Vermont to Massachusetts: master electrician license reciprocity
Massachusetts has no reciprocity agreement with Vermont. Your Vermont experience counts toward eligibility, but you must pass the Massachusetts exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Master by examination with out-of-state credentials
Nothing is waived, but your documented out-of-state hours count toward eligibility to sit the exam.
A master electrician from a state without a written reciprocity agreement cannot have the Massachusetts master exam waived and must qualify for it under the Board's standard criteria: at least twelve months as a licensed journeyman (M.G.L. c. 141, § 3; the candidate bulletin lists this as one year as a Massachusetts journeyman) and a 150-hour master curriculum, which may be satisfied by out-of-state schooling if the Board finds it substantially equivalent. The online PSI application has a specific option for out-of-state master applicants, and requires an official board-certified verification of the out-of-state license, out-of-state education and practical-experience forms, a CORI authorization and a 15-hour code-update certificate. The $276 application and exam fee is paid to PSI; the applicant must pass both Part 1 (90 questions, 240 minutes) and the Business and Law part (50 questions, 120 minutes) at 70%, then pay the $155 license fee. The Board's FAQ sets out the route for a master licensed in any state other than New Hampshire: first apply for, sit and pass the Massachusetts journeyman exam; once licensed, apply for the master exam, where 'the requirement to be a Journeyman for a year can be waived with the proof of Master Licensure in said other state', documenting a Board-approved 150-hour master course or an equivalent 150-hour out-of-state course.
Confirmed from the Board's FAQ: an out-of-state master must first obtain the Massachusetts journeyman license by examination, but the twelve-month journeyman requirement for the master exam is waived on proof of the out-of-state master license. Licensure without examination (237 CMR 15.00) applies only to New Hampshire.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
What you must already have
- Hold the Massachusetts journeyman license (Certificate B), obtained by passing the Massachusetts journeyman exam; the usual twelve months as a journeyman is waived on proof of the out-of-state master license (Board FAQ)
- 150-hour master electrician curriculum from a Board-approved program, or out-of-state education the Board finds substantially equivalent
- Your Vermont license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in Massachusetts
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($276). Master application and examination fee paid to PSI with the online application (excludes the license fee); re-exam for both parts $135.
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Master Electrician examination Part 1 (PSI): 90 questions, 240 minutes, open book, 70% to pass, NEC as amended by 527 CMR 12.00.
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Business and Law examination (Master Electrician and Systems Contractor): 50 questions, 120 minutes, 70% to pass, based on the NASCLA Contractors Guide, M.G.L. c. 141 and 237 CMR 12-23.
- 4Background check. Complete a background check. CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) authorization form.
- 5Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Certificate of completion of a 15-hour code update course from a Board-approved provider, submitted with the application.
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($155). Master license fee paid at the test center after passing.
Published fees on this path total $431, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
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.
- Application fee · $276
- Trade exam
- Law / code exam
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How Massachusetts licenses master electricians
Massachusetts master electrician · “Master Electrician (Certificate A, Class A)”
Statewide license
Issued by Board of State Examiners of Electricians (Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure)
Massachusetts issues a statewide Master Electrician license (Certificate A) through the Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Under M.G.L. c. 141, § 3 a master must have held a Certificate B (journeyman) license for at least twelve months and pass the master examination; the Board's candidate bulletin states the work requirement as one year as a Massachusetts journeyman plus a 150-hour master curriculum. The PSI exam is open book and two-part: Part 1 has 90 questions in 240 minutes and Part 2 is a 50-question, 120-minute Business and Law exam, each passed at 70%. The application and exam fee is $276 and the license fee is $155. Under M.G.L. c. 141, § 2B and 237 CMR 15.00 the Board licenses without examination only licensees of states with a written reciprocal agreement, and its only agreement is with New Hampshire: a master who earned the New Hampshire master license by examination is licensed for a $310 fee, holding or concurrently applying for the Massachusetts journeyman license and documenting the 150-hour master program. A master from any other state first earns the Massachusetts journeyman license by exam, after which the one-year journeyman requirement for the master exam is waived on proof of the out-of-state master license.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Massachusetts master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Vermont?
- Yes. Massachusetts requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Massachusetts master electrician license from Vermont?
- Published fees on this path total $431, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Vermont work hours count in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Massachusetts's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Massachusetts to Vermont?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Massachusetts to Vermont, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- 237 CMR 15.00 - Licensure without examination (by reciprocity), Mass. Register #1561, 11/21/2025 · 237 CMR 15.01, 15.02 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 202615.01(1): the Board may license without examination a master or journeyman licensed in another state with substantially the same standards, 'provided, however, that the state which has already granted licensure has entered a written agreement with the commonwealth giving a like privilege' to Massachusetts licensees. 15.01(2): a master applicant shows a minimum of five years actively engaged in electrical work and holds a current Class B (journeyman) license issued by the Board (the Class B application may be made at the same time); a journeyman applicant shows the equivalent of the 600-hour journeyman course completed within ten years of application and at least 8,000 hours of practical experience in no less than four years as an apprentice. 15.02: notarized application, fee paid in full and non-refundable, a certified Statement of Registration bearing the origin board's seal, and anyone previously examined and licensed by the Board is not eligible under 15.00. Opened on 2026-09-15 through a text-extraction proxy; mass.gov refuses direct requests from automated clients with HTTP 403.
