Louisiana to New Jersey: master electrician license reciprocity
Louisiana does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Jersey'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 electrician or contractor without a recognized reciprocal jurisdiction: qualify and sit the New Jersey electrical contractor exam
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An applicant from a state the Board has not recognized under N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 receives no exam waiver. They file the Application for Examination with the $100 non-refundable fee, a photo, disclosure of every license held in any jurisdiction, and Work Experience Certifications from each employer proving five years of hands-on electrical construction and installation work in compliance with the NEC; the employer certification asks in what state the employer is licensed, so out-of-state experience is accepted as proof. The five years must be a completed four-year U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship (DOL certificate) plus at least one year (2,000 hours) as a journeyman, or an alternative the Board accepts such as a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or technology (credited for three years) plus two years of hands-on work. After the Board approves eligibility the applicant must pass all three written sections of the Board exam (electrical contractor, business and law, alarm systems), then pay the prorated license fee ($225 in the first year of the triennial period). To actually contract, the licensee's business must then obtain a business permit ($150 prorated) with a $1,000 surety bond, $300,000 general liability coverage or bank letter of credit, a federal tax ID and a pressure seal. Reciprocity without examination is available only where the Board finds equal reciprocity and substantial equivalence (2,000 supervised hours count as one apprenticeship year), the applicant has practiced as a contractor for two of the last five years, and completes an eight-hour New Jersey business-law course; no qualifying states are published, and the Board's FAQ says New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state.
The PSI examination fee is not published by the Board; it is given in the candidate information bulletin sent on approval, and the Board can be reached at (973) 504-6410. The Board does not publish whether any state meets the 'equal reciprocity' test of N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 and N.J.S.A. 45:5A-11.8. Older Board documents quote a $150 initial license fee and $90 renewal; the current N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 schedule (effective June 2, 2025) sets $225.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Five years in electrical construction and installation immediately preceding the application: a completed four-year U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship plus at least one year (2,000 hours) of hands-on work as a journeyman, or a Board-accepted alternative (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9(b); N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3)
- Over 21 years of age with a high school diploma or equivalency certificate (N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.1)
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in New Jersey
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Non-refundable Application for Examination filing fee (N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Board electrical contractor examination: electrical contractor section and alarm systems section (all sections must be passed; retakes after six months).
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Business and law section of the Board electrical contractor examination.
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($225). Initial electrical contractor license fee when paid in the first year of the triennial period ($150 second year, $75 third year); triennial renewal $225.
- 5Business license. Obtain a business license ($150). Initial business permit fee when issued in the first year of the triennial period ($100 second year, $50 third year); required to contract, one licensee may qualify only one permit.
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($1,000). Surety bond in favor of the State of New Jersey for a 36-month term (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-19), filed with the business permit application.
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($300,000). General liability insurance (or bank letter of credit) of at least $300,000 naming the Board as certificate holder, with 10-day cancellation notice (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9.1).
- 8Other. Work Experience Certification from each employer covering the five years claimed, U.S. DOL apprenticeship Certificate of Completion or diploma, and a 2x2 photograph.
Published fees on this path total $325, 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
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Business license · $150
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond · $1,000
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $300,000
How New Jersey licenses master electricians
New Jersey master electrician · “Licensed Electrical Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs)
New Jersey has no license called 'master electrician'; its highest person-held electrical credential is the Electrical Contractor license, issued by the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors to an individual who establishes five years of qualifying experience and passes the Board's three-part written examination (electrical contractor, business and law, and alarm systems). This file treats that license as the master level. Under N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9 as amended by P.L. 2021, c.479, the five years must consist of a completed four-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship followed by at least one year (2,000 hours) as a journeyman; the Board's Application for Examination still lets a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or technology count for three of the five years, with the other two years hands-on. The individual license alone does not permit contracting: the licensee's business must also hold a Board business permit backed by a $1,000 surety bond and $300,000 of general liability insurance, and every licensee must be over 21 with a high school diploma or equivalent. Licenses and permits run on a three-year cycle. N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 allows licensure without examination for electrical contractors from jurisdictions that give New Jersey equal reciprocity and have substantially equivalent requirements, but the Board publishes no list of such states, and its FAQ says New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state.
