Employment Verification form SFN 11845 documenting hours, submitted with the application.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. NDSEB master examination (one-hour closed-book and 3.5-hour open-book sections on the NEC and North Dakota laws, rules and wiring standards; 70% to pass).
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($50). Annual master license fee, paid after passing the exam; license expires April 30.
- 5Insurance. Carry the required insurance (if applicable). Proof of liability insurance, required only to be licensed in the contracting master or master of record category.
Published fees on this path total $100, 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 · if applicable
How North Dakota licenses master electricians
North Dakota master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB)
North Dakota issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB). The license is held by the individual and is issued in one of three categories: contracting master (self-employed, must show liability insurance), master of record (responsible for a company's compliance, covered by the company's insurance) and non-contracting master (works under a contracting master or master of record). A new applicant must have one year of experience and at least 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman under a contracting master or master of record; the exam application requires a minimum of 10,000 total hours (one year and 2,000 hours if the applicant is a North Dakota journeyman). The board-administered master exam has a one-hour closed-book and a 3.5-hour open-book section and requires 70%. The application fee is $50 and the license fee is $50 per year; master licenses expire April 30. Master-level reciprocity exists only with Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Why Indiana has nothing to transfer
Indiana master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Indiana has no statewide master electrician or electrical contractor license and no state electrical board; the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's list of regulated professions contains no electrical trade. The master-level credential exists only at the local level and under varying names: Indianapolis/Marion County licenses Electrical Contractors whose craft license holder has passed the city's exam, Allen County (Fort Wayne) issues an Electrical Supervisors License that it expressly treats as a master electrician license, Evansville and Bloomington license Master Electricians by local examination, and South Bend and Terre Haute license electrical contractors on proof of a passing ICC National Master Electrician (or Experior/master) exam score. An out-of-state master electrician license carries no state-level recognition in Indiana and none of the major jurisdictions publish a formal reciprocity path for other states' licenses; a master must apply in each city or county where they will pull permits, which in practice means holding an ICC national master exam score or passing the local exam, then meeting that jurisdiction's bond and insurance requirements.
How local licensing works in Indiana
How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level but has never created a state electrician or electrical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether and how to license electrical contractors and master-level electricians, and there is no statewide portability rule. Several jurisdictions accept the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam as the qualifying test, which makes an ICC score the most portable credential inside the state.
Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues an Electrical Contractor license to a business that has at least one electrical craft license holder who has passed the required examination (contact the Trade Board & Licensing Coordinator for the exam); a license holder may be connected to only one partnership, LLC or corporation. The packet requires proof of business registration, a certificate of insurance ($500,000 per occurrence bodily injury and $100,000 property damage, or $500,000 combined) naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County as additional insured, workers' compensation coverage or an Indiana exemption certificate (Ohio-based companies need an Indiana Certificate of Compliance), and a $10,000 license or permit surety bond expiring 12/31/2027. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (applied for January-June 2026), $283 (July-December 2026) or $189 (2027); new business license $247, $185 or $124; business and license-holder renewals $247 each; more than five authorized agents $63 each. Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years.
Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department's Electrical Supervisors License requires four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman (or eight years and 14,000 hours of documented OJT plus 30 days as a licensed journeyman) and a passing examination; the holder 'shall be considered a master electrician' and may qualify a business for the Electrical Contractors Business Registration ($90; supervisor license $25). Section H of the rules grants licensing reciprocity subject to the trade's reciprocity guidelines and the minimum qualifications, and allows the Building Commissioner to grant reciprocity at his discretion to applicants who present the necessary credentials.
Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Electricians (persons, firms or corporations installing or contracting to install electrical wiring and equipment). Applicants submit three notarized letters on letterhead proving at least four years of experience, are approved by the trade board to test, sit the exam through Ivy Tech and must score 75% or higher on each part, then receive a provisional license on paying the $300 fee and providing insurance and a surety bond; the Licensing and Disciplinary Board gives final approval. Renewal is $225 with a $25 late fee after January 31.
South Bend. The Building Department licenses electrical contractors after review of an application showing at least 21 years of age, four years of experience verified by employer letters (or business tax records), and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Master Electrician exam (F16-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable nationally recognized exam approved by the Board of Examiners; a $5,000 surety bond naming the City of South Bend/St. Joseph County, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required. South Bend issues reciprocal letters ($70) only to municipalities that accept the ICC master exams and cannot guarantee acceptance elsewhere.
