Louisiana to North Carolina: master electrician license reciprocity
Louisiana does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is North Carolina'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 or electrical contractor without a reciprocity agreement (examination)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master electrician or electrical contractor from a state that has no agreement with the Board gets no license by endorsement: the Board's rules (21 NCAC 18B .0701) waive the written examination only for the eleven named reciprocal states. Everyone else applies to sit the PSI-administered classification exam like a first-time candidate. Out-of-state experience does count: Rule .0202 credits work as a journeyman electrician, foreman, supervisor or estimator at 100% and apprentice or helper time at 80-100%, with 2,000 hours equal to one year, toward the 3,000 / 5,750 / 9,000-hour thresholds for Limited / Intermediate / Unlimited, and the rule does not require the experience to have been earned in North Carolina. The exam application fee is $125, Board approval is required before scheduling, one attempt is allowed per approval, and the 100-question open-book exam (70% to pass) includes 15-18 questions on the North Carolina licensing law, Board rules and the NASCLA business guide, so no separate law exam is given to examinees. After passing, the applicant files the license application with the classification fee ($100 Limited/SP, $150 Intermediate, $200 Unlimited), character statements, bonding-ability statements for Intermediate and Unlimited, and completes the free 4-hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months. One exception: an applicant who already passed the NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination (Electrical Contractor/Master Electrician) in another state may skip the NC technical exam and apply directly for any classification, taking only the 25-question NC laws, rules and business exam that reciprocity applicants take.
G.S. 93B-15.3 (neighboring-state recognition for Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia licensees held at least one year) adds no additional origin states because all five already have Board reciprocity agreements. Rule .0701 also names Louisiana as a recognized state, but Louisiana is absent from the Board's reciprocity page, its forms list and its per-state pages (the /louisiana/ page returns 404), so Louisiana is not recorded as an agreement here. No NC-specific exam fee beyond the $125 application/exam fee is published; the Board's fee page lists the two together.
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 9,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Unlimited classification: 9,000 hours with at least 8,000 primary. Intermediate: 5,750 (5,000 primary). Limited and Special Restricted: 3,000 (2,000 primary). 2,000 hours = one creditable year (21 NCAC 18B .0201-.0202; G.S. 87-43.3).
- Primary experience is work as a journeyman electrician, electrical foreman, supervisor or estimator on the installation of electrical wiring and equipment (100% credit); approved apprenticeship 100%, helper/apprentice outside an approved program 80%, electrical college coursework 50%, utility lineman work 10% (21 NCAC 18B .0202).
What you'll do to get licensed in North Carolina
- 1Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($125). Application and examination fee, all classifications (21 NCAC 18B .0209); $25 for an examination review after a failure.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. NCBEEC electrical contracting examination administered by PSI: 100 multiple-choice questions, 6 hours, open book (2020 NEC, NFPA 72, NASCLA NC Electrical business guide), 70% to pass; includes laws, rules and business-practice questions.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Annual license fee for the Unlimited classification; Intermediate $150; Limited and Special Restricted $100 (G.S. 87-44; 21 NCAC 18B .0404).
- 4Surety bond. Post a surety bond. Statement of bonding ability from a surety, or a bank line-of-credit letter, of at least $150,001 for Unlimited or $60,001 for Intermediate (G.S. 87-43.2(a)(4)); not required for Limited or Special Restricted.
- 5Other. Two character statement forms; for Unlimited, two supervise-and-direct statements from people who can attest to the applicant's ability to supervise all electrical work; corporations and LLCs must hold a certificate of authority from the NC Secretary of State.
- 6Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Free 4-hour NCBEEC Laws and Rules class within 12 months of becoming a qualified individual, then 8 hours of approved CE per license year for Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited and SP-SFD qualifiers (21 NCAC 18B .1101).
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.
- Exam fee · $125
- Trade exam
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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How North Carolina licenses master electricians
North Carolina master electrician · “Electrical Contractor (Limited / Intermediate / Unlimited) - Listed Qualified Individual”
Statewide license
Issued by North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC)
North Carolina has no license called 'master electrician'; its highest and only exam-qualified electrical credential is the electrical contracting license issued by the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors under G.S. 87-43 in the Limited (single projects up to $60,000, equipment up to 600 V), Intermediate (up to $150,000) and Unlimited (any value) classifications, plus seven Special Restricted classifications such as SP-SFD (single-family dwellings) and SP-FA/LV (fire alarm/low voltage). The license is issued in the name of a business, which may be a sole proprietorship, but it is earned by a listed qualified individual: the person who passed the PSI-administered classification exam and is named on the license with the statutory duty and authority to supervise and direct all electrical work done in the licensee's name (G.S. 87-41.1). That qualification is personal, follows the individual between licenses through the Board's add/drop form, carries the continuing-education duty, and is what Texas and Virginia treat as equivalent to their master electrician licenses, so this site maps it to the master level. A new qualified individual needs 3,000 hours of experience (2,000 primary) for Limited, 5,750 (5,000 primary) for Intermediate or 9,000 (8,000 primary) for Unlimited, and must pass a 100-question open-book exam (6 hours, 70% to pass) that also covers the licensing law, Board rules and business practices; the exam application fee is $125 and annual license fees are $100, $150 and $200 by classification. Intermediate and Unlimited applicants must also show bonding ability ($60,001 and $150,001). Licenses expire one year after issuance; qualifiers complete a free 4-hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months and 8 hours of CE per year. The Board has reciprocity agreements with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia under G.S. 87-50, which waive the technical exam but not a short NC laws, rules and business exam.
