Pennsylvania to Maryland: master electrician license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Maryland'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 without a reciprocal agreement
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A master electrician licensed in a state other than Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia or the District of Columbia must apply for an original Maryland master license by examination. The applicant documents at least 7 years of regular, principal employment providing electrical services under the direction and supervision of a master electrician or a similarly qualified governmental employee (with up to 3 years of credit available for a formal course of study or professional training), registers with PSI and passes the 90-question open-book master exam with 70%, then pays the $25 license fee and files a certificate of insurance ($300,000 general liability, $100,000 property damage). Business Occupations and Professions §6-308 authorizes the Board, on a majority vote, to waive the exam for a master licensed by examination in any state that waives its exam for Maryland licensees to a similar extent, if the applicant has 7 years' experience with at least 4 years before out-of-state licensure; the Board's FAQ says reciprocal licensing is only available where an agreement exists, and it has not published a process for other states.
Whether experience under an out-of-state master electrician is credited was not confirmed from an official page; the statute says only 'a master electrician'. The Board's fee page lists no separate application fee for the master license; §6-305 caps any application fee at the cost of the exam. The PSI bulletin still references the 2020 NEC.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must document at least 7 years of qualifying work experience.At least 7 years engaged regularly and principally in providing electrical services under the direction and supervision of a master electrician or a similarly qualified employee of a governmental unit (Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-304); up to 3 years credit for a comparable formal course of study.
What you'll do to get licensed in Maryland
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Maryland Master Electrician exam administered by PSI: 90 questions, 70% to pass, 240 minutes, open book on NFPA 70.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($65). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI, valid for one exam attempt.
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). Original master license fee (non-refundable), effective July 1, 2025.
- 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Certificate of insurance: general liability of at least $300,000 and property damage of at least $100,000, State Board named as certificate holder (Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-604).
Published fees on this path total $90, 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 · $65
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
How Maryland licenses master electricians
Maryland master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Maryland State Board of Electricians (Department of Labor)
Maryland issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the State Board of Electricians (renamed from the State Board of Master Electricians by the 2021 Maryland Electricians Act). The master license is the credential under which electrical contracting is done: a master must carry at least $300,000 general liability and $100,000 property damage insurance with the Board as certificate holder, and local jurisdictions issue registrations to State master licensees. A new applicant needs 7 years of regular, principal employment providing electrical services under a master electrician or a similarly qualified governmental employee (the Board may credit up to 3 years for a formal course of study), must pass the PSI master exam (90 questions, 70% to pass, 240 minutes, open book on the NEC, $65), and pays a $25 original license fee. The Board reciprocates master licenses obtained by examination from Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia and Delaware, and from Maryland counties and Baltimore City; each has its own years-held condition.
Why Pennsylvania has nothing to transfer
Pennsylvania master electrician
Licensed by cities and counties
Pennsylvania issues no statewide master electrician or electrical contractor license; none of the Department of State's licensing boards covers the trade, so the master-level credential exists only at the city level under names that vary: Philadelphia's Electrical Contractor License (four years with a licensed contractor, the ICC-administered Philadelphia Electrical Contractor exam, eight hours of NFPA 70 coursework, insurance, $60 application, $262 license and $202 annual renewal), Pittsburgh's Electrical Trade License (six years of combined experience and education, an ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam or the city exam, $1M/$2M liability insurance, $90 per year with eight hours of CE), and Master Electrician licenses in Allentown (four years, ICC G16, $50 application), Harrisburg (six years, ICC master exam, $125), Reading (two years as a journeyman, ICC G16Y, $90) and Scranton (four years plus ICC master exam, $250), with Erie licensing electrical contractors through its Trades Licensing Board. Because nearly every city relies on the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam, a passing ICC score earned in another state is the most portable credential, and Pittsburgh's rules expressly allow the License Officer to accept equivalent out-of-state certification tests. Formal reciprocity is limited to Harrisburg (Maryland, Delaware and several Pennsylvania cities) and Reading (a published list that includes Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia); an out-of-state master must otherwise apply to each city separately, document local experience thresholds and pay each city's fees.
How local licensing works in Pennsylvania
How local licensing works. Pennsylvania has no state electrical board. Each city that licenses electricians does so under its own ordinance through a local board, and a license is valid only in the issuing city unless that city's rules recognize another jurisdiction. Nearly all cities use ICC exams, and several accept any ICC master exam regardless of code year.
