Moving to Michigan as a master electrician: every state's rule
Michigan has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
Michigan master electrician · “Master Electrician”
State license plus local requirements
Michigan issues a statewide, person-held Master Electrician license through LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes under MCL 339.5713; the Electrical Contractor license is a separate business credential that requires a qualifying master and no exam, and is not covered here. A new master applicant must be at least 22, have held an electrical journeyman license for at least two years, document 12,000 hours over at least six years under a master electrician with notarized employer letters, pass the PSI-administered master exam (75% to pass, 2023 NEC) for a $100 exam fee, and pay the $50 license fee; the license renews every year for $50. Michigan has no reciprocity agreements with any state and requires every out-of-state master to pass the Michigan exam, though out-of-state experience may be credited after board review. Under MCL 339.5733 the City of Detroit licenses master electricians who are Detroit residents, and Detroit licenses are valid statewide.
How local licensing works in Michigan
Under MCL 339.5733 a municipality with an equally stringent licensing ordinance may examine and license master electricians within its jurisdiction, and those licenses must be recognized by all municipalities. The City of Detroit's Board of Electrical Examiners examines and licenses Master Electricians who are Detroit residents (12,000 hours over at least six years under a master, journeyperson license held two years); Detroit licenses are valid throughout Michigan and equivalent to state licenses. Non-residents of Detroit apply to LARA.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Alaska | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Arizona | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| California | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Colorado | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Connecticut | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Delaware | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| District of Columbia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Florida | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Georgia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Hawaii | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Idaho | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Louisiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Maine | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Maryland | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Massachusetts | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Minnesota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Mississippi | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Missouri | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Montana | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Nebraska | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Nevada | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| New Hampshire | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New Jersey | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New Mexico | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| North Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Ohio | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oklahoma | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Oregon | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Rhode Island | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Carolina | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| South Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Tennessee | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-15 |
| Texas | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Utah | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Vermont | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Washington | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| West Virginia | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in Michigan from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Michigan issues a master electrician license to a first-time applicant.
Master Electrician license by examination
A Michigan electrical journeyman becomes a master electrician by holding the journeyman license for at least two years, documenting at least 12,000 hours of experience over at least six years under the supervision of a master electrician, and passing the master exam; the applicant must be at least 22. At least 4,000 of those hours must be worked after the journeyman license was issued, and a Michigan journeyman licensee does not need to document experience from before that license. You apply on Form BCC-341 with notarized experience statements and the $50 license fee. Once the Licensing Section approves the application, PSI contacts you to pay the $100 exam fee and schedule the open-book exam, which has 76 questions in 180 minutes and requires a score of 75%. There is no separate law or business exam.
Experience is documented with notarized letters or LARA's Work Experience Report (Form BCC-3923), one per employer, naming the supervising master electrician and license number. The master exam covers the same codes and statutes as the journeyman exam plus the knowledge needed to plan and supervise electrical installations; you bring your own bound, unmarked copies of the NEC, 2016 PA 407, 1972 PA 230 and the Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8. An approved application is good for one year from its first review. If you fail the exam twice within two years, you must wait one year from the second failure and complete a board-approved course on the Michigan electrical code, electrical fundamentals or electrical theory before testing again. Doing electrical work as a business also requires an Electrical Contractor license, which needs a qualifying master electrician but no exam. Detroit residents are examined and licensed by Detroit's Board of Electrical Examiners instead.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 75%
- Renewal
- Every year
Who can apply
- Hold a Michigan Electrical Journeyman license for at least 2 years first.Held for at least two years (MCL 339.5713).
- You must document at least 12,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Obtained over six years or more in electrical construction, building maintenance, or electrical wiring or equipment, under the supervision of a Michigan-licensed master electrician; at least 4,000 hours must be earned after the journeyman license was issued.
- Be at least 22 years old.
Steps to get licensed
- 1License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($50). Master Electrician license fee, paid with the BCC-341 application (non-refundable; waived for active service members, honorably discharged veterans and their dependents).
- 2Other. Notarized experience statement from each current and former employer (letter or Form BCC-3923) showing dates, hours, type of electrical work and the supervising master electrician.
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Michigan Master Electrician exam administered by PSI: 76 questions, 180 minutes, open book, 75% to pass.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). PSI examination fee, paid to PSI when scheduling after approval; charged for each attempt, non-refundable and valid for one year.
Published fees on this path total $150, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every year and a $50 renewal fee.
There is no fixed yearly hour requirement. When the state construction code is updated, you must complete a board-approved code update course within 12 months of the change; in years without a code change, no course is required. Approved courses and instructors are listed through CE Broker (cebroker.com, 877-434-6323). You do not submit the certificate with your renewal, but must keep it in case you are audited.
Licenses expire December 31 each year, and renewal opens 90 days before. A $50 late fee applies if you renew after the license expires, and a license not renewed by March 1 is void.
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 · $100
Sources for this section
- City of Detroit BSEED - Master Electrician Examination Overview · City of Detroit, Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026
- Michigan LARA Form BCC-341 - Application for Journeyman, Master Electrician, Fire Alarm Specialty Technician or Sign Specialist Examination and Licensure (Rev. 3/22) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - Electrical Examination, Licensing/Registration and Application Information · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA Form BCC-3923 - Work Experience Report, Electrical Experience Affidavit (1/2025) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes - PSI Examinations · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan LARA BCC - License/Registration Renewals (Residential Builders section) · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Michigan Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 7 - Electricians and Electrical Contractors · MCL 339.5707, 339.5709, 339.5713, 339.5715, 339.5733 · Michigan Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- PSI - Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Electrical Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 8/20/2026) · PSI Services LLC for Michigan LARA · Other · verified September 23, 2026