LicensebyState

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

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

Wisconsin master electrician · “Master Electrician”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)

Wisconsin issues a statewide, person-held Master Electrician license through DSPS; the separate Electrical Contractor license is a business credential that must designate a master electrician and is not covered here. A new applicant under Wis. Stat. 101.868 qualifies with 12 months of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician, or 60 months with at least 10,000 hours of experience, or a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, applies in the LicensE portal, and passes the DSPS master electrician exam. Under Wis. Stat. 101.874 DSPS may enter into reciprocal agreements; Form 3107 currently waives the exam only for Iowa Master A Electricians. The license is renewed every four years for $200, with 24 hours of continuing education.

States Wisconsin reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 1Experience credit 38No credit 11
Every state's path into Wisconsin
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-23
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-23
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-23
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ColoradoExperience credit2026-09-23
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-23
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-23
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-23
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-23
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-23
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-23
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IowaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-23
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MaineExperience credit2026-09-23
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-23
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-23
MichiganExperience credit2026-09-23
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-23
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MissouriExperience credit2026-09-23
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-23
NebraskaExperience credit2026-09-23
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-23
New JerseyExperience credit2026-09-23
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-23
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-23
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
OhioExperience credit2026-09-23
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-23
OregonExperience credit2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-23
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-23
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-23
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
TexasExperience credit2026-09-23
UtahExperience credit2026-09-23
VermontExperience credit2026-09-23
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-23
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-23
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-23
WyomingExperience credit2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Wisconsin from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Master Electrician license by examination

A Wisconsin journeyman electrician qualifies for the Master Electrician exam after 12 months of experience installing, repairing and maintaining electrical wiring while licensed as a journeyman. Wisconsin also allows direct entry without the journeyman license: 10,000 hours of experience over at least 60 months, or a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering. You apply and pay in LicensE (Form 3107 explains what to upload), and DSPS notifies you when you are eligible to test. The exam is open book, has 50 questions in 4 hours and takes 70% to pass; it is given at DSPS exam sites or, for a higher fee, at Pearson VUE test centers in Wisconsin. There is no separate law or business exam.

Allowed references are the same as for the journeyman exam: one binder holding Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305 and SPS 316 plus printed notes, the National Electrical Code book or handbook, and up to two printed, bound reference books. Exams are based on the 2017 NEC until October 1, 2026, and on the 2023 NEC from that date. After passing, the license must be obtained within 3 months of the results or the exam must be retaken. A master electrician who later exchanged the master license for a journeyman license can exchange back without a new exam by uploading a copy of the former master license. Running an electrical contracting business requires a separate Electrical Contractor license.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
Wisconsin DSPS (DSPS exam sites or Pearson VUE centers in Wisconsin)
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 4 years
Continuing education
24 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Journeyman Electrician license for at least 12 months first.Twelve months of experience installing, repairing and maintaining electrical wiring while licensed as a journeyman electrician (Wis. Stat. 101.868(1)(b)). Upload a copy of the journeyman license.

Other ways to qualify

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

10,000 hours of experience over at least 60 months

An applicant without a journeyman license may document at least 10,000 hours of experience installing, repairing and maintaining electrical wiring over at least 60 months, or at least 1,000 hours per year for at least seven years, on the Experience Table (Form 3107T). Full-time study in an electrical-related program counts as 500 hours per semester, up to 3,000 hours and three years.

  • You must document at least 10,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Over a period of at least 60 months, or at least 1,000 hours per year for at least seven years. Up to 3,000 hours may come from full-time electrical schooling.

Degree in electrical engineering

A bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering from an accredited engineering college or university qualifies you for the master exam without documented field experience. Upload transcripts with the application.

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering from an accredited engineering university or college

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($35). Master Electrician license application fee (Table 305.02 line 24), paid in LicensE.
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($30). Master Electrician examination fee (Table 305.02 line 24), paid again for each retake. Candidates who choose a Pearson VUE test center are billed $95 by Pearson for the exam..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Wisconsin Master Electrician exam: 50 questions, 4 hours, open book on SPS 305, SPS 316 and the NEC; 70% to pass.
  4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Master Electrician initial license fee (Table 305.02 line 24); four-year license.

Published fees on this path total $265, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 4 years with 24 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $200 renewal fee.

24 hours of DSPS-approved continuing education before the license expires. DSPS may waive the requirement for prolonged illness, disability or similar circumstances.

Licenses expire on June 30. A $25 late continuing-education fee applies when hours are completed after expiration.

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 · $30
  • Trade exam

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. Wisconsin DSPS - Trades Continuing Education and Exam Information (credential checklist) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Wisconsin DSPS Form 3107 - Master Electrician License Application Information (Rev. 12/04/2025) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Wisconsin DSPS - Master Plumber Exam Information · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Wisconsin DSPS - Master Plumber · Wis. Stat. 145.06; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.91 · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Wisconsin DSPS - Pearson VUE Computer-Based Trade Exam Fee Schedule · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Renewal Dates and Fees (Health, Business, and Unarmed Combat Sports) - Wisconsin DSPS · Wis. Stat. 440.08(2)(a)38g., 440.08(3)(a) · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Wisconsin DSPS - Trades Credentialing Examination Information · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 305 - Licenses, Certifications and Registrations (Table 305.02 fees; Table 305.06 terms; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91, 305.93, 305.95) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02 Table 305.02 lines 62 and 65; SPS 305.06 Table 305.06; SPS 305.09; SPS 305.91; SPS 305.93; SPS 305.95 · Wisconsin Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Wis. Stat. 101.868 - Master electrician license · Wis. Stat. 101.868 · Wisconsin Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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