Pennsylvania to Vermont: master electrician license reciprocity
Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Vermont'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.
Universal license by endorsement (all other states, license held 3 years)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
Under 26 V.S.A. s. 906(b)(2) and Safety Rule 3.4(f), the board shall issue a master license without examination to an applicant whose master electrician license from any other U.S. jurisdiction has been held in good standing for at least three years, regardless of whether that state reciprocates. The applicant files the notarized all-classifications application checking 'Universal license - Master', attaches a certified letter of licensure from the issuing state, a photocopy of the license, the original issue date, how the license was obtained and documentation of that state's requirements, lists three references, and pays the $150 three-year fee; applications are reviewed at the board's bi-monthly meetings and must arrive two weeks beforehand. The Commissioner may waive the three-year practice requirement. A master licensed for less than three years applies through the standard route, where the board may recognize licensed journeyman experience earned in another state toward the two-year prerequisite but must pass the Vermont master exam. Under the 2025 rules a license from a NERA member state need only be held in good standing for one year.
Timeline reflects the board's every-other-month meeting cycle and two-week document deadline; no processing time is published. The NERA member list is not published on a Vermont page (Rule 3.4(f) refers to nerastates.org, whose map is dated February 2025 and does not yet show Vermont), so NERA one-year eligibility is described rather than mapped to individual origin states, and whether NERA recognition extends to the master level is not stated. The $80 Prov exam fee applies only to the examination route.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 60 days
What you must already have
- You must have held your Pennsylvania license for at least 3 years.Master license held in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least three years (26 V.S.A. s. 906(b)(2)(A); Rule 3.4(f)); one year if from a NERA member state per the 2025 rules.
- Your Pennsylvania license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Vermont
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Master three-year license fee (26 V.S.A. s. 905(d)).
- 2Other. Notarized all-classifications application with certified letter of licensure from the issuing state, photocopy of the license, date and means of obtaining it, documentation of that state's requirements, and three references.
Published fees on this path total $150, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Vermont licenses master electricians
Vermont master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Vermont Electricians' Licensing Board, Division of Fire Safety (Department of Public Safety)
Vermont issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the Electricians' Licensing Board within the Division of Fire Safety; a master may design, install and maintain electrical installations as a business and employ other licensees. A new applicant must have been licensed and working as a Vermont journeyman for at least two years or have comparable experience and training within or outside Vermont acceptable to the board (the board may credit journeyman experience in another state under 26 V.S.A. s. 907), then pass the Prov-administered master exam ($80), which also covers the Type-S specialty fields; the license costs $150 for a three-year term with 15 hours of NEC continuing education per term. Out-of-state masters have the same non-examination routes as journeymen: a reciprocal license for Maine and New Hampshire residents, a 'Universal' license for a master license held in good standing in any other U.S. jurisdiction for at least three years, and one-year recognition for NERA member-state licenses under the 2025 rules.
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 Vermont master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Pennsylvania license?
- At least 3 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Vermont master electrician license from Pennsylvania?
- Published fees on this path total $150, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Pennsylvania work hours count in Vermont?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Vermont's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 60 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Vermont to Pennsylvania?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Vermont to Pennsylvania, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Division of Fire Safety - Electricians' License Application and Instructions, All Classifications (June 2026) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Form · verified September 15, 2026Fees: Master $150.00 three-year license; Journeyman $115.00; Type-S Specialist $115.00 per field; exam fees not included. 'If Reciprocal, Maine or New Hampshire (Residents only) check which state/s and include a certified letter/s from reciprocating state/s, and include a photocopy of license/s.' 'If Universal license be sure to include a certified letter/s from issuing state/s and include a photocopy of license/s... Include original date/s of issuance, and the means of obtaining the license'; the Universal license box says '3 Year Minimum' and 'Reciprocating a license from any other state'. Section 6 asks for a certified letter, license copy and documentation of the requirements to obtain the origin license. Applications must be notarized, list three references, and reach the Division two weeks before a board meeting.
- Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Electricians' Licensing Board (meetings and submission deadline) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Board meets every two months (2026 dates February 3, April 7, June 2, August 4, October 6, December 1) and 'all documents must be received at the Central Office two weeks prior to the meeting' for an application to be reviewed.
- Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Electricians (electrical licensing home page) · Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Licensing landing page: links the Vermont Electrical Statute (26 V.S.A. chapter 15), the Vermont Electrical Safety Rules 2025 Edition (effective 11/05/2025), the 'Electrical Application and Instructions - All Classifications' form, online renewal, and the licensed-electrician lookup; licensing office at 45 State Drive, Waterbury, 802-479-7564, [email protected].
- Vermont Electrical Safety Rules, 2025 edition - section 3.3 Type-S specialty electrician licenses · Vermont Electrical Safety Rules 2025, s. 3.3 · Vermont Electricians' Licensing Board, Division of Fire Safety · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026Opened through the r.jina.ai text proxy. Section 3.3 lists the Type-S specialty fields including A1 'Automatic gas or oil heating, including geo-thermal, ground source heat pumps' and C3 'Refrigeration or air conditioning, air to air heat pumps'. A Type-S licensee may 'design, install, repair, maintain and replace electrical installations as an employee or an independent contractor only in connection with the specialty field designated on the person's license, and may only install branch circuits from the existing electrical service'. Qualification: complete an accredited training and experience program recognized by the board or equivalent training and experience acceptable to the board, then pass the specialty exam ($80). The reciprocity provision in 3.4(f) applies to master and journeyman electricians only.
- 26 V.S.A. Chapter 15 - Electrical Installations (ss. 902-907: master and journeyman qualifications, fees, examinations not required, recognition of experience) · 26 V.S.A. ss. 902, 903, 905, 906, 907 · Vermont General Assembly · Statute · verified September 15, 2026s. 902: master applicant must have been a licensed journeyman under the chapter for at least two years or have comparable experience and training within or without the state acceptable to the board, and pass an exam. s. 903: journeyman applicant must show Vermont Apprenticeship Council completion or equivalent training and experience within or outside the state, and pass an exam. s. 905(d): three-year fees master $150, journeyman $115, type-S $115 per field; late renewal within one year $25 extra. s. 906(a): a license for an individual licensed by another state shall be issued without examination as provided in the section; s. 906(b)(1) reciprocity for licenses from states with equivalent standards that grant Vermont licensees a similar privilege; s. 906(b)(2)(A) uniform endorsement: the board shall license masters and journeymen licensed in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least three years regardless of reciprocity; (C) the Commissioner may waive the practice requirement. s. 907: the board may credit journeyman experience or an apprenticeship served in another state.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.