Electrician License from California to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) ↗
A electrical license transfers from California to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification), verify your California license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. No New Hampshire exam is required to license a journeyman by endorsement if you hold a current license in a listed qualifying jurisdiction and have at least 1 year of professional experience in the journeyman category (Plc 313.24); applicants from non-listed jurisdictions must license by examination (verify 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and pass the NH journeyman exam).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New Hampshire publishes no reciprocity list covering California, but the New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) licenses out-of-state electricians by endorsement, so this move runs on the board's case-by-case judgment rather than an automatic waiver. If you hold a master license this is usually your route regardless — master electricians typically endorse rather than transfer through journeyman reciprocity. Ask the board, in writing, exactly which exam or experience requirement it will waive before you rely on it.
What changes, California → New Hampshire
| California (current) | New Hampshire (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Application fee | $175 ($100 examination fee + $75 non-refundable administration fee for the General Electrician certification; California offers no reduced fee or exam waiver for out-of-state electricians) | OPLC application/license fees are published only on the board's fee page (the application states 'SEE WEBSITE FOR FEES'); the official fee schedule was access-restricted and could not be retrieved as of 2026-07-21 - see https://www.oplc.nh.gov/find-board/electricians-board/electricians-license-fees |
| Processing time | DIR does not publish a processing time; the certification exam is scheduled through CPS HR Consulting / Pearson VUE | OPLC does not publish a processing time for endorsement/reciprocal applications |
| Licensing authority | California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement — Electrician Certification Unit | New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current electrician license in a listed qualifying jurisdiction with at least 1 year of professional experience in the journeyman category (Plc 313.24).
- Applicants by examination must verify a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training (master applicants: 2,000 hours as a licensed journeyman).
- Provide 3 professional references and a recent color photograph (Elec 302.04).
- Disclose any felony convictions and any license discipline in any jurisdiction.
- Pay the fees (OPLC application/license fees are published only on the board's fee page (the application states 'SEE WEBSITE FOR FEES'); the official fee schedule was access-restricted and could not be retrieved as of 2026-07-21 - see https://www.oplc.nh.gov/find-board/electricians-board/electricians-license-fees) and allow OPLC does not publish a processing time for endorsement/reciprocal applications.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept a California electrician license?
A electrical license transfers from California to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification), verify your California license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. No New Hampshire exam is required to license a journeyman by endorsement if you hold a current license in a listed qualifying jurisdiction and have at least 1 year of professional experience in the journeyman category (Plc 313.24); applicants from non-listed jurisdictions must license by examination (verify 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and pass the NH journeyman exam).
Which exam will I take moving from California to New Hampshire?
No New Hampshire exam is required to license a journeyman by endorsement if you hold a current license in a listed qualifying jurisdiction and have at least 1 year of professional experience in the journeyman category (Plc 313.24); applicants from non-listed jurisdictions must license by examination (verify 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and pass the NH journeyman exam).
What does the California-to-New Hampshire move cost and how long does it take?
OPLC application/license fees are published only on the board's fee page (the application states 'SEE WEBSITE FOR FEES'); the official fee schedule was access-restricted and could not be retrieved as of 2026-07-21 - see https://www.oplc.nh.gov/find-board/electricians-board/electricians-license-fees; processing OPLC does not publish a processing time for endorsement/reciprocal applications.
Does this route work for a master electrician?
Usually yes — master electricians typically move by endorsement rather than journeyman reciprocity. Confirm the New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification)'s master-level experience and exam requirements, which are separate from the journeyman track this site's grid tracks.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- NH OPLC - New Changes for Reciprocity (Plc 313.24 Electricians' Board qualifying jurisdictions) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC Electricians' Board - Journeyman/Master/Reciprocal Application (8,000-hour journeyman requirement; reciprocity section) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California DIR/DLSE — Electrician Certification Program (overview) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California DIR/DLSE — Electrician Certification FAQs (no out-of-state reciprocity; must be certified & tested) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California DIR/DLSE — General Electrician (8,000-hour experience & exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California CSLB — Reciprocity Requirements (separate C-10 contractor reciprocity: AZ, LA, MS, NV, NC) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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