Do I have to take the Iowa master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

How long do I need to have held my Tennessee license?

At least 1 year before applying.

What does it cost to get a Iowa master electrician license from Tennessee?

Published fees on this path total $375, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my Tennessee work hours count in Iowa?

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

Does it work the other way, from Iowa to Tennessee?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Iowa to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.

Tennessee to Iowa: master electrician license reciprocity

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

Tennessee does not issue a statewide master electrician license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Iowa'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.

Licensure by verification (states without a master-level reciprocal agreement)

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

A master electrician from a state without a master-level agreement can apply for licensure by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 and rule 481-401.9. The board issues the Iowa Class A master license without examination if the applicant has been licensed in the other jurisdiction for at least one year, the scope of practice there is substantially similar, the license is in good standing everywhere it is held, the applicant passed the exam the origin state required, and there is no revocation, discipline or pending complaint. For electrician licenses the statute additionally requires that the applicant has established Iowa residency (or is the spouse of an active-duty service member on permanent change of station to Iowa). The origin jurisdiction completes the board's License by Verification form and sends it directly to the board, and the applicant pays the regular license fee ($375 for a full three-year master cycle, prorated). Without Iowa residency, the ordinary route is the Iowa master exam, for which the applicant must show one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician.

Masters from Alaska, Colorado, Montana and New Hampshire and Oklahoma electrical contractors are on Iowa's reciprocity list only for the Journeyman Class A license; the verification route above is the only published no-exam path to the Iowa master for them. Rule 481-401.2(3) requires 'one year of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician' for the exam route and does not say the journeyman license must be Iowa's; whether out-of-state journeyman time is accepted was not confirmed on an official page. The PSI exam fee is not published on any DIAL page. DIAL tags the verification form as 'Archived' although the form is dated 10/20/25 and rule 481-401.9 is current; confirm with the board.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

You must have held your Tennessee license for at least 1 year.Licensed by another issuing jurisdiction for at least one year (481-401.9(1)b).
Your Tennessee license must be active and in good standing.
Your Tennessee license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
Scope of practice in the transferring jurisdiction is substantially similar to Iowa's Class A master
Has established Iowa residency (rule 701-300.17) or is married to an active-duty service member accompanying them on an official permanent change of station to Iowa

What you'll do to get licensed in Iowa

1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($375). Master Electrician Class A license fee for a full three-year cycle (481-401.3); prorated by month when issued mid-cycle.
2Other. License by Verification form completed by the transferring jurisdiction and sent directly to the board.
3Other. Proof of Iowa residency (homestead credit, voter registration, Iowa driver's license, or days-of-residence test) and documentation of complete criminal record.

Published fees on this path total $375, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

How Iowa licenses master electricians

Iowa master electrician · “Class A Master Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Iowa Electrical Examining Board, Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL)

Iowa's highest person-held electrician credential is the Class A Master Electrician license issued by the Electrical Examining Board (DIAL); the Class B master is a closed grandfather class, and the separate Electrical Contractor license is a business credential that requires employing a Class A or B master and registering as a contractor under Iowa Code chapter 91C. A new Class A master applicant must have at least one year of experience as a licensed Class A or Class B journeyman electrician and pass the PSI master exam with 70% or better (2023 NEC). The license runs on a three-year cycle; a full-cycle license costs $375, prorated by month of issue. Iowa has master-level reciprocal agreements with eight states (Arkansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming); master licenses from Alaska, Colorado, Montana and New Hampshire and Oklahoma's electrical contractor license reciprocate only to the Iowa Journeyman Class A license. Licensees from any other state may use Iowa's universal licensure-by-verification process (Iowa Code 272C.12), which waives the exam but requires Iowa residency.

