LicensebyState

Moving to District of Columbia as a master electrician: every state's rule

District of Columbia has reciprocity agreements with 2 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

District of Columbia master electrician · “Master Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 4 sources

Issued by DC Board of Industrial Trades (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)

The District of Columbia issues a person-held Master Electrician license through the Board of Industrial Trades in the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). It is the District's highest individual electrician credential; the Board also issues a Master Electrician Limited (low voltage) specialty license with journeyman-level qualifications, and a separate Electrical Contractor business license that requires an electrical bond. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.92(c) a master applicant must meet the journeyman requirements (a DC Electrical Code class within 2 years and 8,000 apprentice hours over 4 years or equivalent) and in addition have worked as a journeyman electrician for at least 4 years, then pass the PSI-administered master exam. Fees are a $65 application fee and a $120 license fee for a 2-year term ($155 on renewal). Maryland and Virginia master electricians licensed by examination are licensed by reciprocity without the DC exam under a program the Board opened on February 8, 2021.

States District of Columbia reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 2Endorsement 37No credit 11
Every state's path into District of Columbia
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-15
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-15
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-15
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-15
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-15
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-15
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-15
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-15
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-15
IdahoEndorsement2026-09-15
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IowaEndorsement2026-09-15
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MaineEndorsement2026-09-15
MarylandReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-15
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-15
MinnesotaEndorsement2026-09-15
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MissouriEndorsement2026-09-15
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-15
NebraskaEndorsement2026-09-15
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-15
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-15
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-15
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-15
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
OhioEndorsement2026-09-15
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-15
OregonEndorsement2026-09-15
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-15
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-15
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasEndorsement2026-09-15
UtahEndorsement2026-09-15
VermontEndorsement2026-09-15
VirginiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-15
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-15
WyomingEndorsement2026-09-15

Getting licensed in District of Columbia from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Master Electrician by examination

The Master Electrician license is issued on passing the PSI master exam. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.92(c) an applicant must meet the journeyman qualifications and in addition have worked as a journeyman electrician for at least 4 years; DLCP's application instructions state this as 8 years and 16,000 work hours of experience, documented with employment verification letters signed by a master electrician, tax records and a DC Electrical Code class certificate from within the past 2 years. Neither the statute nor the Board's instructions require a District journeyman license first, so an applicant may qualify on documented journeyman-level work. The exam is open book with no separate law or business exam, and the national-certification exam waiver applies to the journeyman license only.

PSI's candidate bulletin describes the master exam as 100 multiple-choice questions with a 5-hour time limit, using the National Electrical Code and Ugly's Electrical References as approved references; no passing percentage is published. Under the Board's test-first process the exam may be scheduled directly with PSI before applying. An applicant already licensed as a master electrician in another state submits a copy of that license with the experience documents. A master who will be designated to an electrical contractor must also file a $2,000 bond, which is not part of the individual license.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Renewal
Every 2 years

Who can apply

  • You must document at least 16,000 hours of qualifying work experience.8 years and 16,000 work hours per DLCP's application instructions: the journeyman qualifications (8,000 apprentice hours over 4 years, or an equivalent) plus at least 4 years worked as a journeyman electrician (D.C. Code § 47-2853.92(c)).
  • Worked as a journeyman electrician for at least 4 years
  • Completed a class on Title 12C DCMR (the DC Electrical Code) or an equivalent code within the 2 years before applyingDLCP's application instructions call this the NEC code class certificate, uploaded with the application.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($65). Application fee, paid with the online application (non-refundable).
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Washington DC Master Electrician exam administered by PSI: 100 multiple-choice questions, 5 hours, open book.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($52). Per attempt, paid to PSI when scheduling, as listed in PSI's District of Columbia candidate bulletin.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($120). Master electrician license fee, for a term of up to 2 years.

Published fees on this path total $237, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years and a $155 renewal fee.

All electrician licenses expire on November 30 of odd-numbered years regardless of when they were issued, so a first license can run less than 2 years. Renew online through the DLCP portal before the expiration date; a late renewal adds a $50 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
  • Exam fee · $52

Sources for this section

  1. D.C. Code § 47-2853.12 - License, certification, and registration criteria; waiver · D.C. Code § 47-2853.12(b)-(d), (l) · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. D.C. Code § 47-2853.92 - Electricians: eligibility requirements · D.C. Code § 47-2853.92 · Council of the District of Columbia · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  3. 17 DCMR § 3500 - Licensing fees · 17 DCMR § 3500.2(o), 3500.3 · District of Columbia Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  4. District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  5. DLCP Board of Industrial Trades - Electrician License (Low and Regular Voltage) Application Instructions · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. DC Board of Industrial Trades - Electrician License Renewal Notice Reminder · District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. DC DLCP - Board of Industrial Trades landing page (apply, items needed, examination, reciprocity) · District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. DC Board of Industrial Trades - Test First Examination Process Notice · District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades (DLCP) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  9. PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Washington D.C. Contractor/Trades Examinations · PSI Services LLC for the District of Columbia Board of Industrial Trades · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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