LicensebyState

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

Virginia has reciprocity agreements with 7 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Virginia master electrician · “Master Electrical Tradesman (ELE)”

Statewide license

Verified September 15, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesmen Program (DPOR)

Virginia issues a statewide Master Electrical tradesman license to individuals through the Board for Contractors' Tradesmen Program at DPOR. Under 18VAC50-30-39 a first-time applicant qualifies for the PSI master exam ($125) with one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman, three years as a Virginia residential tradesman, or nine years of verified practical experience in the trade; the application fee on the 2026 form is $171.75 including the technology fee. A current journeyman or master license from another state is itself an accepted qualification to sit the master exam, and a master licensed elsewhere for at least one year may apply through Universal License Recognition and receive the license without the Virginia trade exam. The Board has master-level examination reciprocity agreements with Alabama, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia. The master tradesman license is a personal qualification; contracting for work over $1,000 requires a separate Class A, B or C contractor business license from the same Board, and the North Carolina and Ohio agreements also cover that business license's exams.

States Virginia reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 7Endorsement 32No credit 11
Every state's path into Virginia
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
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 ColumbiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
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
KentuckyReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
MaineEndorsement2026-09-15
MarylandReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-15
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 HampshireEndorsement2026-09-15
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-15
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-15
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
North CarolinaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
OhioReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-15
OregonEndorsement2026-09-15
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-15
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-15
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-15
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-15
TexasEndorsement2026-09-15
UtahEndorsement2026-09-15
VermontEndorsement2026-09-15
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-15
West VirginiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-15
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-15
WyomingEndorsement2026-09-15

Getting licensed in Virginia from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Master Electrical Tradesman by examination

A Virginia journeyman electrician qualifies for the master exam after one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman. Current licensees apply on the Tradesman Additional Designation & License Upgrade Application ($171.75). Someone without a Virginia journeyman license can instead qualify with nine years of verified practical experience in the trade, applying on the Tradesman Exam & License Application for the same fee. After the Board approves the application, you schedule the open-book PSI master electrician exam ($125). You need a score of 70 percent to pass.

Experience is documented on the Board's Individual Experience Verification Form. The exam has 90 questions (63 correct to pass) in 270 minutes and includes a few questions on the Board's regulations; there is no separate law exam. References are the 2020 National Electrical Code, NFPA 70E and the Board's tradesman regulations, brought by the candidate and not written in. You can test at a PSI center or by remote proctoring. The master license is a personal qualification: contracting for electrical work over $1,000 also requires a Class A, B or C contractor license from the Board for Contractors.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 3 years
Continuing education
3 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Virginia Journeyman Electrical Tradesman license for at least 1 year first.One year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman in the trade (18VAC50-30-39 D).

Other ways to qualify

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

Nine years of practical experience (no Virginia journeyman license)

An applicant who does not hold the Virginia journeyman license may qualify for the master exam with nine years of practical experience in the electrical trade, verified by people who observed the work, and applies on the Tradesman Exam & License Application.

  • You must document at least 9 years of qualifying work experience.
  • Be at least 18 years old.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($171.75). Upgrade to Master by examination on the Tradesman Additional Designation & License Upgrade Application, or the Tradesman Exam & License Application if you hold no Virginia tradesman license; includes the technology fee; non-refundable.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Virginia Master Electrician exam administered by PSI: 90 questions in 270 minutes, open book, 63 correct to pass.
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($125). Paid to PSI when scheduling; non-refundable and valid for one year.
  4. 4Background check. Complete a background check. Applicants must disclose any felony or non-marijuana misdemeanor conviction and any action by a licensing board. Report each conviction on the Criminal Conviction Reporting Form with an official criminal history record from each jurisdiction where it occurred; the Board may deny a license under Va. Code 54.1-204..
  5. 5Other. Individual Experience Verification Form documenting the qualifying experience.

Published fees on this path total $296.75, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with 3 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $160 renewal fee.

Three hours of board-approved continuing education on electrical code changes, completed before the license expires. A licensee who holds more than one trade designation needs a course in each. License Lookup shows the hours owed, and only courses on the Board's approved list count.

Tradesman licenses expire three years from the last day of the month of issue. The $160 renewal fee is set by regulation; since July 1, 2026 DPOR adds a $7.25-per-year technology fee to certain fees, so check the renewal notice for the current amount. Renewing more than 30 days late requires reinstatement ($210 under the regulation).

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 · $125

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. 18VAC50-30-100 - Examination fees · 18VAC50-30-100 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  2. 18VAC50-30-120 - Renewal · 18VAC50-30-120; Va. Code § 54.1-1133 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  3. 18VAC50-30-30 - General requirements for licensure or certification · 18VAC50-30-30 · Virginia Register / Board for Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  4. 18VAC50-30-39 - Qualifications for examination approval for a tradesman license · 18VAC50-30-39 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  5. 18VAC50-30-90 - Fees for licensure and certification · 18VAC50-30-90 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Form A501-2710EXLIC - Tradesman Exam & License Application (v8, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Form A501-2710ADDLIC - Tradesman Additional Designation & License Upgrade Application (v6, 07/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  8. DPOR Board for Contractors - Tradesmen Program · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  9. PSI - Virginia DPOR Individual License and Certification Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026

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