Philadelphia. The Department of Licenses and Inspections issues the Electrical Contractor License (Philadelphia Code 9-1006), the city's only master-level electrician credential; it is issued to the individual, who must also hold a Commercial Activity License. Requirements: a minimum of four years of employment doing electrical work for a company licensed through a local or state jurisdiction (two years of electrical education equals one year of experience, up to two years), proven by tax records from a licensed contractor or proof of licensure through a local or state jurisdiction subject to L&I approval; a passing Philadelphia Electrical Contractor Examination administered by ICC referencing the current Philadelphia Code (or an application within 12 months of passing); eight hours of NFPA 70 coursework approved by the PA Department of Labor and Industry within the preceding 12 months; general liability $500,000 per occurrence, auto $300,000 and workers' compensation $100,000/$100,000/$500,000 naming the city as certificate holder. Fees: $60 non-refundable application, $262 license, $202 annual renewal with a 1.5 percent monthly surcharge after 60 days. Out-of-state licensure can serve as proof of experience but does not waive the Philadelphia exam.
Pittsburgh. The Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections issues the Electrical Trade License to individuals performing work that requires an electrical permit (PLI Rules VI.6; PCC 747). Applicants show a passing City-proctored Master Electrical exam or an ICC Standard Master Electrician exam for any code year (T16, G16, F16 or older) and six years of combined experience and education evaluated by the License Officer, with employer or licensed-electrician statements; insurance is $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate general liability plus workers' compensation or a no-employee affidavit. The license costs $90 (2025 fee schedule), expires 365 days from issue and renews with eight hours of continuing education. PLI Rule VI.1(E)(d) states that equivalent certification testing programs from other states are accepted upon the License Officer's determination of equivalence.
Allentown. The Electricians' Examining Board issues a Master license on four years of practical experience and the ICC National Standard Master exam (G16); applicants must be over 21 with a high school diploma or GED, pay a $50 non-refundable application fee, obtain Board approval before scheduling the exam, and pay an annual license fee set in the Business Regulation and Tax Code. No reciprocity provision is published.
Harrisburg. The Bureau of Codes issues a Master Electrician license ($125) on six years of practical experience or four years of technical school plus four years, with a passing ICC Master, National Standard Master or Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) Standard Master exam, insurance of $1,000,000 property damage and $300,000 bodily injury per occurrence, and a Mercantile Tax License. Documentation may be by test results or by reciprocity from Allentown, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Reading, Philadelphia, Maryland or Delaware (others considered case by case); a letter of good standing is required from any other Pennsylvania municipality that licenses the applicant.
Reading. The Electrical Board issues a Master Electrician license ($90 annual) to holders of a Reading or reciprocated journeyman license for two years who pass the ICC G16Y master exam. A reciprocal master license ($190 including a one-time reciprocity fee) recognizes licenses from jurisdictions of at least third-class-city standing with an equivalent board and standards; the June 2023 list names Bethlehem, Easton, Erie, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Scranton, Springfield MO, Sullivan County NY, and the states of Delaware, Maryland (master), Michigan, New Jersey, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Reciprocal licenses become permanent Reading licenses.
Scranton. Licensing, Inspections and Permits issues a Master Electrical contractor license ($250, calendar year) on four years under a licensed contractor (W-2s or 1099s), a passing ICC/UCC Master Electrical exam, general liability of $500,000 per person / $1,000,000 per occurrence and a Single Tax Office registration; an alternative route uses eight years of experience plus notarized referral letters in place of the exam. The form asks for copies of licenses held in other municipalities but states no reciprocity rule.
Erie. All electrical work must be done by an electrical contractor licensed by the City of Erie and only master license holders may obtain permits; the Trades Licensing Board reviews applications under Article 333 of the Codified Ordinances (not openable), which per the Board page also provides 90-day temporary apprentice and journeyman licenses.
Out-of-state holders. Apart from Harrisburg's and Reading's lists there is no reciprocity. The practical path is to present an ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam result (accepted by Pittsburgh for any code year and by Harrisburg, Allentown, Reading and Scranton), document the local experience threshold, meet each city's insurance requirement and pay its fee; Philadelphia requires its own ICC-administered Philadelphia exam.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Maryland master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. Maryland requires the trade exam on this path.
