Minnesota to Iowa: master electrician license reciprocity
Iowa has a reciprocity agreement with Minnesota: a Minnesota master electrician can get a Iowa license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Minnesota (master)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Iowa's Electrical Examining Board lists Minnesota as a reciprocal state at the master level: a Minnesota Class A Master license may reciprocate to an Iowa Master Class A (or Journeyman Class A) license. The applicant must have passed Minnesota's state-sponsored exam with 70% or better, held the license continuously for one year without expiration, suspension or revocation, and must not have taken and failed the Iowa exam. Under rule 481-401.2(15) the applicant must also have completed an approved apprenticeship or document 16,000 hours of electrical work as a Minnesota-licensed electrician by sworn affidavit. No Iowa exam is required; the applicant files the Iowa application with a copy of the Minnesota license and the $375 full-cycle license fee (prorated).
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Minnesota license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have held your Minnesota license for at least 1 year.Held continuously; license cannot have been expired, suspended or revoked
- Has not taken and failed the Iowa examination
- Completed an approved apprenticeship program, or 16,000 hours of electrical work as an electrician licensed by the other state (sworn affidavit)
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; prorated by month of issue.
- 2Other. Completed Iowa application with a copy of the Minnesota Class A Master license showing the license number.
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Iowa master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Minnesota?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Minnesota.
- How long do I need to have held my Minnesota license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Iowa master electrician license from Minnesota?
- Published fees on this path total $375, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
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.
- 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.
- 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.