Terre Haute. Commercial and residential electrical contractor licenses are issued to businesses; a full-time employee must have passed the Experior Assessment master electrician exam or equivalent for the commercial license (master, journeyman or residential exam for the residential license), proven by a letter from the testing agency. General contractor registration requirements also apply: a $10,000 bond on the city's form and $500,000/$100,000 insurance naming the city; a non-owner master signs a letter accepting responsibility as designated supervisor.
Bloomington. A city ordinance makes it unlawful to engage in electrical contracting without a city license and creates a Board for the Examination and Registration of Electricians that examines and licenses master electricians; current fees were not confirmed from the archived ordinance.
Out-of-state holders. No jurisdiction reviewed publishes reciprocity for another state's master or contractor license. Allen County has a discretionary reciprocity clause; South Bend and Terre Haute accept ICC/Experior national exam scores regardless of where they were earned; Indianapolis and Evansville require their own examinations. Expect to license separately in each jurisdiction and to meet each one's bond and insurance rules.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the North Dakota master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Indiana?
- Yes. North Dakota requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a North Dakota master electrician license from Indiana?
- Published fees on this path total $100, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Indiana work hours count in North Dakota?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward North Dakota's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from North Dakota to Indiana?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from North Dakota to Indiana, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- North Dakota Century Code Chapter 43-09 - Electricians · NDCC §§43-09-10, 43-09-11, 43-09-13, 43-09-15, 43-09-25 · North Dakota Legislative Branch · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§43-09-10 license classes (master, journeyman, class B, power limited). §43-09-11: master requires one year as a licensed journeyman; journeyman requires 8,000 hours over not less than three years plus approved apprenticeship training or a two-year course of study. §43-09-13: fees set by the board. §43-09-15: licenses issued for one year. §43-09-25: board may grant licenses of the same grade to electricians licensed by other states that provide similar action, on proof of equal qualifications.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Applying for an Electrical License · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Experience must be in a jurisdiction with similar licensing and inspection rules and under the supervision of a master electrician; Employment Verification SFN 11845 must accompany the exam application; passing grade 70%; North Dakota participates in the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA).
- NDSEB Form SFN 11858 - Application for Electrician's License by Exam (11-2020) · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Work experience minimums: 10,000 hours for master (one year and 2,000 hours if an ND journeyman), 8,000 hours for journeyman, 3,000 for Class B. Related training (two-year school, 576 hours of classes, or recognized apprenticeship) is required only if the majority of practical experience was obtained in North Dakota. Application fees: Master $50, Class B $40, Journeyman $25; a separate license fee is charged after passing.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Exam Dates & Information · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Board-administered exams offered roughly every two weeks; master, journeyman and Class B exams have a one-hour closed-book and a 3.5-hour open-book section based on the current NEC and North Dakota laws, rules and wiring standards; passing grade 70%; candidates must test within six months of the invitation; retake waits of 0/3/6 months by score.
- NDSEB 2026 Laws, Rules, Wiring and Conveyance Standards of North Dakota (effective 07/01/2026) · NDAC 24.1-03-01-01, 24.1-03-01-02, 24.1-03-01-03, 24.1-03-01-07 · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 202624.1-03-01-01: application fees master $50, journeyman $25; annual license fees master $50 (expires April 30), journeyman $25 (expires March 31); exam fees paid separately to the testing provider if required. 24.1-03-01-02: master needs 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman; contracting masters and masters of record must show liability insurance. 24.1-03-01-03: journeyman needs 8,000 hours over at least three years in a jurisdiction with similar licensing and inspection rules. 24.1-03-01-07: an apprentice without related training whose majority of experience was in North Dakota is ineligible for exam or reciprocal license.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Qualifications for Licensure · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Master: one year and 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman under a contracting master or master of record; three master categories (contracting master, master of record, non-contracting master). Journeyman: 8,000 hours over not less than three years registered as an apprentice; credits for two-year school (2,000 hours) and other categories.
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Reciprocal License Agreements & Requirements · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Lists the master reciprocity states (Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota) and the 13 journeyman reciprocity states; states the requirements (origin exam passed, license current and in good standing, held continuously one year, 8,000 hours journeyman / 10,000 hours master under a contracting master in a jurisdiction with similar licensing and inspection rules, related-training restriction, 8-hour CE proof if the origin state has no CE, no exam, not eligible if the ND exam was failed) and the fees: application $25 journeyman / $50 master, license fee $25 / $50.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.