Mississippi to North Dakota: master electrician license reciprocity
Mississippi does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is North Dakota'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 without a reciprocal agreement (licensure by examination)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master electrician from a state other than Iowa, Minnesota or South Dakota must qualify for the North Dakota Master Electrician license by examination. Out-of-state experience counts: the board accepts electrical construction work done under the supervision of a master electrician in a jurisdiction with licensing and inspection rules similar to North Dakota's, and the exam application requires a minimum of 10,000 hours, including one year as a licensed journeyman (NDCC 43-09-11), documented on Employment Verification form SFN 11845. The applicant files the master exam application with the $50 fee, receives an exam invitation, must test within six months, and needs 70% on the board's master exam; the $50 annual license fee is paid after passing, and a contracting master must also file proof of liability insurance. NDCC 43-09-25 permits the board to license electricians from other states on proof of equal qualifications, but NDSEB's published practice limits no-exam licensure to its three master reciprocity partners.
Whether an out-of-state journeyman license satisfies the statutory 'one year's experience as a licensed journeyman electrician' is not addressed in the board's published guidance; the exam form's 10,000-hour minimum applies to all applicants. NDAC 24.1-03-01-01 says exam fees are paid separately to the testing center provider 'if required'; the exam application lists no separate exam fee. The exam covers North Dakota laws, rules and wiring standards as well as the NEC, so there is no separate law exam.
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 10,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Minimum on the exam application; if self-employed, prior work experience must still meet the minimum.
- One year of experience and at least 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman electrician under a contracting master or master of record (NDCC 43-09-11; NDAC 24.1-03-01-02)
What you'll do to get licensed in North Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Master exam application fee (SFN 11858), NDAC 24.1-03-01-01.
- 2Other. Employment Verification form SFN 11845 documenting hours, submitted with the application.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. NDSEB master examination (one-hour closed-book and 3.5-hour open-book sections on the NEC and North Dakota laws, rules and wiring standards; 70% to pass).
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($50). Annual master license fee, paid after passing the exam; license expires April 30.
- 5Insurance. Carry the required insurance (if applicable). Proof of liability insurance, required only to be licensed in the contracting master or master of record category.
Published fees on this path total $100, 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
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · if applicable
How North Dakota licenses master electricians
North Dakota master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB)
North Dakota issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB). The license is held by the individual and is issued in one of three categories: contracting master (self-employed, must show liability insurance), master of record (responsible for a company's compliance, covered by the company's insurance) and non-contracting master (works under a contracting master or master of record). A new applicant must have one year of experience and at least 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman under a contracting master or master of record; the exam application requires a minimum of 10,000 total hours (one year and 2,000 hours if the applicant is a North Dakota journeyman). The board-administered master exam has a one-hour closed-book and a 3.5-hour open-book section and requires 70%. The application fee is $50 and the license fee is $50 per year; master licenses expire April 30. Master-level reciprocity exists only with Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Why Mississippi has nothing to transfer
Mississippi master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Mississippi does not issue a personal master electrician license. The state-level electrical credential is the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) contractor license in the Electrical classification (commercial, required on projects over $50,000; application $400, renewal $400) or the Residential Electrical classification (application $50), issued to the business through a Certificate of Responsibility with a named qualifying party who passes the open-book PSI electrical trade exam (or the NASCLA Master Electrical exam) and the mandatory Mississippi Law and Business Management exam. Because it is a business license, a master electrician who only wants to work for an employer has nothing to transfer to at the state level; the master-level personal credential exists only in cities such as Southaven (Master Electrician, $100, which itself requires an active MSBOC license, $10,000 bond and liability insurance) and Hattiesburg (Master Electrical Contractor License, five years of experience and the SBCCI exam). MSBOC does waive its electrical trade exam, for $50 per exam, for qualifying parties licensed at least one year by the Alabama Electrical Board, the North Carolina Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, the South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board or Residential Builders Commission, and the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, and its Universal Recognition form (Miss. Code 73-50-2) waives the trade exam for new Mississippi residents licensed elsewhere for a year; the Law and Business exam is never waived.
How local licensing works in Mississippi
State contractor license (business level). MSBOC's Electrical major classification covers installation, repair, alteration and design of electrical wiring, fixtures, raceways and conduit and includes nine specialties; the qualifying party passes the PSI electrical trade exam or the NASCLA-accredited Master Electrical exam, and every applicant passes the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam. Fees (schedule effective January 1, 2016): commercial application $400, renewal $400, additional classification $100, reciprocity/verification of license $25, request for waiver of exam $50; residential application $50, renewal $100. Reciprocity (revised 07/2025) waives the trade exam only, $50 per exam waived, for a qualifying party who has held the reciprocal license one year with no discipline in the agreement's look-back period: Alabama Electrical Board (Alabama exam taken), North Carolina Electrical Contractors Board (electrical and alarm systems; one year), Ohio CILB (electrical, HVAC, plumbing, refrigeration; no discipline in the last year), South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board (building and electrical; exam by PSI, Experior, Block or NAI), South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (residential electrical; no discipline in 3 years) and Tennessee (all exams; no discipline in the last year). Arkansas and Louisiana agreements exclude electrical work. Form UROL additionally waives the trade exam for an individual who has established Mississippi residency and held a similar license in any other state for at least one year (or worked three years in a state without construction licensing).
Southaven. Master Electrician license $100: application, photo ID of the license qualifier, certificate of liability insurance, a $10,000 general surety bond in favor of the city, an active MSBOC contractor's license certificate and the company EIN. An out-of-state applicant without an MSBOC license must provide a letter of good standing from a municipality where their license is active and may not take residential projects or commercial projects over $50,000; the city applies MSBOC's reciprocity standards.
Hattiesburg. The Electrical Examining Review Board issues the Master Electrical Contractor License: age 21, five years of proven experience attested by affidavits from licensed master electrical contractors (an electrical engineering degree substitutes for three years, a trade-school certificate for two), three character letters, and the SBCCI examination with a 70% minimum, given four times a year. Insurance and bond requirements of the city code and MSBOC regulations also apply. The ordinance allows a license for a person who holds a valid license from another city meeting the requirements of House Bill 359; no interstate reciprocity is described.
Jackson. Trade-license requirements are not published on the city's website.
Out-of-state masters. The realistic route is the MSBOC license: use the reciprocity verification form (AL, NC, OH, SC, TN electrical boards) or Form UROL to waive the trade exam, pass the Law and Business exam, then obtain any city master license that the local ordinance requires, which in Southaven is granted on the strength of the MSBOC license plus bond and insurance.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the North Dakota master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Mississippi?
- Yes. North Dakota requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a North Dakota master electrician license from Mississippi?
- Published fees on this path total $100, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Mississippi work hours count in North Dakota?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward North Dakota's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from North Dakota to Mississippi?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from North Dakota to Mississippi, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- North Dakota Century Code Chapter 43-09 - Electricians · NDCC §§43-09-10, 43-09-11, 43-09-13, 43-09-15, 43-09-25 · North Dakota Legislative Branch · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Applying for an Electrical License · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NDSEB Form SFN 11858 - Application for Electrician's License by Exam (11-2020) · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Exam Dates & Information · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NDSEB 2026 Laws, Rules, Wiring and Conveyance Standards of North Dakota (effective 07/01/2026) · NDAC 24.1-03-01-01, 24.1-03-01-02, 24.1-03-01-03, 24.1-03-01-07 · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Qualifications for Licensure · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- North Dakota State Electrical Board - Reciprocal License Agreements & Requirements · North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.