Maine to Kentucky: master electrician license reciprocity
Kentucky has no reciprocity agreement with Maine. Your Maine experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Kentucky exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Out-of-state master electrician without a reciprocity agreement (examination with experience credit)
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
A master electrician licensed in a state other than Ohio, West Virginia or Virginia applies on Form EL-3 as a new applicant. Out-of-state experience counts toward the 16,000-hour requirement when documented by tax records showing the occupation, a sworn affidavit on letterhead from a union, the licensed electrical contractor and master electrician who employed the applicant, an industrial facility or an approved apprenticeship program, or by military form ELM-1. The applicant must pass the Kentucky Master Electrician exam through Prov, NASCLA or Pearson Vue with at least 70% (an open-book, 100-question exam; $100 through Pearson VUE, while Prov's bulletin says its fee is paid through DHBC); 815 KAR 35:060 Section 4(5) lets DHBC recognize another examination as equivalent on a showing that it covers the same material at the same level. The $200 biennial application fee is prorated by birth month and a passport-sized photo is required. A master who also wants to contract must separately obtain the Electrical Contractor license (Form EL-2, $400, Business and Law exam, $1,000,000 liability insurance and workers' compensation proof naming DHBC as certificate holder).
The Business and Law exam applies only to the Electrical Contractor license, not the Master Electrician license. DHBC publishes no endorsement path that waives the master exam for non-reciprocal states; acceptance of a previously passed NASCLA exam under Section 4(5) is at the department's discretion and is not stated in the board's published materials.
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 16,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Verifiable electrical work under the scope of the NEC since the applicant's sixteenth birthday (KRS 227A.060(2)); education substitutes for 4,000 or 6,000 hours.
What you'll do to get licensed in Kentucky
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($200). Master Electrician license application fee for a two-year license (Form EL-3), prorated by birth month to between 13 and 24 months; non-refundable.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Kentucky Master Electrician examination (Prov, NASCLA or Pearson Vue), open book, 100 questions, 70% to pass; 4 hours with Prov, 5 hours with Pearson VUE.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Per attempt. Prov's candidate bulletin lists no Prov fee for this exam and says it is paid through the licensing authority; confirm the current amount with the DHBC Licensing Branch (502-573-2002). The ICC version at Pearson VUE costs $100.
- 4Other. Passport-sized color photograph taken within six months, plus notarized experience affidavit or tax documents.
- 5Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Optional Electrical Contractor license to operate a business: Form EL-2, $400 biennial fee, Business and Law exam ($80), $1,000,000 general liability policy and workers' compensation proof naming DHBC as certificate holder.
Published fees on this path total $200, 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
- Exam fee
How Kentucky licenses master electricians
Kentucky master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Licensing Branch
Kentucky issues a statewide Master Electrician license to individuals through the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) under KRS 227A.060(2). A separate Electrical Contractor license (Form EL-2, $400 biennial, Business and Law exam, $1,000,000 general liability insurance and workers' compensation compliance) is the business credential and must always have a licensed master electrician associated with it. A new master applicant needs 16,000 hours of verifiable electrical experience since age 16 (an approved training course or two years of teaching substitutes for 4,000 hours; an associate degree in electrical technology for 6,000), must pass the open-book, 100-question Master Electrician exam through Prov (4 hours; fee paid through DHBC), Pearson VUE ($100, 5 hours) or NASCLA with at least 70%, and pays a $200 biennial application fee prorated by birth month. DHBC's published reciprocity list names Ohio (electrical contractor licensees receive both the Kentucky master and contractor licenses), West Virginia and Virginia (master electricians); applicants from all other states document their hours and take the Kentucky exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Kentucky master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Maine?
- Yes. Kentucky requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Kentucky master electrician license from Maine?
- Published fees on this path total $200, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Maine work hours count in Kentucky?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Kentucky's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Kentucky to Maine?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Kentucky to Maine, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- DHBC Form EL-2 - Electrical Contractor's License Application, April 2023 · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- DHBC Form EL-3 - Electrical License Application (Master Electrician / Electrician), October 2024, with fee schedule · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction - agency home page (scope of state licensing) · Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- DHBC - Licensing Information (forms and documents, eServices portal, Prov HVAC testing information, exam scheduling) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DHBC - Electrical New Application Checklists (KRS 227A.060 & 815 KAR 35:060; 080; 090), Feb. 4, 2025 · KRS 227A.060; 815 KAR 35:060 · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- ICC Kentucky Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin (January 17, 2026) · International Code Council · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 815 KAR 35:060 - Licensing of electrical contractors, master electricians, and electricians · 815 KAR 35:060 Sections 1-4, 6, 8, 9 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- KRS 227A.060 - Qualifications for licensure; provisional license · KRS 227A.060(1)-(5) · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Kentucky Electrical Licensing Board - Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, KY CIB 2026.10.12) · Prov, Inc. for the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified October 12, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.