LicensebyState

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

Maryland has reciprocity agreements with 4 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Maryland master electrician · “Master Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Maryland State Board of Electricians (Department of Labor)

Maryland issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the State Board of Electricians (renamed from the State Board of Master Electricians by the 2021 Maryland Electricians Act). The master license is the credential under which electrical contracting is done: a master must carry at least $300,000 general liability and $100,000 property damage insurance with the Board as certificate holder, and local jurisdictions issue registrations to State master licensees. A new applicant needs 7 years of regular, principal employment providing electrical services under a master electrician or a similarly qualified governmental employee (the Board may credit up to 3 years for a formal course of study), must pass the PSI master exam (90 questions, 70% to pass, 240 minutes, open book on the NEC, $65), and pays a $25 original license fee. The Board reciprocates master licenses obtained by examination from Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia and Delaware, and from Maryland counties and Baltimore City; each has its own years-held condition.

States Maryland reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 4Experience credit 35No credit 11
Every state's path into Maryland
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-15
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-15
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-15
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-15
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-15
DelawareReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
District of ColumbiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-15
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-15
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-15
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-15
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
IowaExperience credit2026-09-15
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MaineExperience credit2026-09-15
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-15
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-15
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-15
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MissouriExperience credit2026-09-15
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-15
NebraskaExperience credit2026-09-15
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-15
New JerseyExperience credit2026-09-15
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-15
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-15
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-15
OhioExperience credit2026-09-15
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-15
OregonExperience credit2026-09-15
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-15
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-15
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasExperience credit2026-09-15
UtahExperience credit2026-09-15
VermontExperience credit2026-09-15
VirginiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-15
West VirginiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
WisconsinExperience credit2026-09-15
WyomingExperience credit2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Maryland from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 15 sources

Master Electrician license by examination

Maryland does not require a journeyperson license before the master license: an applicant qualifies directly with at least 7 years of regular, principal work providing electrical services under the direction and supervision of a master electrician (or a similarly qualified government employee). Time worked as a licensed apprentice or journeyperson counts toward the 7 years, as does work in a completed approved apprenticeship. You register for the master exam with PSI, uploading your certification of experience, and must score 70% on the open-book exam; there is no separate law or business exam. After passing, you apply to the Board online, pay the $25 original license fee and submit proof of liability insurance.

The master exam has 90 questions worth 100 points, with a 240-minute time limit and 70% to pass; 30 points cover calculations. The only reference allowed is an unmarked copy of NFPA 70 (the PSI bulletin lists the 2020 edition), which may be tabbed and highlighted. A failed candidate must wait 30 days before retesting and 60 days between later attempts. A licensee who will not contract for electrical work can apply for uninsured status ($63) instead of carrying insurance, but a master on uninsured status may not use the license to obtain a local master registration.

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

Who can apply

  • You must document at least 7 years of qualifying work experience.At least 7 years engaged or employed regularly and principally in providing electrical services for all types of electrical equipment and apparatus, under the direction and supervision of a master electrician or a similarly qualified employee of a governmental unit (Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-304(b)). Work in a completed apprenticeship approved by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council or the federal Office of Apprenticeship is credited.

Other ways to qualify

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

Formal course of study credit (up to 3 years)

The Board may credit up to 3 years toward the 7-year requirement if the applicant has completed a formal course of study or professional training in electrical installation comparable to the required experience. Submit evidence of the coursework with the exam registration; the PSI bulletin says to allow an additional two months for the Board's review. With the full credit, 4 years of supervised experience remain.

  • Completed formal course of study or professional training in electrical installation that the Board finds comparable to the required experience (up to 3 years of credit)
  • You must document at least 4 years of qualifying work experience.The remainder of the 7 years, under the direction and supervision of a master electrician or a similarly qualified government employee, when the full 3 years of credit is granted.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Maryland Master Electrician exam administered by PSI: 90 questions, 70% to pass, 240 minutes, open book on NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code).
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($65). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI; covers one exam attempt, non-refundable and valid for one year.
  3. 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). Original master license fee (non-refundable), paid to the Board with the online license application after passing the exam.
  4. 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 and property damage insurance of at least $100,000 (umbrella coverage not accepted), with the State Board of Electricians named as certificate holder, uploaded after the license application (Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-604).
  5. 5Background check. Complete a background check. The application asks about criminal convictions. If you answer yes, upload a written explanation in your own words and a certified true test copy of the court record; the Board reviews each case, and a conviction is not an automatic bar..

Published fees on this path total $90, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 10 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $31.50 renewal fee.

Ten hours of qualifying continuing education completed during the 24 months before renewal, at least 5 of them in a classroom setting. Courses must cover the National Electrical Code, NFPA codes and standards related to electrical services, or other subjects allowed by Business Occupations and Professions §6-205(b). The Board publishes a list of continuing education providers.

Licenses are valid for two years from issue and expire on a staggered basis; the Board mails renewal instructions about 60 days before expiration. An insured license is renewed only with current proof of insurance.

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 · $65

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

  1. Maryland State Board of Electricians - Taking the Exam (PSI) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Maryland State Board of Electricians - Licensing FAQs · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Maryland State Board of Electricians - Fees (effective July 1, 2025) · COMAR 09.09 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Maryland State Board of Electricians - Home · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-604 · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Maryland State Board of Electricians - Licensing Applications (how to apply) · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Maryland State Board of Electricians - Renew a License · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-304 - Qualifications of applicants · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-304 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-305 - Applications · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-305 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-306 - Examinations · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-306 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  10. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-309 - Issuance of State license · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-309 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  11. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-310 - Term and renewal of State licenses · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-310 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  12. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-311 - Uninsured status · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-311 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  13. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions §6-604 - Insurance · Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §6-604 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  14. COMAR 09.09.02 - State Board of Electricians: Continuing Education · COMAR 09.09.02.01-.03 · Maryland Division of State Documents · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  15. PSI - Maryland Master and Journeyperson Electrician Qualification Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Maryland State Board of Electricians · Other · verified September 23, 2026

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