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 North Carolina master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Louisiana?
- Yes. North Carolina requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a North Carolina 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 North Carolina?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward North Carolina's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from North Carolina to Louisiana?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from North Carolina to Louisiana, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- N.C.G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4 - Electrical Contractors Licensing Law (as published by the Board) · N.C.G.S. 87-41.1, 87-43, 87-43.3, 87-44, 87-50 · North Carolina General Assembly (reproduced by NCBEEC) · Statute · verified September 15, 202687-43 defines electrical contracting as engaging or offering to engage in the business of installing, maintaining, altering or repairing electric work. 87-43.3 sets the classifications and their experience floors (Limited 3,000 hrs / 2,000 primary; Intermediate 5,750 / 5,000; Unlimited 9,000 / 8,000). 87-41.1 defines the 'listed qualified individual' as the person who passed the qualifying exam and is listed on the license with the duty and authority to supervise and direct all electrical contracting done in the licensee's name. 87-44 caps annual license fees at $100/$150/$200. 87-50 authorizes reciprocal licensing without written examination. The Article contains no journeyman license.
- N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 - Neighboring states licensure recognition · N.C.G.S. 93B-15.3 (S.L. 2025-61) · North Carolina General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Requires occupational licensing boards to license an applicant who has established residence in North Carolina, has been licensed at the same or substantially equivalent level in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia for at least one year, passed any examination required there, is in good standing in every jurisdiction, has no disqualifying criminal history or unresolved discipline, and pays all fees; the board may verify competency through methods it determines, including minimum education, supervision or work-experience requirements.
- 21 NCAC 18B - Board Rules for the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law · 21 NCAC 18B .0201, .0202, .0209, .0404, .0701, .1101 · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026.0201 experience per classification; .0202 primary experience (journeyman electrician, foreman, supervisor, estimator at 100%; 2,000 hours = 1 year) and secondary experience (approved apprenticeship 100%, helpers 80%, college coursework 50%, lineman 10%); .0209/.0404 fees ($125 exam application, $25 review, $100-$200 license). .0701 reciprocity: the Board recognizes licenses from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia; the applicant must furnish certification of the current reciprocal-state license, list the same qualified individual as on the original license, document that all non-examination requirements of Sections .0200-.0400 for the classification are met, and pay the license fee. .1101 CE: free 4-hour Laws and Rules course within 12 months of becoming a qualified individual; 8 hours CE per year for Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited/SP-SFD qualifiers.
- NCBEEC Examination Information Handbook 2026 (PSI) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors / PSI · Other · verified September 15, 2026Passing score 70% for all exams. Board approval is required before scheduling; one attempt per approval; 3-month wait after a failure. Exam content for Limited/Intermediate/Unlimited includes 15-18 questions on the licensing law, 21 NCAC 18B and the NASCLA business/law guide, so there is no separate law exam for examinees. References the 2020 NEC. Until licensed it is unlawful to engage in electrical contracting (G.S. 87-43).
- NCBEEC - Examinations (PSI) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Exams are administered by PSI. Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited exams are 100 multiple-choice questions in 6 hours, open book (NEC, NFPA 72, NASCLA business guide). The page contains no journeyman license or exam.
- NCBEEC - Fees & Services · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Application & examination fee $125 (all classifications); examination review $25; license fees Limited $100, Intermediate $150, Unlimited $200, Special Restricted $100; verification of license $25. No separate reciprocity fee is listed.
- North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors - Home · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Board mission under G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4. Lists the ten current reciprocity states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
- NCBEEC - Licensing (classifications, fees, qualified individuals) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Limited ($100/yr, single project up to $60,000, equipment up to 600 V), Intermediate ($150/yr, up to $150,000, bonding ability statement), Unlimited ($200/yr, any value, bonding ability statement) plus seven Special Restricted classifications ($100/yr). The license is issued to the business and the person who passed the exam is listed as the Qualified Individual; qualified individuals may be added or dropped. Licenses expire one year after issuance; $25 late renewal fee.
- NCBEEC - Application for License: NASCLA Qualified Individuals · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Form · verified September 15, 2026A person who passed the NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination: Electrical Contractor/Master Electrician may obtain any NC classification; the NASCLA Residential Electrical Contractor exam qualifies only for SP-SFD. Transcripts must arrive through NASCLA's NED system. Same checklist, license fees and 25-question NC laws/rules/business exam as the reciprocity packets.
- NCBEEC - Reciprocity · N.C.G.S. 87-50 · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Quotes G.S. 87-50: 'the Board may grant licenses of the same or equivalent classification to electrical contractors licensed by other states without written examination.' Lists the ten reciprocal states and links to a page and application packet per state.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.