LicensebyState

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

Maine has reciprocity agreements with 4 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Maine master electrician · “Master Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Maine Electricians' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation)

Maine issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the Electricians' Examining Board within OPOR. A new applicant qualifies with 4,000 hours as a licensed journeyman, 12,000 hours as a licensed helper or apprentice, or 6,000 hours as a journeyman-in-training, plus 576 hours of approved study, completes a 45-hour NEC course, and passes the Prov-administered master exam ($90). The license costs $150 for a two-year term plus a $21 State Bureau of Identification report. Out-of-state masters may be licensed by reciprocity without examination if their state has a formal agreement with the board (New Hampshire and Vermont on the licensing page and application form; the board's FAQ now also names Massachusetts and Rhode Island), or by endorsement under board rule Chapter 180 (effective July 2024) if their state's master requirements are substantially equivalent to Maine's.

States Maine reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 4Endorsement 35No credit 11
Every state's path into Maine
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
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
IowaEndorsement2026-09-15
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-15
MassachusettsReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
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 HampshireReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
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 IslandReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-15
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasEndorsement2026-09-15
UtahEndorsement2026-09-15
VermontReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-15
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-15
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-15
WyomingEndorsement2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Maine from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Master Electrician by examination

A Maine journeyman electrician becomes a master by completing 4,000 hours of electrical installation work as a journeyman, completing the 576-hour master course of study adopted by the board, and passing the board-approved master exam. The master course covers more technical subjects than the journeyman course, and hours worked as a licensed limited electrician do not count. The board must approve the application before you schedule the closed-book exam with Prov, Inc.; the passing score is 70%. Before the license is issued you must show a 45-hour National Electrical Code course completed within the previous two years. Maine also allows entry without the journeyman license after 12,000 hours as a licensed helper or apprentice.

The master course of study is 45-hour courses in Electricity I, Electricity II, Electronics I, Math I, Controls I, Controls II, Motors, Blueprint Reading/Drafting, Transformers and the current NEC, plus 126 hours of degree-related courses. Hours are documented with Work Experience Affidavits signed by the supervising or employing electrician, with credit capped at 40 hours a week unless overtime is verified. Approval to sit is valid for two years, and you must apply for the license within two years of passing. The exam has 100 questions in 4 hours. Prov's May 2025 bulletin lists the 2023 NEC as the reference, while Maine has required the 2026 NEC for installations begun on or after July 1, 2026, so check the current bulletin before you study. There is no separate law or business exam.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Prov
Exam format
Closed book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
15 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Maine Journeyman Electrician license first.
  • You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.
  • Complete at least 576 hours of classroom or related instruction.

Other ways to qualify

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

12,000 hours as a licensed helper or apprentice

An applicant without a journeyman license may qualify for the master exam with 12,000 hours of electrical installation work as a licensed helper or apprentice electrician plus the 576-hour master course of study.

  • You must document at least 12,000 hours of qualifying work experience.
  • Complete at least 576 hours of classroom or related instruction.

6,000 hours as a journeyman-in-training

A licensed journeyman-in-training electrician qualifies after 6,000 hours of electrical installation work under that license plus the 576-hour master course of study.

  • Holds a Maine Journeyman-in-Training Electrician license
  • You must document at least 6,000 hours of qualifying work experience.
  • Complete at least 576 hours of classroom or related instruction.

Comparable experience, education or training

The board may accept comparable work experience, education or training, or a combination, completed in Maine or elsewhere. It decides case by case whether a limited electrician applying for the master license has enough experience in all phases of electrical installation.

  • Comparable work experience, education or training, completed in Maine or another state, acceptable to the board

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Maine Master Electrician exam administered by Prov: 100 questions in 4 hours, closed book, 70% to pass. Board approval is required before scheduling..
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($90). Prov examination fee, paid when scheduling.
  3. 3Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. 45-hour National Electrical Code course completed within the 2 years before applying for the license.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Master Electrician license fee for a two-year term; $20 for applicants 70 or older. The fee rule lists no separate application fee..
  5. 5Background check. Complete a background check ($21). State Bureau of Identification criminal history record report.

Published fees on this path total $240, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 15 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $150 renewal fee.

A 15-hour update course on the current National Electrical Code, certified at renewal and subject to audit. The board's schedule follows the NEC cycle: renewals in 2026 and 2027 need the 2026 code update course, renewals in 2028 need none, and renewals in 2029 and 2030 need the 2029 update.

The license runs two years from the date first issued. Renewal within 90 days after expiration carries a $50 late fee, a larger penalty applies from 90 days to two years, and after two years you must qualify as a new applicant. Licensees 70 or older renew for $20.

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 · $90

Pre-license education

Where a board mandates a course before the exam, it publishes a list of approved schools. Confirm a provider is on that list before enrolling.

  • Pre-license course

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. Electricians' Examining Board - Examinations (Prov, Inc.) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Electricians' Examining Board - Master Electrician licensing requirements, fees and reciprocity · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Electricians' Examining Board - Journeyman and Master Work Experience Affidavit · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  4. 02-041 CMR Chapter 10 - OPOR Establishment of License Fees, section 5(29) Plumbers' Examining Board · 02-041 CMR ch. 10 §5(29) · Maine Secretary of State / Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  5. State of Maine OPOR Candidate Information Bulletin (Prov, MOPOR-2025.05.14) · Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation / Prov, Inc. · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. 02-318 CMR Chapter 120 - Electrical Installation Standards (2026 NEC adoption) · 02-318 CMR ch. 120 · Maine Secretary of State / Electricians' Examining Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. 02-318 CMR Chapter 130 - Electricians' Examining Board: Examination and Licensing Requirements · 02-318 CMR ch. 130 · Maine Secretary of State / Electricians' Examining Board · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  8. 32 MRSA §1202-B - Issuance and scope of licenses (journeyman and master qualifications) · 32 M.R.S. §1202-B · Maine Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  9. 32 MRSA §1204 - Renewals · 32 M.R.S. §1204 · Maine Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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