Kansas to Iowa: master electrician license reciprocity
Kansas does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Iowa'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 verification (states without a master-level reciprocal agreement)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master electrician from a state without a master-level agreement can apply for licensure by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 and rule 481-401.9. The board issues the Iowa Class A master license without examination if the applicant has been licensed in the other jurisdiction for at least one year, the scope of practice there is substantially similar, the license is in good standing everywhere it is held, the applicant passed the exam the origin state required, and there is no revocation, discipline or pending complaint. For electrician licenses the statute additionally requires that the applicant has established Iowa residency (or is the spouse of an active-duty service member on permanent change of station to Iowa). The origin jurisdiction completes the board's License by Verification form and sends it directly to the board, and the applicant pays the regular license fee ($375 for a full three-year master cycle, prorated). Without Iowa residency, the ordinary route is the Iowa master exam, for which the applicant must show one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician.
Masters from Alaska, Colorado, Montana and New Hampshire and Oklahoma electrical contractors are on Iowa's reciprocity list only for the Journeyman Class A license; the verification route above is the only published no-exam path to the Iowa master for them. Rule 481-401.2(3) requires 'one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician' for the exam route and does not say the journeyman license must be Iowa's; whether out-of-state journeyman time is accepted was not confirmed on an official page. The PSI exam fee is not published on any DIAL page. DIAL tags the verification form as 'Archived' although the form is dated 10/20/25 and rule 481-401.9 is current; confirm with the board.
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 Kansas license for at least 1 year.Licensed by another issuing jurisdiction for at least one year (481-401.9(1)b).
- Your Kansas license must be active and in good standing.
- Your Kansas license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Scope of practice in the transferring jurisdiction is substantially similar to Iowa's Class A master
- Has established Iowa residency (rule 701-300.17) or is married to an active-duty service member accompanying them on an official permanent change of station to Iowa
What you'll do to get licensed in Iowa
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($375). Master Electrician Class A license fee for a full three-year cycle (481-401.3); prorated by month when issued mid-cycle.
- 2Other. License by Verification form completed by the transferring jurisdiction and sent directly to the board.
- 3Other. Proof of Iowa residency (homestead credit, voter registration, Iowa driver's license, or days-of-residence test) and documentation of complete criminal record.
Published fees on this path total $375, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Iowa licenses master electricians
Iowa master electrician · “Class A Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Iowa Electrical Examining Board, Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL)
Iowa's highest person-held electrician credential is the Class A Master Electrician license issued by the Electrical Examining Board (DIAL); the Class B master is a closed grandfather class, and the separate Electrical Contractor license is a business credential that requires employing a Class A or B master and registering as a contractor under Iowa Code chapter 91C. A new Class A master applicant must have at least one year of experience as a licensed Class A or Class B journeyman electrician and pass the PSI master exam with 70% or better (2023 NEC). The license runs on a three-year cycle; a full-cycle license costs $375, prorated by month of issue. Iowa has master-level reciprocal agreements with eight states (Arkansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming); master licenses from Alaska, Colorado, Montana and New Hampshire and Oklahoma's electrical contractor license reciprocate only to the Iowa Journeyman Class A license. Licensees from any other state may use Iowa's universal licensure-by-verification process (Iowa Code 272C.12), which waives the exam but requires Iowa residency.
Why Kansas has nothing to transfer
Kansas master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Kansas does not issue a master electrician license; the master credential exists only at the county and city level under the framework in K.S.A. 12-1525 to 12-1527. State law requires a master certificate of competency to rest on a valid journeyman certificate held for at least two years plus a passing score of 75% on an ICC, IAPMO or Prometric standard master exam, and makes that certificate valid proof of competency in every Kansas jurisdiction that licenses electricians. Sedgwick County/Wichita (MABCD) issues master electrician certificates ($35) to certified journeymen with two more years of field experience who pass ICC 554/KGD/F16/G16/T16; Kansas City, Kansas licenses master electricians after four years of experience including two years of commercial or industrial work; Lawrence certifies masters with four years of field experience or two years as a journeyman ($20); and Johnson County uses the ICC Standard Master Electrician exam (554/KGD) to qualify the individual behind a Class DE electrical contractor license ($325 for a new license). None of these jurisdictions has a reciprocity agreement with another state - MABCD states it does not reciprocate with other jurisdictions - so an out-of-state master's advantage is limited to submitting an already-passed ICC master exam score (Johnson County and MABCD accept the ICC national master exams) and documented experience in place of retesting.
How local licensing works in Kansas
How local licensing works. Kansas has no state master electrician license. K.S.A. 12-1526(f) requires applicants for a master certificate to have held a valid journeyman certificate for at least two years, and 12-1525 designates the ICC, IAPMO and Prometric master exams (75% minimum). A master certificate of competency earned on a standard exam is accepted for licensure in any other Kansas county or city without re-examination; a license based on a local alternative exam is valid only in that jurisdiction unless a reciprocal agreement exists (12-1527).
Sedgwick County and Wichita (MABCD). Master electrician certificate: current electrical journeyman certificate plus two years of field experience as a certified journeyman, and a 75% score on ICC 554, KGD, F16, G16 or T16 Master Electrician. New certificate $35, two-year term, renewal $35 with six trade and six general CEUs. An electrical contractor license additionally needs a qualified person holding the master certificate, $300,000 general liability insurance naming MABCD, and 12 hours of CE per renewal; trade contractor licenses expire December 31 of odd years. MABCD states it does not reciprocate with other jurisdictions or with state testing.
