Utah to Montana: master electrician license reciprocity
Montana has a specific endorsement rule for Utah master electricians.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by endorsement for Utah (master) - substantially equivalent state
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
The Montana State Electrical Board's published Substantial Equivalency Determinations list Utah as 'Yes' for the Master Electrician license, meaning Utah's licensing standard requires passage of an electrical exam and either an electrical engineering degree plus 2,000 hours or 8,000 hours of journeyman-level experience. A Utah licensee whose license is active, unrestricted and in good standing therefore applies by endorsement under MCA 37-1-304 and ARM 24.141.504 and is not required to take the Montana exam. The applicant files the online application with the $190 fee (which includes the original license), attaches online verifications for every professional license ever held (including expired ones), and submits documentation of any discipline or convictions. Licenses issued by a city, county or municipality are not considered.
ARM 24.141.504(1) limits formal reciprocity agreements to residential and journeyman licenses, so master licensure for SE states proceeds as licensure by endorsement under MCA 37-1-304. The verification form states Montana requires an exam score of 75% or greater.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Utah license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- Your Utah license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
What you'll do to get licensed in Montana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($190). Application by endorsement or reciprocity, includes the original license fee (ARM 24.141.405); nonrefundable.
- 2Other. License verifications for every professional license ever held (online verification copies accepted) and discipline/conviction documents if applicable.
Published fees on this path total $190, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
How Montana licenses master electricians
Montana master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Montana State Electrical Board (Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division)
Montana issues a statewide Master Electrician license through the State Electrical Board. Under MCA 37-68-304 an applicant needs either an electrical engineering degree from an accredited college plus 2,000 hours of practical experience, or at least 8,000 hours of legally obtained journeyman-level experience in planning, laying out or supervising electrical installations (no more than 50% residential), and must pass the PSI open-book exam on the 2020 NEC (at least 80 questions) with 75%. The $190 application fee includes the original license; renewal is $140 every two years with 16 CE hours. Out-of-state masters are reviewed for substantial equivalency: the board's published determinations mark only Alabama, Idaho, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming as 'Yes', and their licensees are licensed by endorsement without the exam; masters from all other states must take the Montana exam. The board does not sign formal master-level reciprocity agreements (ARM 24.141.504(1) limits those to residential and journeyman licenses).
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Montana master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Utah?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Utah.
- What does it cost to get a Montana master electrician license from Utah?
- Published fees on this path total $190, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Sources
- Montana State Electrical Board Laws and Rules Booklet (MCA Title 37 Chapter 68 and ARM Title 24 Chapter 141) · ARM 24.141.405, 24.141.502, 24.141.503, 24.141.504, 24.141.515 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana State Electrical Board - Master Electrician Licensing Requirements, Application Checklist and Application (Rev. 07/22/2024) · MCA 37-68-304; ARM 24.141.502, 24.141.515(2) · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Form · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana State Electrical Board - Master Electrician license information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Mont. Code Ann. sec. 37-1-304 - Licensure by endorsement; reciprocity · Mont. Code Ann. sec. 37-1-304 · Montana Legislative Services Division · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- MCA 37-68-304 - Master electricians -- application -- qualifications -- contents of examination -- fees · MCA 37-68-304 · Montana Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Montana Substantial Equivalency Determinations (all boards and programs) · MCA 37-1-304 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.