Nevada to Michigan: master electrician license reciprocity
Nevada does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Michigan'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 (all states; Michigan has no reciprocity)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Michigan does not reciprocate with any state, so an out-of-state master electrician must take and pass the Michigan Master Electrician exam regardless of where they are licensed. The out-of-state license and experience serve only to establish eligibility: LARA's Out-of-State License Verification instructions say applicants with out-of-state experience must be approved by the Electrical Administrative Board to sit for the exam and may receive credit for experience earned in other states. The applicant submits Form BCC-341 with the $50 license fee, a copy of the current out-of-state license and that state's licensing requirements, the Out-of-State License Verification form completed and sealed by the issuing board, and notarized employer letters documenting 12,000 hours over at least six years under a master electrician; MCL 339.5713 also requires an electrical journeyman license held for at least two years. The board reviews out-of-state applications at its quarterly meetings; once approved the applicant schedules the PSI exam ($100), passes at 75%, and the license issues. There is no separate law or business exam for individual electricians.
Whether an out-of-state journeyman license satisfies the two-year journeyman requirement in MCL 339.5713(1)(b) was not confirmed from an official page; the verification form collects license dates from the issuing state and the board decides equivalence under MCL 339.5709. BCC-341 specifies supervision by a Michigan-licensed master, so out-of-state hours are credited at the board's discretion. The 90-day timeline reflects the board's quarterly meeting cycle and is an estimate. A separate examination waiver exists only for service members, veterans and their dependents who hold an active electrical license in another state.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 90 days
What you must already have
- You must document at least 12,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Obtained over six years or more under the supervision of a master electrician (MCL 339.5713); out-of-state hours are credited only if the board accepts them as equivalent.
- Held an electrical journeyman license for at least two years
- At least 22 years old
What you'll do to get licensed in Michigan
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($50). Master Electrician license fee, paid with the BCC-341 application (non-refundable), MCL 339.5707(2).
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI when scheduling; non-refundable and valid for one year (MCL 339.5707(1)).
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Michigan Master Electrician examination administered by PSI (75% to pass; 2023 NEC and Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8).
- 4Other. Out-of-State License Verification form completed and sealed by the issuing state board, plus a copy of the current license and that state's licensing requirements.
- 5Other. Notarized letters from each employer stating dates, hours, type of electrical work and the supervising master electrician.
Published fees on this path total $150, 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 · $100
- Trade exam
How Michigan licenses master electricians
Michigan master electrician · “Master Electrician”
State license plus local requirements
Michigan issues a statewide, person-held Master Electrician license through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes under MCL 339.5713; the Electrical Contractor license is a separate business credential that requires a qualifying master and no exam, and is not covered here. A new master applicant must be at least 22, have held an electrical journeyman license for at least two years, document 12,000 hours over at least six years under a master electrician with notarized employer letters, pass the PSI-administered master exam (75% to pass, 2023 NEC) for a $100 exam fee, and pay the $50 license fee; the license renews every year for $50. Michigan has no reciprocity agreements with any state and requires every out-of-state master to pass the Michigan exam, though out-of-state experience may be credited after board review. Under MCL 339.5733 the City of Detroit licenses master electricians who are Detroit residents, and Detroit licenses are valid statewide.
How local licensing works in Michigan
Under MCL 339.5733 a municipality with an equally stringent licensing ordinance may examine and license master electricians within its jurisdiction, and those licenses must be recognized by all municipalities. The City of Detroit's Board of Electrical Examiners examines and licenses Master Electricians who are Detroit residents (12,000 hours over at least six years under a master, journeyperson license held two years); Detroit licenses are valid throughout Michigan and equivalent to state licenses. Non-residents of Detroit apply to LARA.