Moving to Iowa Leaving Iowa

Why Tennessee has nothing to transfer

Tennessee master electrician

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 15, 2026· 13 sources

Issued by Local code enforcement offices (Nashville, Memphis/Shelby County, Knoxville, Chattanooga and other exempt jurisdictions); state issues only the CE contractor license

Tennessee does not issue a master electrician license. The state-level credential for electrical contracting is a contractor license with the CE (electrical) classification from the Board for Licensing Contractors, which is issued to a business (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC or corporation) that names a qualifying agent, and which is required for any electrical project of $25,000 or more. To obtain it the qualifying agent passes the Tennessee Business & Law exam and the CE trade exam (Prov), and the business files a reviewed or audited CPA financial statement (or, from July 1, 2026, a surety bond) that sets its monetary limit, proves general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and pays a $250 application fee ($200 biennial renewal). The Board has trade-exam-waiver agreements under which a contractor licensed in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina or West Virginia, or one who passed the NASCLA electrical exam, skips the CE trade exam but still takes the Business & Law exam and meets every other requirement; the Board stresses that these 'do NOT allow using another state's license in Tennessee'. Master electrician licenses proper exist only at the local level in the jurisdictions that run their own inspection programs: Nashville (Metro Master Electrician, six years of experience), Memphis/Shelby County (Master Electrician, four years as a journeyman), Chattanooga (Class I electrical contractor, three years as a journeyman) and other exempt jurisdictions, each with its own exam and fees and none publishing reciprocity for out-of-state masters. An out-of-state master electrician who only wants to work for an employer needs no state license; to pull permits for small jobs they need the local master license or an LLE where accepted, and to contract for work of $25,000 or more they need the state CE contractor license.

How local licensing works in Tennessee

State CE contractor license (business level). Required statewide for electrical projects of $25,000 and up and accepted by every local jurisdiction for permits, but it is a business license, not a personal master credential. Requirements: qualifying agent (owner, officer or full-time employee) passes the Tennessee Business & Law exam and the Electrical (CE) trade exam administered by Prov; reviewed or audited financial statement less than 12 months old (or a contractors' surety bond at 50% of the requested limit from July 1, 2026) setting a monetary limit of 10 times the lesser of working capital or net worth ($300,000 of each for an unlimited limit); general liability insurance scaled to the limit; workers' compensation or exemption; $250 initial fee, $200 renewal every two years; exam scores valid about two years. Trade exam waiver (the only state reciprocity): a contractor licensed in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina or West Virginia whose board verifies a comparable electrical exam on the Request for Contractor License Verification form, or who passed the NASCLA Electrical exam, files that verification in place of the CE trade exam score. The Business & Law exam is never waived, applicants with discipline, open complaints or felonies are ineligible, and the waiver cannot be used for the LLE. Arkansas's agreement covers only building classifications, not electrical.

Nashville (Metro Codes and Building Safety). The Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical Examiners and Appeals Board issues the Metropolitan Master Electrician certificate. Applicants need six years of experience (an electrical engineering degree may substitute), employer verification letters, a character letter and approval by the Chief Electrical Inspector, then pass the Prov-administered Metro master exam with 70%. The application asks whether the applicant holds a master license in another city or state and how long, but no exam waiver is described. Nashville registers state CE contractors separately.

Memphis / Shelby County (Office of Construction Code Enforcement). The Master Electrician license (Sec. 1305 of the joint electrical code) requires age 24 and either an electrical engineering degree plus two years of installation experience or four certified years as a journeyman; application in person with three industry recommendations, 30-day investigation, exam before the Electrical Code Advisory Board on theory, installation, the NEC and local codes. Fees: exam $150, initial license $100, active renewal $150. A separate Electrical Contractor license ($150 exam, $150 license, $150 registration) must be held by or employ a master; state-certified CE contractors register for $150 instead of testing. No reciprocity provision appears in the code.

Chattanooga (Land Development Office). The Class I electrical license is the contractor/master credential: three or more years as a journeyman or plant electrician (or three years as a Class II residential contractor, a prior Class I license, a Tennessee PE license, or equivalent), city examination, $415 per two-year term. A Board of Electrical Examiners oversees testing; no reciprocity is mentioned.

Knoxville (Plans Review & Inspections). Knoxville is on the state's exempt list and requires a city registration to pull permits; a state CE contractor registers directly. Details of Knoxville's own electrical contractor/master exam and fees are not published on the pages found (865-215-4311).

Out-of-state holders. No Tennessee city or the state endorses another state's master license as such. The realistic paths are: (1) obtain the state CE contractor license, using the trade-exam waiver if licensed in AL, LA, MS, NC, OH, SC or WV or NASCLA-tested, which every jurisdiction accepts; or (2) apply for the local master license in each exempt jurisdiction where you will work, documenting the experience required there and passing the local exam.