Why Louisiana has nothing to transfer
Louisiana master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Louisiana does not issue a statewide master electrician license. The state-level credential for electrical work is the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) commercial license with the Electrical classification, mandatory for any electrical project of $10,000 or more; it is a contractor license issued to the business (or to a sole proprietor) and qualified by a natural person, the qualifying party, who passed the Electrical trade exam through PSI, so it is treated here as a business license rather than a person-held master credential, even though Texas recognizes the Louisiana statewide license as master-equivalent. Master electrician licenses exist only at the local level: New Orleans issues a Class 'A' Master Electrical License ($125 per year) to an applicant who passed the ICC F49 Electrical Contractor exam or holds the LSLBC statewide license as its qualifying party, carries $500,000 of general liability insurance, and is the only Class 'A' holder for the company; Jefferson Parish issues a parish trade contractor license ($200) built on the state license. For the state contractor license the LSLBC waives the trade exam for any applicant who passed a comparable classification exam in any other state, with no partner-state list since October 23, 2024, but the Business and Law course/exam, the financial statement and the other licensing requirements are never waived. No parish or city page reviewed publishes reciprocity for out-of-state master licenses.
How local licensing works in Louisiana
State contractor license (not a master license). Under La. R.S. 37:2150.1 an electrical contractor is anyone contracting for electrical work of $10,000 or more, and the LSLBC issues the commercial license to that person or business with an Electrical classification qualified by a designated qualifying party. Applicants file the online application with a financial statement (required of all applicants), Secretary of State registration for any business entity including out-of-state companies, the online Business and Law course/exam, and the PSI trade exam for the classification; statutory fee caps are $50 per examination, $100 license and $100 renewal, plus a surcharge of up to $400 that the board may assess on a contractor not domiciled in Louisiana. Reciprocity for the state license: R.S. 37:2153(F)(5) directs the board to waive the trade portion of the exam for an applicant licensed in a comparable classification in another state on written certification that the applicant passed that classification's exam and is in good standing, and the Executive Director's October 23, 2024 letter extends this to any state: a classification exam passed in any other state 'with no waivers, exemptions, or grandfathering in effect' is accepted for the equivalent Louisiana classification, and all previous state-to-state agreements were declared null and void. The applicant has the origin board complete the Reciprocity Request form (license status, disciplinary history, and the name, exam developer, date and score of each person who passed the trade exam) and uploads it with the application; the exam/administrative fee is still charged, and the business law requirement 'shall not be waived'.
New Orleans. The Class 'A' Master Electrical License doubles as the city's electrical contractor license: the applicant submits a passing ICC Official Results Report for exam F49 Electrical Contractor, or a copy of the LSLBC statewide license with the qualifying party letter, plus certificates of general liability insurance of at least $500,000 and workers' compensation naming the City as certificate holder; the license costs $125 per year active or $30 inactive, with a $10 per month delinquent fee, and only one Class 'A' holder is allowed per company. The city page states no experience requirement and no reciprocity.
Jefferson Parish. A parish trade contractor license ($200 new) is issued to a license holder/qualifying party and lists the state license, occupational license, sales tax registration, liability insurance and workers' compensation on its checklist; the parish also administers its own electrical exam.
Shreveport. Requires city contractor registration for anyone performing electrical work and the state license for work over $10,000; master testing is referred to the ICC or the LSLBC.
Baton Rouge and Lafayette. No official page describing a master electrician license was located for East Baton Rouge Parish or Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Out-of-state holders. A master electrician from another state who wants to contract in Louisiana applies for the LSLBC commercial license and, if the master license was earned by a trade exam, requests the trade-exam waiver by reciprocity; the Business and Law course and financial statement are still required. City licenses such as New Orleans Class 'A' can then be obtained on the state license or the ICC F49 exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the New Jersey master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Louisiana?
- Yes. New Jersey requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a New Jersey master electrician license from Louisiana?
- Published fees on this path total $325, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Louisiana work hours count in New Jersey?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Jersey's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from New Jersey to Louisiana?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Jersey to Louisiana, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Application for Examination (electrical contractor) · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Frequently Asked Questions · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Faq · verified October 12, 2026
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Application for an Initial Business Permit · N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9.1, 45:5A-19; N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 - Fee schedule (Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors) · N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.1 - Qualifications of applicants for the electrical contractor examination · N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.1 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.2 - Board licensing examination (electrical contractor) · N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.2 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3 - Experience requirements for the electrical contractor examination · N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 - Electrical contractor licensure by reciprocity · N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.9 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
- Electrical Contractors Licensing Act of 1962, N.J.S.A. 45:5A-1 et seq., with Board regulations (compilation) · N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9, 45:5A-9.1, 45:5A-19 · State of New Jersey (nj.gov) · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- P.L. 2021, c.479 - An Act concerning the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Class A journeyman, Class A apprentice and Class B wireman licenses) · N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9, 45:5A-11.1, 45:5A-11.7, 45:5A-11.8, 45:5A-11.9 · New Jersey Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.