Why Nevada has nothing to transfer
Nevada master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Nevada does not issue a master electrician license. The state-level electrical credential is a classification C-2 Electrical Contracting license from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB), which is a business license issued to a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation or LLC and qualified by a named individual, not a license held by the electrician personally. A master-level personal card exists only at the local level: Clark County, the City of Las Vegas and the City of Reno recognize a 'Master Electrician' category, obtained by passing the ICC G16 Master Electrician exam at 75% and holding an ESP-issued Nevada Electrical Qualifications Card, and Clark County code allows a master electrician or electrical qualified individual to satisfy the contractor's on-site supervision duty. None of these jurisdictions publish reciprocity for an out-of-state master license. To contract independently, an arriving master electrician must obtain a C-2 license: the qualifying individual needs four years of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor within the past 15 years, must pass the PSI-administered Nevada Business and Law exam and the C-2 trade exam, and the business must pay the $300 application fee and $600 biennial license fee, submit a financial statement and background check, and post a bond of $1,000 to $500,000 set by the Board. Under licensure by endorsement (NAC 624.600 and 624.615) the C-2 trade exam and experience certification are waived for a qualified individual who has held an active electrical contractor license with no discipline for the past four years in Arizona (CR-11), California (C-10), Connecticut (E1), Louisiana (9 Electrical Work), North Carolina (Unlimited Electrical) or Tennessee (CE Electrical), while Florida (EC) and West Virginia (A Electrical) licensees get experience credit but must take the Nevada trade exam; the Business and Law exam is never waived.
How local licensing works in Nevada
State level. NRS 624 and NAC 624 create only contractor licenses. NAC 624.200 defines classification C-2 Electrical Contracting (C-2a Electrical Wiring, C-2b Integrated Ceilings, C-2c Fire Detection, C-2d Low Voltage Systems, C-2e Lines to Transmit Electricity, C-2f Residential Wiring, C-2g Photovoltaics). The license belongs to the business; the individual who qualifies it must have four years of journeyman-or-higher experience within 15 years (NRS 624.260(6)) and pass the Business and Law and trade exams unless the trade exam is waived under NAC 624.600 for an endorsing-state exam approved under NAC 624.615. Fees: $300 application, $600 to issue or renew (NAC 624.130), PSI exam fees, bond $1,000-$500,000 (NRS 624.270).
Clark County. Clark County Code §22.02.260 recognizes a Master Electrician (all aspects of electrical work) alongside the journeyman categories; a master or the contractor's qualified individual is responsible for supervision, inspection and code conformance of the contractor's permitted work, and a master found not to meet the NSCB qualified-individual standard is not recognized until re-examined. The exam is the ICC G16 Master Electrician (75% under the ESP program) and the card is issued by ESP with 30 CEU hours per three-year renewal, including an 8-hour NEC update. The code's only equivalency is for certificates from the accepted testing agency or other Nevada political subdivisions within Clark County.
City of Las Vegas and City of Henderson. Las Vegas Administrative Code §306 uses the same master electrician / qualified individual / journeyman supervision rule and the ESP card; Henderson is listed by ESP as requiring the card but its ordinance was not verified.
City of Reno. Reno's published journeyman program covers the ICC G17/G18 exams; the ESP presentation lists Reno as a participating jurisdiction for master cards as well, but Reno's own page does not describe a separate master card.
Out-of-state holders. No local jurisdiction publishes a waiver of the ICC master exam for an out-of-state master license. The practical route is to pass the ICC G16 exam and obtain the ESP card, or, if contracting, to apply for a C-2 license through NSCB, where the endorsement charts above may waive the trade exam.
- Clark County (Department of Building and Fire Prevention)
- City of Las Vegas (Department of Building and Safety)
- City of Henderson (per ESP program notice; ordinance not verified)
- City of Reno (Development Services)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Michigan master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Nevada?
- Yes. Michigan requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Michigan master electrician license from Nevada?
