Electrician License from Illinois to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Kentucky accept an Illinois electrician license?
There is no Illinois state license to carry to Kentucky: Illinois issues no statewide journeyman electrician license. Kentucky does license this work, so ask the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Electrical Licensing, Public Protection Cabinet whether it credits a local license or your documented experience; otherwise you qualify as a new applicant.
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Verdict
No state license to transfer
The issue on this move is the starting point: Illinois issues no statewide journeyman or master electrician license, so there is no Illinois state license for Kentucky to verify, endorse or reciprocate. Kentucky does license electricians, through the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Electrical Licensing, Public Protection Cabinet, and it licenses out-of-state electricians by endorsement — but that route starts from a state license. Ask the board, in writing, whether it credits a local Illinois license or your documented hours; otherwise plan for its new-applicant route and exam. Kentucky waives its Journeyman's Electrical Exam for a reciprocal applicant holding an active Virginia or West Virginia journeyman/master electrician license (with a letter of good standing); applicants from any other state must pass the Journeyman's Electrical Exam administered by PROV, NASCLA, or Pearson VUE.
What's different between Illinois and Kentucky
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Kentucky. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Kentucky (this page): No state license to transfer.
Kentucky to Illinois (the reverse move): No state license to transfer.
Illinois issues no statewide journeyman electrician license, so neither direction is a state-license transfer.
- Does coming from Illinois matter?
Coming from Illinois matters here: only 13 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Kentucky.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (35) and reciprocity agreement (2).
- Reciprocity agreements
Kentucky's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Virginia and West Virginia), not including Illinois.
- Fee and processing
Illinois issues no statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is no Illinois state license application fee or processing time to compare with Kentucky's.
- Experience hours
Kentucky's first-time-applicant standard is 8,000 hours of documented experience for the journeyman license; Illinois sets none at state level because it issues no statewide journeyman electrician license.
- Exam rules on record
Kentucky and Illinois carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Kentucky (this move): Kentucky waives its Journeyman's Electrical Exam for a reciprocal applicant holding an active Virginia or West Virginia journeyman/master electrician license (with a letter of good standing); applicants from any other state must pass the Journeyman's Electrical Exam administered by PROV, NASCLA, or Pearson VUE
- Illinois (the reverse move): Illinois has no statewide electrician license, so there is no state exam to waive or transfer; each municipality sets its own exam and licensing rules (for example, the City of Chicago administers its own Supervising Electrician examination through Continental Testing Services)
What changes, Illinois → Kentucky
| Illinois (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience hours | — | 8,000 |
| Application fee | No statewide fee; fees are set by each municipality | $100 (Electrician (journeyman) license is $100 for the 24-month term (prorated by application/birth month); Master Electrician is $200 and Electrical Contractor $400 (DHBC EL-3 fee schedule; 815 KAR 35:060). No separate reciprocity fee.) |
| Processing time | Set by each municipality; there is no statewide process | DHBC does not publish a processing time for electrical license applications |
| Licensing authority | No statewide board — electrician licensing is municipal (e.g., City of Chicago Department of Buildings) | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Electrical Licensing, Public Protection Cabinet |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Kentucky's requirements on the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Electrical Licensing, Public Protection Cabinet website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Electrical Licensing, Public Protection Cabinet whether it credits a local Illinois license or your documented experience: Illinois issues no statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is no state license to verify.
- Otherwise apply as a new applicant: meet Kentucky's education/experience requirements and pass the exams it requires.
- Submit the application with fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Kentucky DHBC — Electrical New Application Checklist (2.4.25): reciprocity states + experience hours ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky DHBC — Form EL-3 Electrical License Application with fee schedule (Oct 2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 815 KAR 35:060 — Licensing of electrical contractors, master electricians, and electricians (fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- City of Chicago — Trade Licensing (Department of Buildings) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- City of Chicago — Supervising Electrician License (municipal exam/licensing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- City of Chicago — Electrical Contractor License ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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