Virginia to Delaware: master electrician license reciprocity
Delaware has a reciprocity agreement with Virginia: a Virginia master electrician can get a Delaware license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocity with Virginia (master, five years of licensed practice required)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Board of Electrical Examiners lists Virginia among the jurisdictions whose master-level licensing standards it has evaluated and found not substantially similar to Delaware's. A master electrician licensed there may still be licensed by reciprocity without a Delaware examination, but under 24 Del. C. § 1409(b) and Regulation 11.2 must have practiced under that license for at least five years after licensure, documented with Verification of Employment forms (or W-2s or Schedule C with an explanatory letter). The applicant applies by reciprocity in DELPROS with the $203 application fee, has licensure verification sent directly to the Board from Virginia and every other jurisdiction where licensed, and files proof of at least $300,000 in general liability insurance.
Virginia's master credential is on the Board's published 'five years' list; the Board's page does not say which named license class it treats as the equivalent of Delaware's master electrician.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- You must have held your Virginia license for at least 5 years.Proof of practice under the submitted license for at least five years after licensure (24 Del. C. § 1409(b); 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 11.2)
- Your Virginia license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
What you'll do to get licensed in Delaware
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($203). Master electrician application fee (exam or reciprocity), paid in DELPROS.
- 2Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 (24 Del. C. § 1411; 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 6.1).
- 3Other. Licensure verification sent directly to the Board from each jurisdiction where the applicant holds or has held a license; the application must be completed within six months of starting it in DELPROS.
- 4Other. Verification of Employment form(s), or W-2s / Schedule C with an explanatory letter, showing five years of licensed full-time practice.
Published fees on this path total $203, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
How Delaware licenses master electricians
Delaware master electrician · “Master Electrician”
Statewide license
Issued by Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation)
Delaware issues a person-held Master Electrician license through the Board of Electrical Examiners; it is the state's highest electrician credential and authorizes residential, commercial and industrial work. The Board also issues Master Electrician Special (restricted to specialties such as elevators, HVAC, signs, pools or primary distribution) and Limited Electrician licenses (residential-scale work, three years' experience), which are lesser credentials. A new master must show six years of full-time experience under a licensed master electrician, or four years plus two years of technical training, or a completed apprenticeship of 8,000 hours with 576 hours of related instruction, and pass the Prov-administered master exam with 75% using only the NEC as a reference; the application fee is $203 and proof of at least $300,000 general liability insurance is required before the license issues. Out-of-state masters are licensed by reciprocity without a Delaware exam under 24 Del. C. § 1409: the Board has published that Maryland and New Jersey standards are substantially similar (no experience proof) and that eighteen other jurisdictions are not, requiring five years of licensed practice; all other states are evaluated case by case. Licenses run two years and renew with continuing education.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Delaware master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Virginia?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Virginia.
- How long do I need to have held my Virginia license?
- At least 5 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Delaware master electrician license from Virginia?
- Published fees on this path total $203, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Does it work the other way, from Delaware to Virginia?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Delaware to Virginia, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- 24 Del. C. Chapter 14, Subchapter II - License (Board of Electrical Examiners) · 24 Del. C. §§ 1407-1411 · Delaware General Assembly (Delaware Code Online) · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners - Home · 24 Del. C. ch. 18 · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware DPR - Board of Electrical Examiners examination information (Prov) · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware DPR - Home Inspector Fee Schedule · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware DPR - Apply for a Master or Limited Electrician license by Examination or by Reciprocity · 24 Del. C. § 1408(a); 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware Register of Regulations, 18 DE Reg. 704 (March 1, 2015) - Board of Electrical Examiners final order (Regulations 3.0 Qualifications and 4.0 Examinations) · 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 §§ 3.0, 4.0 · Delaware Registrar of Regulations / Board of Electrical Examiners · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
- Delaware Register of Regulations, 27 DE Reg. 885 (May 1, 2024) - Board of Electrical Examiners final order amending Regulation 11.0 Reciprocity · 24 DE Admin. Code 1400 § 11.0 · Delaware Registrar of Regulations / Board of Electrical Examiners · Admin Rule · verified September 15, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.