Do I have to take the New Mexico master electrician exam if I'm licensed in New York?

Yes. New Mexico requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.

What does it cost to get a New Mexico master electrician license from New York?

Published fees on this path total $573.94, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my New York work hours count in New Mexico?

Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Mexico's eligibility requirements.

Does it work the other way, from New Mexico to New York?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Mexico to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

New York to New Mexico: master electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

New York does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is New Mexico'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 (all states)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

An out-of-state master electrician or electrical contractor receives no exam waiver in New Mexico. The applicant files the qualifying party application with PSI ($36) and a notarized work-experience affidavit showing four years of experience in the EE-98 classification within the past ten years, then must pass the EE-98 trade exam (three parts, $269.06) and the Contractor's Business and Law exam ($68.88), or complete a commission-approved business and law course in place of that exam. Out-of-state experience is accepted on the affidavit. Once the certificate of qualification is issued, the individual or business applies for the EE-98 contractor's license ($30 application under 14.5.5 NMAC; $100 per year or $200 for two years) and must carry workers' compensation coverage.

The RLD page states the QP application fee as $36 and the license application fee as $36 plus license fees, while 14.5.5.8 NMAC states the contractor license application fee as $30; the amounts below follow the RLD page for the QP fee and the rule for the license fees. A contractor license in New Mexico may be held by an individual as sole proprietor. No official page describes a reciprocal agreement or exam waiver for qualifying parties from any state.

At a glance

Trade exam: Required
Law / code exam: Required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

Four years of practical or related trade experience in the EE-98 classification within the ten years immediately before application (NMSA 60-13-14(A)(8); 14.6.6.10(B)(1)(a) NMAC)

What you'll do to get licensed in New Mexico

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($36). Qualifying party application fee paid to PSI, with notarized work-experience affidavit.
2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. EE-98 Residential and Commercial Electrical exam, three parts, administered by PSI.
3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($269.06). PSI fee for the three-part EE-98 exam; a single failed part is retaken for $89.69.
4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Contractor's Business and Law exam (required of all new candidates) or a commission-approved business and law course.
5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($68.88). PSI fee for the Business and Law exam.
6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license ($30). EE-98 contractor's license application fee, non-refundable (14.5.5.8 NMAC).
7License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). EE-98 contractor's license fee, $100 per year or $200 for the two-year license term (14.5.5.8 NMAC).
8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation coverage is required for all licensed entities.

Published fees on this path total $573.94, 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 · $269.06
Law / code exam
Exam fee · $68.88

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

Insurance

How New Mexico licenses master electricians

New Mexico master electrician · “EE-98 Electrical Contractor (qualifying party certificate of qualification)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID)

New Mexico has no license called 'master electrician'. Its highest electrical credential is the EE-98 electrical contractor classification (all electrical systems and wiring methods at 5,000 volts nominal or less), which is issued by CID in two parts: the contractor's license goes to the contracting entity, and a personal, non-transferable certificate of qualification goes to the qualifying party, the individual who passed the EE-98 three-part trade exam and the Contractor's Business and Law exam and is responsible for the licensee's code compliance. Because the certificate of qualification is held by a person and earned by examination, this site maps it to the master level. A qualifying party needs four years of experience in the classification within the ten years before application. CID publishes reciprocity only for EE-98J journeymen; no reciprocity or exam waiver is published for qualifying parties or EE-98 contractors, although NMSA 60-13-14(C) allows the division to enter into reciprocal agreements with states having equivalent requirements.

Moving to New Mexico Leaving New Mexico

Why New York has nothing to transfer

New York master electrician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 18 sources

New York issues no statewide master electrician license; the Department of State's Division of Licensing Services licenses no electricians, and master electrician licenses are issued by city and county examining boards under local ordinances. The largest is New York City's Department of Buildings Master Electrician license (with a companion Special Electrician license for in-house work), which requires seven years of experience within the last ten working with tools under a licensed master or special electrician in the United States, at least two of them in New York City, a $585 written and $530 practical exam, a background investigation, and a New York City business with general liability, workers' compensation and disability insurance; the license costs $310 and is renewed yearly for $60. Buffalo requires 11 years (22,000 hours) of experience and a 75 percent ICC G-16 score; Rochester requires four years (6,000 hours of three-phase work) and an ICC-based exam; Westchester County licenses master and special electricians by examination ($500 license) and its license is what Yonkers permits require; Suffolk County licenses master and restricted electricians; Syracuse and Albany run their own boards. None of these jurisdictions publishes a reciprocity or endorsement path for a master license from another state, although Westchester's fee schedule lists a 'Reciprocal Electrician' license category. A master electrician arriving from another state must qualify with each local board where they intend to work, and in New York City must first accumulate two years of supervised experience inside the city.

