LicensebyState

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

Iowa has reciprocity agreements with 8 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

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.

States Iowa reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 8Endorsement 31No credit 11
Every state's path into Iowa
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-15
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-15
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ArkansasReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ColoradoEndorsement2026-09-15
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-15
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-15
District of ColumbiaEndorsement2026-09-15
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
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MaineEndorsement2026-09-15
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-15
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-15
MichiganEndorsement2026-09-15
MinnesotaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MissouriEndorsement2026-09-15
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-15
NebraskaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
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 DakotaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
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 DakotaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
UtahEndorsement2026-09-15
VermontEndorsement2026-09-15
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-15
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WisconsinReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
WyomingReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Iowa from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 8 sources

Class A Master Electrician by examination

An Iowa journeyman electrician becomes a Class A Master Electrician by holding a Class A or Class B journeyman license for at least one year and passing the PSI master exam with a score of 70% or higher. There is no direct entry: the year must be experience, acceptable to the board, as a licensed journeyman. You apply online at iowaelectrical.gov and send the Testing Sponsorship form, and the board emails a code for booking the exam with PSI. The exam is open book on the 2023 National Electrical Code, and there is no separate law or business exam. To contract for electrical work, a master also needs the separate Electrical Contractor license and contractor registration.

The exam has 100 scored questions in 240 minutes plus 10 unscored questions; candidates bring the 2023 NEC or the 2023 NEC Handbook, which may be highlighted and permanently tabbed. The sponsorship letter covers two attempts or six months. After two failed attempts you must wait six months and complete 12 hours of board-approved continuing education before retesting. The exam must have been passed within 24 months before the license application. A holder of the closed Class B master license may also qualify for the Class A master by passing the exam. A licensed electrician who contracts for electrical work without being employed by a licensed electrical contractor must carry at least $1 million of general and complete-operations liability insurance.

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
18 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Iowa Class A or Class B Journeyman Electrician license for at least 1 year first.At least one year of experience, acceptable to the board, as a licensed Class A or Class B journeyman electrician (Iowa Code 103.10; 481 IAC 401.2(3)).

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Other. Online license application at iowaelectrical.gov plus the PSI Testing Sponsorship form, emailed, faxed or mailed to the Electrical Examining Board no earlier than one month before you are ready to test.
  2. 2Background check. Complete a background check. Disclose every criminal conviction on the application and attach the complete criminal record and a personal statement for each (481 IAC 401.8)..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Iowa Master Electrician exam administered by PSI: 100 scored questions in 240 minutes, open book with the 2023 NEC, 70% to pass.
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($87). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI when scheduling; each retake also costs $87.
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($375). Class A master license fee for a full three-year cycle, paid after passing the exam; prorated by month when issued mid-cycle ($250 for a license issued in 2027 and $125 in 2028 for the cycle ending in 2028, less by month).

Published fees on this path total $462, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with 18 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $375 renewal fee.

18 contact hours of board-approved continuing education per three-year license period, including at least 6 hours on the National Electrical Code; the rest may be other approved electrical subjects. A license issued for less than a full cycle needs 6 hours for each year or part of a year it was held. Hours do not carry over to the next cycle.

All master licenses expire on the same date every three years; the current cycle runs 2026 through 2028. A license may be renewed up to three months late with a 10% surcharge per month. A master who is not practicing may hold an inactive master license instead.

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 · $87

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. Iowa Code Chapter 103 - Electricians and Electrical Contractors (2026) · Iowa Code §§103.10, 103.12, 103.16, 103.18, 103.19, 103.21 · Iowa Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. DIAL - How Do I Apply for an Electrical License? · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. DIAL - Electrical License Fees for the 2026-2028 license cycle · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  4. State of Iowa Testing Sponsorship Requirements and Information (rev. 12/14/2023) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Iowa Electrical Examining Board - PSI Testing Sponsorship form (rev. 12/17/25) · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. 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(13), 401.2(14), 401.2(15), 401.3, 401.7, 401.8, 401.9, 401.10 · Iowa Legislature / DIAL · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. 481 IAC Chapter 403 - Electrician and Electrical Contractor Licensing Program: Education (IAC 7/9/25) · 481 IAC 403.101, 403.102, 403.201 · Iowa Legislature / DIAL · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  8. PSI Candidate Information Bulletin - Iowa Electrical Examining Board (updated 9/19/2025) · PSI Services LLC · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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