Ohio to Virginia: master electrician license reciprocity
Virginia has a reciprocity agreement with Ohio: a Ohio master electrician can get a Virginia license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Ohio (master)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Board for Contractors has an approved examination reciprocity agreement covering the Ohio Master Electrical license (Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board) and the Virginia Master Electrical Tradesman license; the same agreement recognizes the Ohio Business and Law exam for Virginia's Advanced and General Law contractor exams. An Ohio master electrician applies on the Tradesman Exam & License Application selecting 'Reciprocity' for the Master Electrical designation, pays the $171.75 fee, and attaches a Certification/Letter of Good Standing from the Ohio board; the Virginia master exam is waived. The agreement covers only the master level and its detailed terms are not published online.
Agreement terms (years held, experience) are not published; DPOR directs applicants to the Board for details.
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.
- Must meet all terms of the Ohio-Virginia reciprocal agreement (not published)
What you'll do to get licensed in Virginia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($171.75). Tradesman Exam & License Application, method 'Reciprocity', Master Electrical; includes the technology fee; non-refundable.
- 2Other. Certification/Letter of Good Standing from the Ohio board and a copy of the current license.
- 3Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). Virginia contractor business license (separate application) for anyone contracting for work over $1,000; the agreement recognizes the Ohio Business and Law exam for Virginia's Advanced and General Law exams.
Published fees on this path total $171.75, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Business registration
If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.
- Contractor license · if applicable
How Virginia licenses master electricians
Virginia master electrician · “Master Electrical Tradesman (ELE)”
Statewide license
Issued by Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesmen Program (DPOR)
Virginia issues a statewide Master Electrical tradesman license to individuals through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at DPOR. Under 18VAC50-30-39 a first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI master exam ($125) with one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman, three years as a Virginia residential tradesman, or nine years of verified practical experience in the trade; the application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75 including the technology fee. A current journeyman or master license from another state is itself an accepted qualification to sit the master exam, and a master licensed elsewhere for at least one year may apply through Universal License Recognition and receive the license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board has master-level examination reciprocity agreements with Alabama, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia. The master tradesman license is a personal qualification; contracting for work over $1,000 requires a separate Class A, B or C contractor business license from the same Board, and the North Carolina and Ohio agreements also cover that business license's exams.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Virginia 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 Virginia master electrician license from Ohio?
- Published fees on this path total $171.75, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Does it work the other way, from Virginia to Ohio?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Virginia to Ohio, the mechanism is experience credit.
Sources
- 18VAC50-30-100 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-30-100 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 18VAC50-30-39 - Qualifications for examination approval for a tradesman license · 18VAC50-30-39 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 18VAC50-30-90 - Fees for licensure and certification · 18VAC50-30-90 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Va. Code 54.1-103 - Additional training of regulated persons; reciprocity; endorsement · Va. Code 54.1-103(B)-(C) · Virginia General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026
- Virginia Board for Contractors - Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements with Other Jurisdictions · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
- Form A501-2710EXLIC - Tradesman Exam & License Application (v8, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesman Licensing Information and Application Instructions · Va. Code 54.1-1128 through 54.1-1131 · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.