How local licensing works in New York

How local licensing works. New York has no state electrical board. Licensing authority rests with individual cities and counties, each with its own examining board, ordinance, exam and fee schedule; a license is valid only in the issuing jurisdiction.

New York City. The Department of Buildings issues the Master Electrician license (independent contracting anywhere in the city) and the Special Electrician license (work as an employee in or on specific buildings). Qualifications (NYC Admin. Code 28-430.3; 1 RCNY 104-01): age 18, read and write English, fitness and good moral character, and one of: seven years within the last ten working with tools on wiring and appliances for light, heat and power under the direct and continuing supervision of a licensed master or special electrician in the United States, at least two years of it in NYC; a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or engineering technology plus three years within five (two in NYC); a New York State DOL-registered apprenticeship plus five years within ten (two in NYC); or electrical-inspection employment credited at 50 percent up to 2.5 years. Candidates pay $585 for the closed-book written exam on the 2025 NYC Electrical Code (70 percent to pass) and $530 for the practical, which must be passed within 24 months of the written result; the background application (experience verification signed by supervisors, Social Security earnings history, physical exam) is filed through DOB NOW within one year. License fee $310, seal $50, annual renewal $60 with continuing education, late renewal $310. The licensee must be an officer, partner or sole proprietor of a business with a NYC location carrying general liability, workers' compensation and disability insurance. The exam can be waived only for city-agency applicants (28-430.6); no out-of-state waiver exists, and the two-years-in-NYC rule means an out-of-state master cannot qualify immediately.

Buffalo. The Electrical Examining Board's Master Electrician License requires 11 years (22,000 hours) of experience in electrical construction within the last 11 years, structured as four years (8,000 hours) as an apprentice plus seven years (14,000 hours) as a journeyman working for a licensed master, documented by notarized employer and master electrician affidavits; a passing (75 percent or higher) ICC G-16 Master Electrician exam taken within one year; a $100 application fee; and general liability and workers' compensation certificates before issuance. The master electrician affidavit asks in which city the supervising master is licensed, so experience under masters licensed elsewhere is accepted as documentation.

Rochester. The Electrical Examining Board issues a Master (three-phase) license requiring four years of applicable experience, interpreted as at least 6,000 hours of three-phase experience within the past ten years (at least half in the field with tools; up to 3,000 hours may be course work, estimating, design, supervision or single-phase work), and an ICC-based exam with a 70 percent passing grade. Applications are filed online; the Board's rules contain no reciprocity clause.

Westchester County and Yonkers. The Department of Consumer Protection's Electrical Board licenses Master and Special Electricians by examination: exam application $50, master license $500 with $500 annual renewal, special electrician $350. The fee schedule also lists a 'Master and Reciprocal Electrician' license at the same $500, but the conditions for a reciprocal license are not published on the pages that could be opened. Yonkers does not license electricians; its electrical permits are issued to master electricians licensed by Westchester County.

Suffolk County. The Department of Consumer Affairs issues Master Electrician and Restricted Electrical licenses (codes ME and RE). Experience, exam and fee details are in the county code and were not available on the pages that could be opened.

Syracuse and Albany. Syracuse licenses electricians through its Division of Code Enforcement (2026 applications were due June 26 with in-person consideration July 28). Albany's Electrical Examining Board, under General Code Chapter 171, Article III, examines every applicant and includes master electricians licensed by the city for at least five years. Neither city publishes reciprocity rules on the pages reviewed.

Nassau County. The county FAQ treats electricians as a trade licensed under a 'standard of competency', but no Nassau page describing the master electrician license, its requirements or fees could be opened, so Nassau's rules are unverified here.