Nashville / Davidson County (Metro Codes and Building Safety)
Memphis / Shelby County (Office of Construction Code Enforcement)
Knoxville (Plans Review & Inspections)
Chattanooga (Land Development Office)
Hamilton County
Clarksville
Murfreesboro
Franklin
Jackson
Kingsport

Moving to Tennessee Leaving Tennessee

Common questions

Do I have to take the Iowa master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
How long do I need to have held my Tennessee license?: At least 1 year before applying.
What does it cost to get a Iowa master electrician license from Tennessee?: Published fees on this path total $375, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Tennessee work hours count in Iowa?: Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Iowa's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Iowa to Tennessee?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Iowa to Tennessee, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Iowa Code Chapter 103 - Electricians and Electrical Contractors (2026) · Iowa Code §§103.10, 103.12, 103.21 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026§103.10: Class A master requires one year as a licensed Class A or B journeyman plus exam. §103.12: Class A journeyman requires a DOL-registered apprenticeship (or board-rule equivalent) plus exam. §103.21: board may license without exam, same grade and class, an electrician licensed at least one year by a state that provides for similar action.
Iowa Code 272C.12 - Licensure of persons licensed in other jurisdictions (2026) · Iowa Code 272C.12 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Universal-recognition statute: a license shall be issued without examination to a person currently licensed in good standing by another state in the same occupation with a substantially similar scope of practice, who met that state's education/experience requirements, passed its exam if any, has no revocation, discipline or pending complaint, and pays the fees; for chapter 103 and 105 licenses the person must have established Iowa residency (or be a military spouse on PCS orders). Boards may still require an exam specific to Iowa law, in which case a three-month temporary license (renewable once) must be issued. PDF read with a local text extractor.
DIAL - Electrical Licensing FAQs · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Faq · verified September 15, 2026Lists the Iowa license classes (Electrical Contractor, Class A/B Master, Residential Master, Class A/B Journeyman, Residential, Apprentice, Special, Unclassified), the reciprocal states, and that PSI has tested on the 2023 NEC since Jan. 1, 2024.
DIAL - Electrical License Fees for the 2026-2028 license cycle · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 15, 2026Journeyman Class A or B: $75 for a license issued in 2026, prorated monthly ($50 in 2027, $25 in 2028). Master Class A or B and Electrical Contractor: $375 in 2026, prorated ($250 in 2027, $125 in 2028). Late renewal 10% per month.
Iowa Electrical Examining Board - Reciprocal Licensing Agreements with Other States (dated 1/29/2026) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 15, 2026Names the 13 reciprocal states, the common conditions (state-sponsored exam passed with 70% or better, license held 1 year and never expired/suspended/revoked, has not failed the Iowa exam, must meet other Iowa licensure requirements), and a state-by-state table of which origin license maps to the Iowa Journeyman Class A or Master Class A license.
State of Iowa Testing Sponsorship Requirements and Information (rev. 12/14/2023) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 15, 2026Passing score 70% on the PSI exam. Journeyman candidates: completed DOL-registered apprenticeship (8,000 OJT and 576 classroom hours) or a board-approved PSEP with 6,000 OJT hours. Master candidates: one year's experience as a licensed Class A or B journeyman. Board sends a sponsorship code used to register with PSI.
Iowa Electrical Examining Board - License by Verification Form (Iowa Code 272C.12), rev. 10/20/25 · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Form · verified September 15, 2026Must be completed by the transferring jurisdiction and sent directly to the board; records license type, issue date, whether the license was obtained by exam, time active, good standing and discipline history.
481 IAC Chapter 401 - Electrician and Electrical Contractor Licensing Program: Licensing Requirements, Procedures, and Fees (IAC 12/10/25) · 481 IAC 401.2(3), 401.2(6), 401.2(14), 401.2(15), 401.3, 401.9 · Iowa Legislature / DIAL · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026401.2(14) and 401.2(15) set the reciprocal journeyman and master conditions (agreement state, origin exam passed with 70+, license held continuously one year, plus completed apprenticeship or 16,000 hours licensed work by affidavit). 401.2(6)c is the exam route for out-of-state licensees (18 CE hours and 1,000 hours in Iowa as an unclassified person). 401.3 fee table: journeyman $75/3 years, master $375/3 years, prorated. 401.9 licensure by verification requires Iowa residency.

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

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