LicensebyState

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

Massachusetts has reciprocity agreements with 1 state. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Massachusetts master electrician · “Master Electrician (Certificate A, Class A)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Board of State Examiners of Electricians (Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure)

Massachusetts issues a statewide Master Electrician license (Certificate A) through the Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Under M.G.L. c. 141, § 3 a master must have held a Certificate B (journeyman) license for at least twelve months and pass the master examination; the Board's candidate bulletin states the work requirement as one year as a Massachusetts journeyman plus a 150-hour master curriculum. The PSI exam is open book and two-part: Part 1 has 90 questions in 240 minutes and Part 2 is a 50-question, 120-minute Business and Law exam, each passed at 70%. The application and exam fee is $276 and the license fee is $155. Under M.G.L. c. 141, § 2B and 237 CMR 15.00 the Board licenses without examination only licensees of states with a written reciprocal agreement, and its only agreement is with New Hampshire: a master who earned the New Hampshire master license by examination is licensed for a $310 fee, holding or concurrently applying for the Massachusetts journeyman license and documenting the 150-hour master program. A master from any other state first earns the Massachusetts journeyman license by exam, after which the one-year journeyman requirement for the master exam is waived on proof of the out-of-state master license.

States Massachusetts reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 1Experience credit 38No credit 11
Every state's path into Massachusetts
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
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-15
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-15
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
MarylandExperience 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 HampshireReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
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
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-15
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-15
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-15
WisconsinExperience credit2026-09-15
WyomingExperience credit2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Massachusetts from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 8 sources

Master Electrician license (Certificate A) by examination

A Massachusetts journeyman becomes a master electrician by holding the journeyman license (Certificate B) for at least one year while actively working in the trade, completing a Board-approved 150-hour master curriculum, and passing the two-part master exam administered by PSI. Part 1 covers the electrical code and trade knowledge; Part 2 is a Business and Law exam on Chapter 141, the Board's rules, contracting, and lien, labor, tax and safety law. Both parts are open book and each must be passed with at least 70%. The application is filed online with PSI with your journeyman license number, a CORI authorization and a 15-hour code-update certificate. A master license lets its holder run an electrical business; the wiring itself is done under a journeyman license.

Part 1 has 90 questions in 240 minutes on the National Electrical Code as amended by the Massachusetts Electrical Code (527 CMR 12.00). The Business and Law part has 50 questions in 120 minutes; its allowed references include the NASCLA Contractors Guide, M.G.L. c. 141 and 237 CMR 12 to 23. Any failed part must be passed within 12 months of your application approval. Veterans receive a 5% credit on each part, and the Massachusetts $66 application processing fee is waived for veterans, active military and their spouses. A master licensed in another state follows the out-of-state route instead: the one-year journeyman requirement is waived, but the Massachusetts journeyman license must be earned first.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 3 years
Continuing education
21 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician license (Certificate B) for at least 1 year first.Held for at least twelve months while actively engaged in electrical work (M.G.L. c. 141, § 3; 237 CMR 13.01).
  • Complete at least 150 hours of classroom or related instruction.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($75). PSI application processing fee, paid with the online application.
  2. 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($66). Massachusetts exam application processing fee (non-refundable); waived for veterans, active military and their spouses.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). Trade portion (Part 1) examination administration fee, paid to PSI (non-refundable).
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($55). Business and Law portion examination administration fee, paid to PSI (non-refundable); retaking both parts costs $135 in total.
  5. 5Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Master Electrician exam Part 1 (PSI): 90 questions, 240 minutes, open book, 70% to pass.
  6. 6Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Business and Law exam (PSI): 50 questions, 120 minutes, open book, 70% to pass.
  7. 7Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. 15-hour code-update course on the Massachusetts Electrical Code (527 CMR 12.00) from a Board-approved provider; the completion certificate is uploaded with the application.
  8. 8Background check. Complete a background check. Notarized CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) authorization; the Board checks every applicant's record before approving the application.
  9. 9Other. Passport-style photo uploaded with the online application.
  10. 10License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($155). Master license fee, paid at the test center after passing (non-refundable).

Published fees on this path total $431, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with 21 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $117 renewal fee.

21 hours in the three years before renewal: 15 hours on the Massachusetts Electrical Code (527 CMR 12.00) and related laws and regulations from a Board-approved provider, and 6 hours of professional development of your choice (code, business, law, first aid, safety or building code).

Licenses expire on July 31 every third year and are renewed online.

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.

  • Exam fee · $80
  • Exam fee · $55
  • Trade exam
  • Law / code exam

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. 237 CMR 13.00 - Eligibility criteria for initial licensure · 237 CMR 13.01, 13.03, 13.05, 13.07-13.12 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  2. 237 CMR 14.00 - Examinations for licensure · 237 CMR 14.02 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  3. 237 CMR 17.00 - Mandatory continuing education · 237 CMR 17.01 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Mass.gov - Apply for an individual electrical or systems license · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians / Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Mass.gov - Electricians FAQs for applications · 237 CMR 13.00, 13.05, 13.09 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
  6. MGL Chapter 141, Section 3 - Forms of examinations, licenses and certificates · M.G.L. c. 141, § 3 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Board of State Examiners of Electricians - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 11/1/2024) · 237 CMR 13.00, 18.01 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians / PSI Services LLC · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Mass.gov - Renew your electrician, systems technician, or systems contractor license · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians / Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026

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