- Mass.gov - Electricians FAQs for applications · 237 CMR 13.00, 13.05, 13.09 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians · Faq · verified September 15, 2026'MA only has reciprocity with NH.' The NH agreement covers journeyman and master licensure only if the NH license was acquired by examination in NH; a NH license gained by reciprocity or endorsement is not eligible. An electrician licensed in any other state must apply, sit for and pass the journeyman exam, documenting out-of-state education on the Out-of-State Education Program Form and experience per 237 CMR 13.09, plus the 15-hour code-update course (237 CMR 13.05). A master licensed in another state (other than NH) first obtains the MA journeyman license by exam, then may apply for the master exam: 'the requirement to be a Journeyman for a year can be waived with the proof of Master Licensure in said other state', with a Board-approved 150-hour master course or an equivalent 150-hour out-of-state course. Board staff do not pre-review education or experience. Opened on 2026-09-15 through a text-extraction proxy; mass.gov refuses direct requests from automated clients with HTTP 403.
- MGL Chapter 141, Section 2B - Electricians licensed in other states; reciprocal licensure without examination; fees · M.G.L. c. 141, § 2B · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Verbatim: 'The examiners may license without examination any person who has been licensed as an electrician in another state under laws which, in the opinion of the examiners, maintain standards substantially the same as those of the commonwealth for electricians.' The fee for licensing without examination for master and journeyman licenses is set annually by the commissioner of administration under M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B; no amount is published in the statute.
- MGL Chapter 141, Section 3 - Forms of examinations, licenses and certificates · M.G.L. c. 141, § 3 · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 15, 2026Establishes certificate A (master electrician's license), certificate B (journeyman electrician's license), certificate C (systems contractor's license) and certificate D (systems technician's license). Certificate B is issued to a person who has passed the examination before the state examiners; certificate A requires passing the examination and having held a certificate B for at least twelve months. Applicants apply in writing with an examination fee and pay a license fee on issuance; amounts are not in the statute.
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 11/1/2024) · 237 CMR 13.00, 18.01 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians / PSI Services LLC · Other · verified September 15, 2026Written by the Board and hosted by PSI, which processes all applications and administers the exams. Journeyman eligibility: high-school diploma, 600-hour journeyman curriculum, and 4 years with 8,000 hours of work experience; Master: 150-hour master curriculum and '1 yr as MA Journeyman'. Out-of-state applicants submit the Out of State Education Program Form with transcripts, the Out of State Practical Experience Certification Form (signed by the applicant, a licensed verifying agent and a professional witness), and an official board-certified verification of any current out-of-state license; the Board may award full or partial credit for out-of-state education and may deny credit. Fees paid to PSI with the online application: Journeyman $226, Master $276 (application and exam, excluding license fee); license fee paid at the test center after passing: Journeyman $104, Master $155; re-exam for both parts $135. Exams are open-book, two-part, 70% on each part: Journeyman Part 1 is 80 questions in 180 minutes; Master Part 1 is 90 questions in 240 minutes plus a 50-question, 120-minute Business and Law part; code questions use the NEC as amended by the Massachusetts Electrical Code, 527 CMR 12.00. Applicants also need a CORI authorization and a certificate of a 15-hour code update course from a Board-approved provider. Application approval lasts 12 months; education older than 20 years and experience more than 20 years old are treated as expired.
- Mass.gov - Apply for reciprocity for an out-of-state electricians license · 237 CMR 15.00 · Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians / Division of Occupational Licensure · Agency Page · verified September 15, 2026Verbatim: 'The Board has an agreement with New Hampshire to accept Journeyman and Master licenses ONLY IF they were obtained by passing an exam in New Hampshire.' Journeyman: License Verification/Certified Letter from the New Hampshire Board (name, address, license type/number, status, Board seal; PDF upload accepted), notarized CORI Authorization Form, passport-quality photo, certified records of any discipline or convictions. Master: additionally a copy of a current MA journeyman license or an indication that a journeyman-by-reciprocity application is being submitted at the same time, documentation of completing the MA 150-hour Master Electrician Program, and a standing letter issued within 90 days for each professional license held elsewhere. Fees (non-refundable per 237 CMR 15.02): Journeyman $208, Master $310. Applications are filed online through the DOL ePLACE portal; incomplete applications are held 180 days then abandoned; the Board needs at least 10 business days to review a complete application. Opened on 2026-09-15 through a text-extraction proxy; mass.gov refuses direct requests from automated clients with HTTP 403.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.