LicensebyState

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

Idaho has reciprocity agreements with 1 state. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Idaho master electrician · “Master Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho Electrical Board)

Idaho issues a statewide Master Electrician license through DOPL on behalf of the Idaho Electrical Board. Idaho Code 54-1007(3) qualifies anyone who has worked as a licensed journeyman for at least four years to apply for a master license, and since House Bill 153 a master licensee is automatically issued a journeyman license at no extra cost. The only signed master-level reciprocity agreement is the 2006 bilateral agreement with Wyoming; the multi-state NERA agreement covers journeymen only. For other states, the master application offers a 'Reciprocity Pathway' based on a License Verification Form from the origin state showing licensure by examination, at least four years as a journeyman, and an active master license, but the instructions warn that a passing exam score may still be required before issuance. Applicants who do not qualify that way use the experience pathway (four years as a licensed journeyman) and pass the Idaho master exam administered by PSI.

States Idaho reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 1Endorsement 38No credit 11
Every state's path into Idaho
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
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-23
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-23
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaEndorsement2026-09-23
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-23
GeorgiaEndorsement2026-09-23
HawaiiEndorsement2026-09-23
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
WyomingReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Idaho from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Master electrician by examination

A person who has worked as a licensed journeyman electrician for at least four years qualifies to apply for Idaho's Master Electrician license. The applicant must pass the Idaho State Master Electrician exam administered by PSI before submitting the master application, which carries an $80 processing fee ($15 application plus the $65 three-year license). When DOPL issues a master license it also issues a journeyman license at no additional cost.

The Idaho State Master Electrician exam replaced the NASCLA master exam on December 1, 2025. It has 100 questions with a 270-minute time limit and is open book, using the 2020 or 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and the 2023 Ugly's Electrical References. It covers the same code areas as the journeyman exam plus communication systems.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
75%
Renewal
Every 3 years
Continuing education
None required

Who can apply

  • Hold a Journeyman electrician license (Idaho journeyman electrician license or a journeyman license from another jurisdiction) for at least 4 years first.Idaho Code 54-1007(3) requires at least four years worked as a licensed journeyman; the master application asks whether the applicant has held an active journeyman license for at least four years.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Idaho State Master Electrician exam administered by PSI (100 questions, open book, minimum passing score 75); must be passed before applying for the license.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($75). PSI examination fee per attempt; non-refundable and valid for one year from payment.
  3. 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($15). DOPL application fee (the application form shows a combined $80 processing fee, which includes the license fee).
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($65). Original Master Electrician license fee, three-year term; a journeyman license is issued with it at no additional cost.

Published fees on this path total $155, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with no continuing education required and a $45 renewal fee.

No continuing education is currently required to renew. The Idaho Legislature removed the continuing education requirement when it approved the Electrical Board's rules (IDAPA 24.39.10) in 2025.

Licenses run for three years and may be renewed during the final month of the licensing period; outstanding civil penalties and fees must be paid first.

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

Sources for this section

  1. Idaho Code 54-1007 - Issuance of licenses - Reciprocity · Idaho Code 54-1007 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Idaho Code 54-1013 - Renewal of licenses or registrations - Inactive licenses · Idaho Code 54-1013 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Idaho Electrical Board - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Idaho Electrical Board - Program Information and Exams · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. IDAPA 24.39.10 - Rules of the Idaho Electrical Board · IDAPA 24.39.10.100 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Idaho Master Electrician License Application and Instructions (revised June 15, 2024) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Idaho Electrical Board meeting minutes, May 6, 2025 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Idaho Electrical Board meeting minutes, October 29, 2025 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  9. PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses trade examinations (effective July 9, 2026) · PSI Services LLC for the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Form · verified September 23, 2026

Related