Moving to North Carolina as a master electrician: every state's rule
North Carolina has reciprocity agreements with 10 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.
North Carolina master electrician · “Electrical Contractor (Limited / Intermediate / Unlimited) - Listed Qualified Individual”
Statewide license
Issued by North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC)
North Carolina has no license called 'master electrician'; its highest and only exam-qualified electrical credential is the electrical contracting license issued by the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors under G.S. 87-43 in the Limited (single projects up to $60,000, equipment up to 600 V), Intermediate (up to $150,000) and Unlimited (any value) classifications, plus seven Special Restricted classifications such as SP-SFD (single-family dwellings) and SP-FA/LV (fire alarm/low voltage). The license is issued in the name of a business, which may be a sole proprietorship, but it is earned by a listed qualified individual: the person who passed the PSI-administered classification exam and is named on the license with the statutory duty and authority to supervise and direct all electrical work done in the licensee's name (G.S. 87-41.1). That qualification is personal, follows the individual between licenses through the Board's add/drop form, carries the continuing-education duty, and is what Texas and Virginia treat as equivalent to their master electrician licenses, so this site maps it to the master level. A new qualified individual needs 3,000 hours of experience (2,000 primary) for Limited, 5,750 (5,000 primary) for Intermediate or 9,000 (8,000 primary) for Unlimited, and must pass a 100-question open-book exam (6 hours, 70% to pass) that also covers the licensing law, Board rules and business practices; the exam application fee is $125 and annual license fees are $100, $150 and $200 by classification. Intermediate and Unlimited applicants must also show bonding ability ($60,001 and $150,001). Licenses expire one year after issuance; qualifiers complete a free 4-hour Laws and Rules class within 12 months and 8 hours of CE per year. The Board has reciprocity agreements with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia under G.S. 87-50, which waive the technical exam but not a short NC laws, rules and business exam.
States North Carolina reciprocates with
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 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 | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Georgia | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 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 | |
| Michigan | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Minnesota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Mississippi | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 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 Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Ohio | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 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 | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| South Dakota | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Tennessee | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Texas | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Utah | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Vermont | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Virginia | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Washington | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| West Virginia | Reciprocity | explicit agreement | 2026-09-15 |
| Wisconsin | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 | |
| Wyoming | Experience credit | 2026-09-15 |
Getting licensed in North Carolina from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how North Carolina issues a master electrician license to a first-time applicant.
Electrical contracting license (qualified individual) by examination
North Carolina has no journeyman license, so there is no lower tier to hold first: anyone who is at least 18 and documents enough electrical experience may apply to the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors to take the qualifying exam for the classification they want. The Unlimited classification needs 9,000 hours of experience, at least 8,000 of them primary (hands-on installation work such as journeyman, foreman or superintendent); Intermediate needs 5,750 (5,000 primary) and Limited 3,000 (2,000 primary). The exam is given by PSI after the Board approves your application: 100 multiple-choice questions in 6 hours, open book, with a passing score of 70%. It includes questions on the North Carolina licensing law, Board rules and business practices, so there is no separate law exam. After passing, you file a new license application with the annual license fee and become the listed qualified individual on a license issued in the name of your business.
Experience is verified on a notarized Employer Statement Form from each employer; you cannot verify your own hours. Board approval covers a single exam attempt within a 90-day window, and after a failure you must wait three months and file a new application and fee to retest in the same classification. The required references are the 2020 National Electrical Code, the 2013 edition of NFPA 72 and the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management (North Carolina Electrical edition). Instead of the Board's exam, an applicant who meets the same experience, age and character requirements may submit a passing score on the NASCLA Electrical Contractor exam and pass a 25-question North Carolina laws, rules and business practices test (18 correct). If more than 12 months pass between passing the exam and applying for a license, you must show at least 500 hours of primary experience in the preceding 12 months. The Board asks you to allow 7 to 10 business days to process a license application.
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Exam given by
- PSI
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every year
- Continuing education
- 8 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- You must document at least 9,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Unlimited classification: 9,000 hours, at least 8,000 of them primary. Intermediate: 5,750 (5,000 primary). Limited and single-family dwelling (SP-SFD): 3,000 (2,000 primary). 2,000 hours equal one creditable year (21 NCAC 18B .0201-.0202).
- Experience is credited by capacity under 21 NCAC 18B .0202: journeyman electrician, foreman, superintendent, estimator for a licensed contractor, recognized electrical inspector, and military electricians of rank E-4 or above on land-based installations count 100% as primary experience. Apprentice training in a program approved by the NC Community College System counts 100% as secondary experience, other apprentice or helper time 80%, and electrical coursework 50%.
- Be at least 18 years old.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($125). Application and examination fee paid to the Board with each exam application (all classifications); covers one exam attempt and is not refundable. No separate PSI fee is listed. A review of a failed exam costs $25..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. NCBEEC electrical contracting exam administered by PSI: 100 multiple-choice questions in 6 hours, open book, 70% to pass; includes questions on the licensing law, Board rules and business practices.
- 3Background check. Complete a background check. The exam and license applications ask about misdemeanor convictions in the past three years and any felony conviction, with court records for each; the Board may run a formal criminal or disciplinary history check. A conviction is not automatically disqualifying..
- 4Other. Two character statements; for Unlimited, also two supervise-and-direct statements from people who know your electrical experience.
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Annual license fee for the Unlimited classification, paid with the new license application after passing; Intermediate $150, Limited and special restricted $100.
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond. Statement of bonding ability from a surety, or a bank line-of-credit letter, of at least $150,001 for Unlimited or $60,001 for Intermediate; not required for Limited.
- 7Other. Corporations and LLCs must hold a certificate of authority from the NC Secretary of State before the license is issued.
- 8Other. Free 4-hour Laws and Rules class taught by Board staff, taken within 12 months after (or 90 days before) becoming a qualified individual; it counts for 4 hours of the CE due at the first renewal.
Published fees on this path total $325, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every year with 8 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $200 renewal fee.
Eight hours of Board-approved continuing education each annual license period for qualified individuals on Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited and single-family dwelling licenses (four hours for other special restricted classifications). At least half must be in-person classroom hours. Extra hours may be carried forward to the next one or two years. The free 4-hour Laws and Rules class counts toward the first renewal.
Licenses expire one year after issuance. The renewal fee is the annual license fee for the classification ($200 Unlimited, $150 Intermediate, $100 Limited). Renewals are due 30 days before expiration, and a $25 late fee applies after the expiration date.
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
Surety bond
A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.
- Surety bond
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
Sources for this section
- N.C.G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4 - Electrical Contractors Licensing Law (as published by the Board) · N.C.G.S. 87-41.1, 87-43, 87-43.3, 87-44, 87-50 · North Carolina General Assembly (reproduced by NCBEEC) · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- 21 NCAC 18B - Board Rules for the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law · 21 NCAC 18B .0201, .0202, .0209, .0404, .0701, .1101 · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- NCBEEC - Continuing Education · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NCBEEC Examination Application (checklist, application, employer statement, character and supervise-and-direct forms) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- NCBEEC Examination Information Handbook 2026 (PSI) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors / PSI · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- NCBEEC - Examinations (PSI) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NCBEEC - Fees & Services · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NCBEEC - Licensing (classifications, fees, qualified individuals) · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- NCBEEC Application for New License · NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors · Form · verified September 23, 2026