Johnson County. The county licenses electrical contractors (Class DE, electrical services only) rather than individual masters. The company's Qualifying Individual must show a passing score on the ICC Standard Master Electrician exam (554 or KGD, Pearson VUE); the county accepts equivalent ICC, Prometric, ETS-subsidiary and IAPMO exams and may recognize ICC National exams with a verified score of 75% or higher. Fees: $100 application plus $225 per license type ($325 for one new license), $225 renewal, $75 late fee; eight hours of CE per classification per year for the Qualifying Individual.
Kansas City, Kansas (Unified Government). Code sec. 8-158: no one may work as a master electrician without a Unified Government master electrician's license. Applicants must be 21 and document one year of experience planning, laying out and supervising electrical installations plus three additional years under a licensed electrical contractor or master electrician, at least two of them in commercial or industrial work; an approved post-high-school electrical course earns up to two years' credit. Testing is through Prometric via the Building Inspection division; fees and reciprocity are not published.
Lawrence. Master electrician certification requires four years of practical field experience or two years as a journeyman, verified by notarized employer statements, and a 75% score on the K.S.A. standard exam ($50 exam application); license $20, renewal $10, six hours of CE per year. Certificates of competency from other Kansas jurisdictions are accepted.
Out-of-state masters. No interstate reciprocity is published anywhere in Kansas. A master who already passed an ICC master exam elsewhere should present the score (Sedgwick County lists the national ICC 554/F16/G16/T16 exams; Johnson County will consider ICC National scores of 75%+) with experience documentation; otherwise the ICC or Prometric master exam must be taken through a sponsoring Kansas jurisdiction, after which the certificate is portable statewide.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Iowa master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Kansas?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Kansas license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Iowa master electrician license from Kansas?
- Published fees on this path total $375, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Kansas work hours count in Iowa?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Iowa's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Iowa to Kansas?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Iowa to Kansas, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Iowa Code Chapter 103 - Electricians and Electrical Contractors (2026) · Iowa Code §§103.10, 103.12, 103.21 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§103.10: Class A master requires one year as a licensed Class A or B journeyman plus exam. §103.12: Class A journeyman requires a DOL-registered apprenticeship (or board-rule equivalent) plus exam. §103.21: board may license without exam, same grade and class, an electrician licensed at least one year by a state that provides for similar action.
- Iowa Code 272C.12 - Licensure of persons licensed in other jurisdictions (2026) · Iowa Code 272C.12 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Universal-recognition statute: a license shall be issued without examination to a person currently licensed in good standing by another state in the same occupation with a substantially similar scope of practice, who met that state's education/experience requirements, passed its exam if any, has no revocation, discipline or pending complaint, and pays the fees; for chapter 103 and 105 licenses the person must have established Iowa residency (or be a military spouse on PCS orders). Boards may still require an exam specific to Iowa law, in which case a three-month temporary license (renewable once) must be issued. PDF read with a local text extractor.
- DIAL - Electrical Licensing FAQs · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Faq · verified September 15, 2026Lists the Iowa license classes (Electrical Contractor, Class A/B Master, Residential Master, Class A/B Journeyman, Residential, Apprentice, Special, Unclassified), the reciprocal states, and that PSI has tested on the 2023 NEC since Jan. 1, 2024.
- DIAL - Electrical License Fees for the 2026-2028 license cycle · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 15, 2026Journeyman Class A or B: $75 for a license issued in 2026, prorated monthly ($50 in 2027, $25 in 2028). Master Class A or B and Electrical Contractor: $375 in 2026, prorated ($250 in 2027, $125 in 2028). Late renewal 10% per month.
- Iowa Electrical Examining Board - Reciprocal Licensing Agreements with Other States (dated 1/29/2026) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 15, 2026Names the 13 reciprocal states, the common conditions (state-sponsored exam passed with 70% or better, license held 1 year and never expired/suspended/revoked, has not failed the Iowa exam, must meet other Iowa licensure requirements), and a state-by-state table of which origin license maps to the Iowa Journeyman Class A or Master Class A license.
- State of Iowa Testing Sponsorship Requirements and Information (rev. 12/14/2023) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 15, 2026Passing score 70% on the PSI exam. Journeyman candidates: completed DOL-registered apprenticeship (8,000 OJT and 576 classroom hours) or a board-approved PSEP with 6,000 OJT hours. Master candidates: one year's experience as a licensed Class A or B journeyman. Board sends a sponsorship code used to register with PSI.
- Iowa Electrical Examining Board - License by Verification Form (Iowa Code 272C.12), rev. 10/20/25 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Must be completed by the transferring jurisdiction and sent directly to the board; records license type, issue date, whether the license was obtained by exam, time active, good standing and discipline history.
- 481 IAC Chapter 401 - Electrician and Electrical Contractor Licensing Program: Licensing Requirements, Procedures, and Fees (IAC 12/10/25) · 481 IAC 401.2(3), 401.2(6), 401.2(14), 401.2(15), 401.3, 401.9 · Iowa Legislature / DIAL · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026401.2(14) and 401.2(15) set the reciprocal journeyman and master conditions (agreement state, origin exam passed with 70+, license held continuously one year, plus completed apprenticeship or 16,000 hours licensed work by affidavit). 401.2(6)c is the exam route for out-of-state licensees (18 CE hours and 1,000 hours in Iowa as an unclassified person). 401.3 fee table: journeyman $75/3 years, master $375/3 years, prorated. 401.9 licensure by verification requires Iowa residency.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.