Transfer Your Electrician License to Idaho: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my electrician license transfer to Idaho?
Idaho grants journeyman reciprocity to electricians licensed by examination in 9 named partner states (Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming). Come from one of them and the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board waives its journeyman exam once you show a license held at least a year and can document 8000 hours of experience; come from anywhere else and you apply and sit the exam. Idaho waives its journeyman electrician examination for applicants who hold a current license earned by a state-administered exam in a reciprocal state and have held it continuously for at least one year; applicants from non-reciprocal states must pass the Idaho journeyman electrician examination. Fee: $70 ($70 processing fee for an initial, reciprocal, or reopen-closed license application (per DOPL); exam fee is statutorily capped at $75 for non-reciprocal applicants who must test).
Moving to Idaho from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Reciprocity with 9 states
Idaho's reciprocity is a bilateral list, and the list governs — not your years on the tools. If your license comes from a state Idaho names below and you earned it by exam, the journeyman exam is waived; if it does not, no amount of experience substitutes for sitting the test. Two cautions specific to electrical reciprocity: the list is directional (it names who Idaho accepts, which says nothing about the reverse), and a license you were grandfathered into rather than examined for is generally not eligible.
Idaho maintains bilateral electrical reciprocal agreements (individual state-to-state, e.g., signed agreements with Oregon and Wyoming) rather than a blanket NERA membership; DOPL invited NERA to its 2025 conference to evaluate joining, and as of 2026-07 Idaho is not confirmed as a formal NERA member. Journeyman reciprocity per DOPL's reciprocal-info list (dated 2020-10-26): Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming; master-level reciprocity is limited to Wyoming. Lists are bilateral and directional. DOPL noted in 2025 it was re-evaluating its reciprocal agreements, so the partner set may change — reverify against DOPL before relying.
Idaho requirements at a glance
| Experience hours | 8,000 hours of documented experience for the journeyman license |
|---|---|
| Fees | $70 ($70 processing fee for an initial, reciprocal, or reopen-closed license application (per DOPL); exam fee is statutorily capped at $75 for non-reciprocal applicants who must test) |
| Processing time | DOPL publishes no processing-time figure for reciprocal applications |
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current license earned by a state-administered examination in a reciprocal state, held continuously for at least 1 year.
- Document a four-year apprenticeship plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, or 16,000 hours of electrical experience.
- Grandfathered (non-exam) licenses are not eligible for reciprocity.
- Submit the DOPL initial/reciprocal license application with the processing fee.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Idaho:
Nearby states
Electrician license transfer into the states bordering Idaho:
Idaho for other professions
Frequently asked questions
Which states does Idaho have electrician reciprocity with?
Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming (9 states, verified 2026-07-21 against the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board). The list is bilateral, so a state Idaho recognizes does not necessarily recognize Idaho in return.
How many experience hours does Idaho require?
8000 hours of documented on-the-job experience for the journeyman license; out-of-state hours generally count toward this minimum.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Idaho DOPL — Idaho Electrical Board (board home) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — 'Licenses That Idaho Will Reciprocate: Electrical' reciprocal-info (partner states, eligibility) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Idaho DOPL — Apply for or Renew a License (fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NERA — National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (About) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com