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

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

How long do I need to have held my New York license?

At least 5 years before applying.

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

Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my New York work hours count in Ohio?

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

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

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

New York to Ohio: master electrician license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 15, 2026· 8 sources

New York does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Ohio'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 contractor licensee without a reciprocity agreement (examination route)

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

An electrical contractor or master electrician licensed in a state without an OCILB reciprocity agreement must take the Ohio examination. R.C. 4740.06(C) and OCILB's Licensed Out-of-State Contractor Application let the out-of-state license stand in for the usual five years of Ohio tax and permit documentation: the applicant instead shows the license has been active for at least five years (letter of good standing), at least five building authorizations issued under it, one tax return reflecting income under the license (plus a W-2 if not the owner), and that their employer is registered in Ohio as a foreign corporation or LLC with a designated agent. After board approval (valid one year) the applicant completes BCI and FBI background checks, then passes both sections of the PSI exam (trade and Business & Law). The license is issued on submission of the results, a $25 fee and a $500,000 certificate of liability insurance, and must be assigned to a contracting company. OCILB describes no case-by-case endorsement that waives the exam outside a written reciprocity agreement.

The PSI examination fee amount is published only in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin sent to approved candidates and was not confirmed from an official page. R.C. 4740.06(F) requires the board to authorize the license within 90 days of the application when the applicant qualifies and passes the exam. Applicants who fail may retake after 60 days.

At a glance

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

What you must already have

You must have held your New York license for at least 5 years.Proof the substantially similar out-of-state license has been active at least five years (letter of good standing); otherwise the standard five years as a tradesperson applies.
At least five authorizations for construction, erection, equipment, alteration or addition of a building issued under the out-of-state license, and at least one tax return reflecting income earned under it (R.C. 4740.06(C))
Employer contracting company licensed as a foreign corporation (R.C. 1703.04) or registered as a foreign LLC (R.C. 1706.511) in Ohio with a designated agent
You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.

What you'll do to get licensed in Ohio

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($25). OCILB Out-of-State Examination Application fee, payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio.
2Background check. Complete a background check. BCI and FBI background checks after board approval and before sitting for the exam (valid one year).
3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Ohio Electrical Contractor examination, trade section, administered by PSI (computer-based).
4Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Ohio Business and Law examination section, administered by PSI.
5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fee per the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (amount not published on the OCILB pages).
6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). License issuance fee submitted with the exam results, payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio.
7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). Certificate of contractor liability insurance of at least $500,000 in one contracting company name.
8Other. Assignment of the license and insurance to a contracting company as defined in R.C. 4740.01(C).

Published fees on this path total $50, 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
Law / code exam
Exam fee

Liability insurance

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

Insurance · $500,000

How Ohio licenses master electricians

Ohio master electrician · “Electrical Contractor (OCILB state license)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce

Ohio has no license called 'master electrician'; its top person-held electrical credential is the statewide Electrical Contractor license issued by the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) to an individual (R.C. 4740.01(A)), who must then assign it to a contracting company. It is the credential Texas treats as equivalent to a master electrician license, and other states' reciprocity forms pair it with their master electrician licenses. A new applicant must be 18, a citizen or legal alien, have five years as a tradesperson in the electrical trade immediately before applying (or be an Ohio registered engineer with three years of construction business experience), pass BCI and FBI background checks, pass both sections of the PSI-administered examination (trade and Business & Law), carry $500,000 of contractor liability insurance in one company name, and pay a $25 application fee and $25 license fee. OCILB publishes reciprocity application pages for Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Louisiana, and Texas announced a master-level agreement with OCILB in June 2026. Licenses expire annually and renew with continuing education.

