LicensebyState

Moving to Colorado as a master electrician: every state's rule

Colorado has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Colorado master electrician · “Master Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations)

Colorado issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the State Electrical Board within DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations. A master license can be obtained only by examination or by endorsement; Board Rule 1.7 states that a Colorado master electrician's license may not be granted by reciprocity, so there are no master-level reciprocity agreements. By examination an applicant needs 10,000 hours of experience over at least five years (or a qualifying degree with fewer hours) and must pass the PSI-administered Colorado master exam. By endorsement an applicant who holds or has held an active state-issued master license obtained by exam on the NEC edition Colorado currently uses (the 2026 NEC since August 1, 2026), and who documents 10,000 hours over five years, is licensed without the Colorado exam. Licenses expire September 30 every three years.

Every origin state

Endorsement 39No credit 11
Every state's path into Colorado
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-23
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-23
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-23
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-23
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaEndorsement2026-09-23
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-23
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-23
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-23
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-23
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IowaEndorsement2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-23
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MaineEndorsement2026-09-23
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-23
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-23
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-23
MinnesotaEndorsement2026-09-23
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MissouriEndorsement2026-09-23
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-23
NebraskaEndorsement2026-09-23
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-23
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-23
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-23
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-23
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-23
OhioEndorsement2026-09-23
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-23
OregonEndorsement2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-23
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-23
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-23
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
TexasEndorsement2026-09-23
UtahEndorsement2026-09-23
VermontEndorsement2026-09-23
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-23
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-23
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-23
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-23
WyomingEndorsement2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Colorado from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Colorado issues a master electrician license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 7 sources

Master electrician by examination

Most applicants reach Colorado's Master Electrician license by becoming a journeyman first and then adding experience: 10,000 total hours over at least five years, including 2,000 hours of commercial or industrial work, some planning and layout, and supervision of registered apprentices performed while holding a journeyman license. Colorado also allows direct entry to the master exam without a journeyman license for two groups: graduates of an electrical trade school or community college program with 8,000 hours over four years, and electrical engineering graduates with 2,000 hours of construction experience over at least one year. Every route requires passing the Colorado Master Electrician exam, administered by PSI, before applying through DPO Online Services. Experience already submitted for a Colorado residential wireman or journeyman license can count toward the master license.

The master exam has 90 scored multiple-choice questions in 240 minutes, plus up to 10 unscored questions with 30 minutes added for them; 63 correct answers (70%) pass. PSI provides the National Electrical Code book and a formula page at the test center; you may not bring other materials or mark the book. From August 1, 2026 the questions follow the 2026 NEC, and the 2023 book is available on request until November 1, 2026. The Board notes that an apprentice or residential wireman cannot move directly to master using experience alone. Up to four years of experience earned outside the United States can count toward the master license.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 3 years
Continuing education
24 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Colorado journeyman electrician license (or an equivalent journeyman license), held while performing the required supervision of registered apprentices first.
  • You must document at least 10,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Earned in no less than 5 years: the journeyman requirement plus at least 2,000 more hours over at least one year. Includes 2,000 hours of commercial or industrial work, some planning and layout, and supervision of registered apprentices after receiving a journeyman license; supervision hours are not added to the total. Documented on Affidavit of Experience forms.

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Electrical trade school or community college graduate plus 8,000 hours

A graduate of an electrical trade school or community college program in an electrical construction field may sit for the master exam after 8,000 hours of experience earned over at least four years, without first holding a journeyman license. The Master application lists 4,000 hours of commercial or industrial work for this route. Apprenticeship training programs are not equivalent to trade schools, and a qualifying trade school program requires at least 165 credit hours of at least 19 classroom hours each. An official transcript is submitted with the application.

  • Degree from a community college or trade school in an electrical construction field (apprenticeship training programs do not qualify)
  • You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Earned in no less than 4 years, including 4,000 hours of commercial or industrial work.

Electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 hours

A graduate electrical engineer of an accredited college or university may sit for the master exam after 2,000 hours of electrical construction experience earned over at least one year, without first holding a journeyman license. The degree must be in electrical engineering; an electrical engineering technology degree does not qualify. An official transcript is submitted with the application.

  • Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from an accredited college or university (electrical engineering technology does not qualify)
  • You must document at least 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Electrical construction experience earned in no less than 1 year.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Colorado Master Electrician exam (PSI), passed before you submit the license application.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($78). PSI examination fee, paid when you register for the exam; non-refundable, non-transferable and valid for one year from payment.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($73) (if applicable). PSI retest fee, charged for each retake if you do not pass.
  4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee. Application fee paid by credit card in DPO Online Services after you pass the exam. The amount is not published on the Board's public pages (non-refundable and non-transferable); see dpo.colorado.gov/Electrical or call 303-894-7800..
  5. 5Other. Affidavit(s) of Experience completed by each employer.
  6. 6Other. Official transcript, if you qualify through a degree (if applicable).
  7. 7Other. Answer the application's general and criminal history screening questions; criminal convictions must be reported on every application.

Published fees on this path total $78, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with 24 hours of continuing education per cycle.

At least 4 of the 24 hours must cover National Electrical Code changes, and no more than 4 hours of safety courses count. The rest may come from grounding and bonding, wiring methods, or theory and calculations. Courses must be taken from a provider on the Board's attesting CE provider list. CE is not required for the first renewal of a license issued by examination. A licensee holding several Colorado electrician licenses completes CE for the most advanced one, which satisfies the others.

All Colorado electrician licenses expire on September 30 every three years; a license issued within 120 days before that date is issued with the next expiration date. The renewal fee is charged in DPO Online Services and is not published on the Board's public pages.

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

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. 3 CCR 710-1 - State Electrical Board Rules and Regulations · 3 CCR 710-1, Rule 1.7 (Application for Licensure) · Colorado Secretary of State (Code of Colorado Regulations) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  2. C.R.S. 12-115-110 - License requirements, rules, continuing education (Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 12) · C.R.S. § 12-115-110(1), (2), (4) · Colorado General Assembly, Office of Legislative Legal Services · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Colorado Electrical Applications and Forms - Licensure Requirements (Examination, Endorsement, Reciprocity) · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Colorado Electrical CE · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Electrical Licensing Guide · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. DPO Master Electrician (ME) Initial Application Preview · Colorado DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Colorado State Electrical Board Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC (for the Colorado State Electrical Board) · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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