Moving to Delaware as a master electrician: every state's rule
Delaware has reciprocity agreements with 20 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.
Delaware master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation)
Delaware issues a person-held Master Electrician license through the Board of Electrical Examiners; it is the state's highest electrician credential and authorizes residential, commercial and industrial work. The Board also issues Master Electrician Special (restricted to specialties such as elevators, HVAC, signs, pools or primary distribution) and Limited Electrician licenses (residential-scale work, three years' experience), which are lesser credentials. A new master must show six years of full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, or four years plus two years of technical training, or a completed apprenticeship of 8,000 hours with 576 hours of related instruction, and pass the Prov-administered master exam with 75% using only the NEC as a reference; the application fee is $203 and proof of at least $300,000 general liability insurance is required before the license issues. Out-of-state masters are licensed by reciprocity without a Delaware exam under 24 Del. C. § 1409: the Board has published that Maryland and New Jersey standards are substantially similar (no experience proof) and that eighteen other jurisdictions are not, requiring five years of licensed practice; all other states are evaluated case by case. Licenses run two years and renew with continuing education.
States Delaware reciprocates with
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Alaska | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Colorado | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Connecticut | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| District of Columbia | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Florida | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Georgia | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Hawaii | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Idaho | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Louisiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maine | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Maryland | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Massachusetts | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Michigan | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Minnesota | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Missouri | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Montana | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Nebraska | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Nevada | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| New Hampshire | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| New Jersey | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| New Mexico | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| North Dakota | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Ohio | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Oklahoma | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oregon | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Rhode Island | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Dakota | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Texas | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Utah | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Vermont | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Virginia | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Washington | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| West Virginia | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Wisconsin | Endorsement | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in Delaware from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Delaware issues a master electrician license to a first-time applicant.
Master Electrician by examination
Delaware issues the Master Electrician license by examination, and a Delaware journeyperson license is not a prerequisite. Applicants document six years of full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, four years under a master plus two years of technical training, or a completed registered apprenticeship of 8,000 hours with 576 hours of related instruction. After the Board approves the DELPROS application, the candidate takes the open-book Prov master exam and must score 75%; there is no separate law or business exam. The license issues only after the Board receives proof of at least $300,000 in general liability insurance naming or covering the applicant, which may be the employer's policy.
Experience is proven on Verification of Employment forms sent directly to the Board by each supervising electrician; W-2s with an explanatory letter are accepted at the Board's discretion, and apprenticeship graduates submit only their certificate of completion. Experience gained in Delaware after June 30, 2012 counts only if the applicant held a Delaware apprentice or journeyperson license at the time, and a Delaware Limited Electrician license counts as 4,000 hours toward the apprenticeship-route hours. Documentation is due at least 45 days before the exam, and an approval to test is valid for two years. The master exam has 80 questions in 3 hours; the Board's rule allows the NEC as the reference, and Prov's bulletin lists the books permitted in the testing room. A failed exam can be retaken after 7 days, and a candidate who passes must activate the license with the insurance proof within 12 months or retake the exam. A criminal conviction substantially related to electrical work bars licensure unless the Board grants a waiver.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- Prov
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 75%
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- Continuing education
- 10 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- You must document at least 6 years of qualifying work experience.The statute also requires knowledge of residential, commercial and industrial electrical work. All experience must be complete before the exam.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
Four years of experience plus two years of technical training
Four years of full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, plus an official transcript showing two years of technical training in electrical technology: a two-year program at a vocational-technical high school, or 48 credit hours at an accredited post-secondary school.
- You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.
- Two years of electrical technology training at a vocational-technical high school, or 48 credit hours at an accredited post-secondary school
Completed registered apprenticeship
A certificate of completion from a bona fide registered apprenticeship program of any state, covering 8,000 hours of full-time experience under a licensed master electrician and 576 hours of related instruction. The certificate is the only proof of experience needed, but the master exam is still required.
- Complete a registered apprenticeship: Certificate of completion from a bona fide registered electrical apprenticeship program of any state.
- You must document at least 8,000 hours of qualifying work experience.
- Complete at least 576 hours of classroom or related instruction.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($203). Master Electrician application fee, paid in DELPROS; nonrefundable.
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). Per exam attempt, paid to Prov when scheduling.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Delaware Master Electrician exam (Prov): 80 questions, 3 hours, open book; 75% to pass.
- 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 naming or covering the applicant; may be filed after passing the exam, but the license is not issued until the Board receives it.
- 5Other. Licensure verification sent directly to the Board from every state or jurisdiction where you hold or have held a license.
Published fees on this path total $303, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 2 years with 10 hours of continuing education per cycle.
10 hours of Board-approved continuing education each two-year period; beginning with the second renewal, 5 of the 10 must relate to the National Electrical Code. At the first renewal, no hours are due if licensed less than a year and 5 hours if licensed one to two years.
All Delaware electrician licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years, and each renewal includes an attestation that the $300,000 liability insurance has been maintained. DPR states the renewal fee in the renewal notice rather than publishing it; renewing late, within one year, adds a late fee of 50% of the renewal fee.
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
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
Sources for this section
- 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 - Board of Electrical Examiners regulations (compiled text) · 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 §§ 2.0-8.0 · Delaware Registrar of Regulations / Board of Electrical Examiners · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- 24 Del. C. Chapter 14, Subchapter II - License (Board of Electrical Examiners) · 24 Del. C. §§ 1407-1411 · Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online) · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware DPR - Home Inspector Continuing Education and Audit Information · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware DPR - Board of Electrical Examiners examination information (Prov) · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware DPR - Home Inspector Fee Schedule · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware DPR - Apply for a Master or Limited Electrician license by Examination or by Reciprocity · 24 Del. C. § 1408(a); 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware DPR - Home Inspector License Renewal · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation - Candidate Information Bulletin (ProV, 2022.03.09) · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation / Prov, Inc. · Form · verified September 23, 2026