Electrician License from Illinois to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Montana accept an Illinois electrician license?
There is no Illinois state license to carry to Montana: Illinois issues no statewide journeyman electrician license. Montana does license this work, so ask the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) whether it credits a local license or your documented experience; otherwise you qualify as a new applicant.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
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 Montana to verify, endorse or reciprocate. Montana does license electricians, through the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry), 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. No Montana journeyman exam is required if your existing out-of-state license is substantially equivalent (the other state required passing an electrical exam PLUS an approved apprenticeship, bona fide union/trade training, 8,000 hours of practical experience, or 20,000 hours in electrical maintenance); if it is not substantially equivalent, you must pass the Montana journeyman exam (75% to pass).
What's different between Illinois and Montana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Montana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Montana (this page): No state license to transfer.
Montana 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 Montana.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (37).
- 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 Montana's.
- Experience hours
Montana'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
Montana and Illinois carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Montana (this move): No Montana journeyman exam is required if your existing out-of-state license is substantially equivalent (the other state required passing an electrical exam PLUS an approved apprenticeship, bona fide union/trade training, 8,000 hours of practical experience, or 20,000 hours in electrical maintenance); if it is not substantially equivalent, you must pass the Montana journeyman exam (75% to pass)
- 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 → Montana
| Illinois (current) | Montana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience hours | — | 8,000 |
| Application fee | No statewide fee; fees are set by each municipality | $190 ($190 application fee for licensure by reciprocity or endorsement (same as by exam); a $50 temporary work permit is available to exam candidates only) |
| Processing time | Set by each municipality; there is no statewide process | The Montana State Electrical Board does not publish a processing time |
| Licensing authority | No statewide board — electrician licensing is municipal (e.g., City of Chicago Department of Buildings) | Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Montana's requirements on the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Ask the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) 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 Montana'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.
- Montana State Electrical Board - Journeyman Electrician Application & Checklist (Rev. 07/22/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Montana State Electrical Board - Journeyman Electrician license information ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com