Out-of-state holders. No New York jurisdiction reviewed publishes an agreement with another state. The practical route is to meet each local board's experience threshold (documented under licensed masters, wherever they were licensed, where the board allows), pass that board's exam, which in Buffalo, Rochester and several other boards is an ICC exam that may already have been taken elsewhere, and pay the local fees; in New York City the two years of supervised experience inside the city must be earned first.

Moving to New York Leaving New York

Common questions

Do I have to take the New Mexico master electrician exam if I'm licensed in New York?: Yes. New Mexico requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a New Mexico master electrician license from New York?: Published fees on this path total $573.94, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my New York work hours count in New Mexico?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward New Mexico's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from New Mexico to New York?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from New Mexico to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978 Chapter 60, Article 13 · NMSA 1978 §§ 60-13-2(E), 60-13-14, 60-13-16, 60-13-38 · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§60-13-2(E): a 'qualifying party' is an individual who submits to the examination for a license and is responsible for the licensee's compliance. §60-13-14(A)(8): a contractor license applicant needs four years of trade experience within the ten years before application. §60-13-14(C): the division, with the commission's consent, may enter into a reciprocal licensing agreement with any state having equivalent licensing requirements. §60-13-16: no certificate of qualification is issued until the individual passes the division's exam, which includes business/law and, for EE classifications, a technical exam; the certificate is not transferable. §60-13-38: journeymen must hold a certificate of competence obtained by examination; eligibility for the journeyman electrician exam requires four years of accredited training, apprenticeship or practical experience (two years commercial/industrial); 16 hours of continuing education per three-year code cycle for EE-98J.
14.5.5 NMAC - Fees (Construction Industries Division) · 14.5.5.8 and 14.5.5.9 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Non-refundable contractor's license application fee $30.00; license fee $100.00 per year or $200.00 for two years for the GA-98, GB-2, GB-98, GF-98, EE-98 and MM-98 classifications and $50.00 per year or $100.00 for two years for all other classifications (including MM-3). Journeyman certificate renewal fee $25.00 per year (14.5.5.9).
14.6.6 NMAC - Classification and Scope of Licenses and Certificates (mechanical and plumbing) · 14.6.6.10 and 14.6.6.11 NMAC · New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026MM-3 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning: four years of experience; scope is to 'install, alter, repair, service and maintain HVAC air handling and refrigeration equipment and piping, including fans, coils, condensing units, self-contained packaged air conditioning or heating units, evaporative cooling units, and ductwork' plus controls at 24 volts or less. MM-98 Mechanical (four years) covers MM-1 through MM-4 and the MS-3, MS-6, MS-12 and MS-14 specialties. Journeyman classifications: JR Journeyman Refrigeration (two years; 'must demonstrate compliance with environmental protection agency (EPA) recovery requirements before certificate may be issued'; works under MM-3, MM-4, MM-98 or JSM) and JSM Journeyman Sheet Metal (two years; works under MM-3 or MM-98).
State of New Mexico Contractor (Qualifying Party) Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI) · PSI Services for the NM Construction Industries Division · Other · verified September 15, 2026Text extracted from the PDF locally. Business and Law exam 'REQUIRED OF ALL NEW CANDIDATES' $68.88, or an approved Business and Law course may be taken instead; trade exams for MM-1, MM-2, MM-3, MM-4 and the MS specialties are $68.88 each, first time or retake. MM-3 Heat, Vent and Air Conditioning exam: 100 questions, 245 minutes, 75% (75 points) to pass, open book on the 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; content covers motors/controls, piping, heating and cooling equipment, refrigerants and refrigeration, and ductwork/ventilation. No reciprocity or out-of-state exam waiver is described.
NM Regulation and Licensing Department - Apply for a Construction Industries License · New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Section 'Reciprocal Journeyman in New Mexico': 'The only journeyman classification reciprocated in New Mexico is EE-98J, residential and commercial electrical'; no mechanical or refrigeration journeyman classification is reciprocated. Section 'Becoming a Qualifying Party': QP applicants need the required years of experience within the 10 years before application, must pass the classification exam(s) and a Contractor's Business and Law exam, must be pre-approved to schedule exams, and pay a $36 QP application and work-experience affidavit fee; the company license application fee is $36 plus license fees. No reciprocity is mentioned for qualifying parties or contractors.

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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