Ohio to Kentucky: master electrician license reciprocity
Kentucky has a reciprocity agreement with Ohio: a Ohio master electrician can get a Kentucky license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocity with Ohio (OCILB electrical contractor licensees receive Kentucky master and contractor licenses)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
DHBC's electrical application checklist states that a State of Ohio electrical contractor 'will be issued a Kentucky Contractor Electrician and Master Electrician license' by reciprocity. The applicant submits a copy of the active Ohio (OCILB) electrical contractor license, a Certificate of Liability Insurance/ACORD form for general liability and workers' compensation insurance naming DHBC Electrical Licensing (500 Mero St., 1st Fl., Frankfort KY 40601) as certificate holder, completed Electrical Contractor (EL-2) and Electrical License (EL-3) applications marked 'Reciprocity', the application fees ($200 master plus $400 contractor, each biennial and prorated by birth month), a passport-style color photo, and a good-standing letter from OCILB. No Kentucky trade or Business and Law exam is required. All insurers must be listed with the Kentucky Department of Insurance. This is the mirror of OCILB's Kentucky reciprocity application, which requires Kentucky master and contractor licenses obtained by examination.
The checklist does not state that the Ohio license must have been obtained by examination or held for a minimum period; the underlying agreement text is not published on dhbc.ky.gov. Ohio has no journeyman license, so this agreement applies at the master/contractor level only.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Ohio license must be active and in good standing.
- Compliance with the requirements of the Kentucky-Ohio reciprocity agreement (815 KAR 35:060 Section 2)
What you'll do to get licensed in Kentucky
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($200). Master Electrician license application fee for a two-year license (Form EL-3), prorated by birth month; non-refundable.
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($400). Electrical Contractor license application fee for a two-year license (Form EL-2), prorated by birth month; non-refundable.
- 3Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($1,000,000). General liability policy of at least $1,000,000 (KRS 227A.060(1)(c)) and workers' compensation certificate (or notarized sole-proprietor waiver), ACORD certificate naming DHBC Electrical Licensing as certificate holder, from an insurer listed with the Kentucky Department of Insurance.
- 4Other. Copy of the active Ohio license, OCILB good-standing letter, and passport-sized color photo.
Published fees on this path total $600, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $1,000,000
How Kentucky licenses master electricians
Kentucky master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Licensing Branch
Kentucky issues a statewide Master Electrician license to individuals through the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) under KRS 227A.060(2). A separate Electrical Contractor license (Form EL-2, $400 biennial, Business and Law exam, $1,000,000 general liability insurance and workers' compensation compliance) is the business credential and must always have a licensed master electrician associated with it. A new master applicant needs 16,000 hours of verifiable electrical experience since age 16 (an approved training course or two years of teaching substitutes for 4,000 hours; an associate degree in electrical technology for 6,000), must pass the open-book, 100-question Master Electrician exam through Prov (4 hours; fee paid through DHBC), Pearson VUE ($100, 5 hours) or NASCLA with at least 70%, and pays a $200 biennial application fee prorated by birth month. DHBC's published reciprocity list names Ohio (electrical contractor licensees receive both the Kentucky master and contractor licenses), West Virginia and Virginia (master electricians); applicants from all other states document their hours and take the Kentucky exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Kentucky master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Ohio?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Ohio.
- What does it cost to get a Kentucky master electrician license from Ohio?
- Published fees on this path total $600, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- DHBC Form EL-2 - Electrical Contractor's License Application, April 2023 · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified September 15, 2026
- DHBC Form EL-3 - Electrical License Application (Master Electrician / Electrician), October 2024, with fee schedule · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction - agency home page (scope of state licensing) · Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- DHBC - Licensing Information (forms and documents, eServices portal, Prov HVAC testing information, exam scheduling) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- DHBC - Electrical New Application Checklists (KRS 227A.060 & 815 KAR 35:060; 080; 090), Feb. 4, 2025 · KRS 227A.060; 815 KAR 35:060 · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- 815 KAR 35:060 - Licensing of electrical contractors, master electricians, and electricians · 815 KAR 35:060 Sections 1-4, 6, 8, 9 · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- KRS 227A.060 - Qualifications for licensure; provisional license · KRS 227A.060(1)-(5) · Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Kentucky Electrical Licensing Board - Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, KY CIB 2026.10.12) · Prov, Inc. for the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction · Form · verified October 12, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.