- Published fees on this path total $150, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Nevada work hours count in Michigan?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Michigan's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 90 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Michigan to Nevada?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Michigan to Nevada, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- City of Detroit - Board of Electrical Examiners FAQ · City of Detroit, Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department · Faq · verified September 15, 2026'City of Detroit Licenses and Apprentice Registrations are valid within the State of Michigan and are equivalent to those issued by the State of Michigan.' Licensees who move outside Detroit renew with the state; out-of-state companies must obtain a State of Michigan electrical contractor license before registering with Detroit.
- City of Detroit BSEED - Master Electrician Examination Overview · City of Detroit, Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Detroit examines and licenses master electricians who are residents of the City of Detroit (12,000 hours over at least six years under a master, journeyperson license held two years); non-residents are directed to the State of Michigan. Fee amounts are invoiced and not published on the page.
- Michigan LARA Form BCC-341 - Application for Journeyman, Master Electrician, Fire Alarm Specialty Technician or Sign Specialist Examination and Licensure (Rev. 3/22) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Form · verified September 15, 2026License fees paid at application: Journeyman Electrician $40, Master Electrician $50 (non-refundable); the exam fee is paid to PSI when scheduling. Requires notarized employer letters with dates, hours, type of work and Michigan-licensed supervision. Refers out-of-state applicants to the Out-of-State License Verification form for experience credit. A military/uniformed-services examination waiver is available to service members, veterans and dependents who hold an active electrical license in at least one other state.
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - Electrical Examination, Licensing/Registration and Application Information · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026States 'Michigan does not hold reciprocity with any other state/country'; out-of-state applicants must submit a copy of their license and that jurisdiction's licensing requirements. Journeyman: age 20, 8,000 hours and 4 years supervised by a Michigan-licensed journeyman or master, pass the exam at 75%. Master: age 22, 12,000 hours over at least 6 years, journeyman license held 2 years, pass the exam at 75%. Exams are PSI-administered on the 2023 NEC and Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8. Notes that the City of Detroit issues its own licenses to residents.
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - Out-of-State License Verification form · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · Form · verified September 15, 2026Generic Bureau of Construction Codes form used for all skilled trades: 'The State of Michigan does not reciprocate with any other state for licensing. Therefore, you are required to take and pass an examination to receive a license in the State of Michigan.' and 'All applicants with out-of-state experience must be approved to sit for examination.' Read through the r.jina.ai text proxy because michigan.gov returned 403.
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - PSI Examinations · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Mechanical contractor candidates must be approved by LARA before testing: 'Once your application has been reviewed and you've been approved to test, your information is sent to PSI', who contacts the candidate within 10 business days to pay and schedule. Links the Mechanical Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI bulletin 5423). Read through the r.jina.ai text proxy because michigan.gov returned 403.
- Michigan Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 7 - Electricians and Electrical Contractors · MCL 339.5707, 339.5709, 339.5713, 339.5715, 339.5733 · Michigan Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026339.5707: examination fee $100 for master electrician and electrical journeyman; initial license and annual renewal fee master $50, journeyman $40; licenses expire December 31 each year. 339.5709: applicant may sit for the exam after establishing to the board's satisfaction that he or she meets the experience requirement 'or an equivalent of that experience requirement' by notarized employer statements. 339.5713: master - age 22, 12,000 hours over 6+ years under a master electrician, journeyman license held 2 years. 339.5715: journeyman - age 20, 8,000 hours over 4+ years under direct supervision of an individual licensed under the article (military interior-electrician alternative). 339.5733: the article does not apply in a municipality that has adopted an equally stringent licensing ordinance, and such municipal licenses must be recognized by all municipalities. Article 7 contains no general out-of-state reciprocity provision; the only license-without-examination clause (339.5731(5)) is limited to sign specialists.
- PSI - Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Electrical Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 8/20/2026) · PSI Services LLC for Michigan LARA · Other · verified September 15, 2026Examination fee $100, non-refundable, valid for one year. Journeyman exam: 80 questions, 150 minutes, 75% to pass. Master Electrician exam: 75% to pass. Items are based on the 2023 NEC and Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8. Registration at test-takers.psiexams.com/mielec.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.