Electrician License from Maine to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board ↗
Yes — Idaho has a reciprocity arrangement covering Maine license holders. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Maine is on Idaho's journeyman reciprocity list, which puts this move on the fast track: Idaho waives its journeyman exam for electricians who earned a qualifying Maine license by examination, held it at least a year, and meet the experience hours. Two conditions decide whether you actually qualify — your Maine license must have come from an exam, not a grandfather clause, and it must be current. The list is also revocable; the verification date on this page is when we last confirmed Maine on it, and the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board is the live source.
What changes, Maine → Idaho
| Maine (current) | Idaho (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Application fee | $150 (Reciprocity license fee is $150 for journeyman or master; a separate $21 criminal-records-check fee brings the total 'Required Fee' stated on the application to $171.) | $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 | The board does not publish a processing time; applications show as Pending then Active in the ALMS online license search. | DOPL publishes no processing-time figure for reciprocal applications |
| Licensing authority | Maine Electricians' Examining Board (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional & Financial Regulation) | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board (application linked below).
- 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 ($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)) and allow DOPL publishes no processing-time figure for reciprocal applications.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a Maine electrician license?
Yes — Idaho has a reciprocity arrangement covering Maine license holders. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Which exam will I take moving from Maine to Idaho?
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.
What does the Maine-to-Idaho move cost and how long does it take?
$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 DOPL publishes no processing-time figure for reciprocal applications.
What could disqualify me even though Maine is on Idaho's list?
A Maine license you were grandfathered into rather than earning by exam, a license held less than a year, or falling short of the experience-hour minimum — Idaho's reciprocity is conditional, not automatic.
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)
- Maine Electricians' Examining Board — Journeyman Electrician licensing (reciprocity states, fees, experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine Electricians' Examining Board — Reciprocity License Application (Journeyman/Master), rev. 01/2020 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]