- What does it cost to get a Maryland master electrician license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $90, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Maryland?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Maryland's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Maryland to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Maryland to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Maryland Electricians Act (2021 statewide licensing) · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. Title 6 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Legislation signed May 30, 2021, effective July 1, 2021, renamed the State Board of Master Electricians to the State Board of Electricians and created State apprentice, journeyperson and master electrician licenses. Local jurisdictions lost authority to license electricians (they may issue registrations); individuals holding only local licenses had to obtain a State license by July 1, 2022, with an exam-waiver application deadline of December 31, 2022.
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Taking the Exam (PSI) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026PSI Examination Services administers the master and journeyperson exams at Baltimore, College Park, Hagerstown, Lanham and Salisbury; the examination fee is $65.00; register at test-takers.psiexams.com/mdelec.
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Licensing FAQs · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Faq · verified September 15, 2026Q11-12: the Board 'currently has reciprocal agreements with Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, and the District of Columbia'. West Virginia (State Fire Marshal) licensees who passed the West Virginia exam and have held the license at least two years in good standing, Virginia and D.C. licensees who passed those jurisdictions' written exams, and Delaware licensees in good standing for at least five years who passed the Delaware exam may apply without taking the Maryland written exam. Also: 30 days before an exam retake, 60 days between later attempts; a Maryland license obtained by local-jurisdiction reciprocity cannot be used to reciprocate to another state or D.C.
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Fees (effective July 1, 2025) · COMAR 09.09 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Original license: master $25.00, journeyperson $18.50, apprentice $12.00. Renewal: master $31.50, journeyperson $18.50, apprentice $12.00. Reinstatement $28/$63/$126 by lateness; letter of good standing $50; status change $63. Examination and re-examination fees are paid directly to the testing service.
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Home · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-604 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026States that all electrical work in Maryland must be performed by a licensed master, journeyperson or apprentice electrician, and that licensees must carry general liability insurance of at least $300,000 and property damage insurance of at least $100,000 with the State Board named as certificate holder.
- Maryland State Board of Electricians - Licensing Applications (how to apply) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Describes each application path: journeyperson by examination (4 years under a master electrician), by MATC/FOA apprenticeship (576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours), by local-jurisdiction reciprocity, and out-of-state reciprocity, which this page says is 'currently only' with Virginia (license obtained by examination or a Virginia apprenticeship program, held at least 1 year, must state it is journeyperson level). Master by examination (7 years, up to 3 years education credit) and master by reciprocity from 'a local jurisdiction, or the states of Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia or the District of Columbia' with a letter of verification and certificate of insurance. All Board fees are non-refundable.
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-304 - Qualifications of applicants · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-304 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Master: at least 7 years providing electrical services under a master electrician or similarly qualified governmental employee, with up to 3 years credit for formal education/training and full credit for an approved apprenticeship. Journeyperson: at least 4 years under the same supervision, or an approved apprenticeship. All applicants must pass the State Board examination.
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-306 - Examinations · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-306 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Exams are objective and written, based on applicable electrical codes, with a passing score of 70%; the exam fee may not exceed the actual cost.
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-308 - Waiver of examination for out-of-state licensees (reciprocity) · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-308 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026On a majority vote the Board may waive the exam for a master or journeyperson electrician licensed in another state who pays the application fee, meets Maryland's qualifications, holds an active equivalent license in good standing, was licensed there by examination after substantially equivalent requirements, and has 7 years' experience (at least 4 before out-of-state licensure) for master or 4 years (at least 2 before licensure) for journeyperson. Waivers are granted only if the other state waives its exam for Maryland licensees to a similar extent; not available to applicants licensed solely outside the United States. The Board 'shall pursue a policy of reciprocal recognition'.
- Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-309 - Issuance of State license · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-309 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026A qualified applicant is issued the State license on payment of the license fee and, for the insurance requirement of §6-604, proof of general liability and property damage insurance.
- PSI - Maryland Master and Journeyperson Electrician Qualification Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Maryland State Board of Electricians · Other · verified September 15, 2026Master exam: 90 questions, 70% to pass, 240 minutes; journeyperson exam: 70 questions, 49 correct (70%), 210 minutes; both open book on NFPA 70 NEC 2020; exam fee $65, valid for one exam. Restates the §6-308 out-of-state waiver conditions and the West Virginia/Virginia/D.C./Delaware master agreement terms. Its journeyperson section still says out-of-state waivers are 'coming soon' and none are in place, which the Board's newer application pages supersede.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.