Moving to Ohio Leaving Ohio

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 Ohio master electrician exam if I'm licensed in New York?: Yes. Ohio requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
How long do I need to have held my New York license?: At least 5 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Ohio master electrician license from New York?: Published fees on this path total $50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my New York work hours count in Ohio?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Ohio's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Ohio to New York?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Ohio to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Ohio Department of Commerce - Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026States that OCILB issues licenses to qualified electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics and refrigeration contractors who pass the licensing examination. No journeyman or individual electrician license is mentioned.
OCILB - Contractors & Contracting Companies (state license requirements, reciprocity list, document checklists) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy because com.ohio.gov returned 404 to the fetcher. States that OCILB issues state licenses to commercial contractors in five trades: Electrical, HVAC, Hydronics, Plumbing and Refrigeration. Requirements: age 18, citizen or legal alien, five years as a tradesperson in the trade (or Ohio registered engineer with three years of construction business experience), no disqualifying offense, pass the trade examination, $500,000 contractor liability coverage, fees; BCI and FBI background checks after board approval and before the exam. Fees: $25 application per trade, $25 licensing fee per trade, $60 annual escrow renewal. 'Reciprocity with other states' section: Ohio offers reciprocity only to applicants who passed the state-recognized test; Tennessee accepts Ohio grandfathered licensees; where noted the Business and Law (B&L) exam is required. List: Alabama - HVAC and Refrigeration; Arkansas - Plumbing; Kentucky - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration; Louisiana - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration - B&L; Mississippi - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing - B&L; North Carolina - Electrical; South Carolina - Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing - B&L; Tennessee - Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing, Hydronics - B&L; West Virginia - Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing; Virginia - Electrical; Texas - Electrical. Reciprocity applicant checklist: notarized reciprocity application, OCILB verification form signed by the other state's board, $25 application fee per trade. The page says nothing about a journeyman, technician or individual HVAC license and nothing about EPA Section 608.
OCILB - Licensed Out-of-State Contractor Application (examination route for out-of-state licensees) · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Holders of a substantially similar out-of-state contractor license qualify for the exam by showing the license has been active at least five years (letter of good standing), at least five building authorizations, one tax return (plus a W-2 if not the owner) and that the employer is registered in Ohio as a foreign corporation or LLC. Exams are computer based, both sections, results immediate. After passing, the license issues on a $25 check payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio and a $500,000 certificate of liability insurance. Last reviewed April 2024. Applies to all five OCILB trades including HVAC and Refrigeration.
OCILB Out-of-State Examination Application (PDF) · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board · Form · verified September 15, 2026Check-one exam types: Hydronics, Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Refrigeration. Application fee $25.00 payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio. Out-of-state licensees provide five building authorizations, one tax return reflecting income under the out-of-state license, and proof the employer is a registered foreign corporation or LLC in Ohio. Board approval valid one year; BCI and FBI background checks before testing; approved candidates receive the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin; those who pass both sections receive the license by sending results, a $25 check and proof of $500,000 liability insurance; the insurance and license must be assigned to a contracting company (R.C. 4740.01(C)). The PSI exam fee is not printed on the form.
Ohio Revised Code 4740.01 - Construction industry licensing board definitions · R.C. 4740.01(A), (C), (E) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026'License' means a license the board issues to an individual as a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning contractor, refrigeration contractor, electrical contractor, plumbing contractor, or hydronics contractor. 'Tradesperson' means an individual employed by a contractor who performs the work without assuming responsibility for the means, method or manner of the work; tradespersons are not licensed under the chapter. 'Contracting company' is a company in the construction industry working on construction projects. Effective September 17, 2014.
Ohio Revised Code 4740.06 - License application; qualifications for examination · R.C. 4740.06(B), (C), (F), (H) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026(B) age 18, citizen or legal alien, five years as a tradesperson in the trade (or registered engineer with three years' business experience), contractor's liability insurance. (C) alternative qualification for holders of a substantially similar out-of-state license: at least five building authorizations and a tax return showing income under that license. (F) the specialty section authorizes the license within 90 days of the application once the applicant qualifies and passes the exam. (H) renewal without re-examination with continuing education. Effective September 30, 2025 (H.B. 96, 136th General Assembly).
Ohio Revised Code 4740.08 - Reciprocity · R.C. 4740.08 · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026When a written reciprocity agreement between the states exists, an individual licensed in the other state who submits a copy of the agreement and pays the licensure fee is licensed without examination if the specialty section finds the other state's requirements substantially equal and that it extends similar reciprocity to Ohio licensees; the section may withdraw authorization for good cause before issuance. Effective December 29, 2023.
Ohio Revised Code 4740.09 - Fees · R.C. 4740.09 · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 15, 2026License, renewal and late fees are set by each specialty section subject to Controlling Board approval; the statute itself contains no dollar amounts.

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

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