Transfer Your Electrician License to Montana: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) ↗
Montana has no NERA-style partner list, but the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) licenses qualified out-of-state electricians by endorsement, judging your license and experience case by case. 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). Fee: $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).
Moving to Montana from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Montana works case by case rather than from a fixed partner list, so the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry)'s read of your specific license and experience decides the outcome. This is also the usual route for master electricians, who typically move by endorsement rather than through journeyman reciprocity. Get any exam waiver or experience credit confirmed by the board in writing before you count on it.
Montana licenses journeyman AND master electricians. The board now evaluates out-of-state applicants under a Substantial Equivalency (SE) standard (MCA 37-1-307, MCA 37-68, ARM 24.141) rather than a fixed NERA partner list, so reciprocity_partners is empty even though other NERA states (e.g., North Dakota and Nebraska) still name Montana bilaterally. SE waives the Montana exam when the origin state required an exam plus qualifying experience; grandfathered non-exam licenses do not qualify. The exam pass mark is 75%. Master applicants follow the same SE model.
Montana requirements at a glance
| 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) |
|---|---|
| Training hours | 8,000 hours |
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $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 | The Montana State Electrical Board does not publish a processing time |
Step by step
- Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active, unrestricted electrician license in good standing in at least one other state.
- Origin-state license must have required an electrical exam plus one of: approved apprenticeship, bona fide union/trade training, 8,000 hours practical experience, or 20,000 hours electrical maintenance (substantial equivalency).
- Submit official license verification(s) for every license ever held and disclose any discipline or criminal convictions.
- Complete 16 hours of board-approved continuing education per renewal (minimum 8 hours on code update); CE from a reciprocal state is accepted.
- Pay the fees ($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)) and allow The Montana State Electrical Board does not publish a processing time.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Montana:
Frequently asked questions
Does my electrician license transfer to Montana?
Montana has no NERA-style partner list, but the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) licenses qualified out-of-state electricians by endorsement, judging your license and experience case by case. 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). Fee: $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).
Will I have to retake the journeyman exam in Montana?
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 does licensing in Montana cost an out-of-state electrician?
$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) ($190 application fee for licensure by reciprocity or endorsement (same as by exam); a $50 temporary work permit is available to exam candidates only).
How long does Montana take to process the application?
The Montana State Electrical Board does not publish a processing time — The Montana State Electrical Board does not publish a processing time.
How many experience hours does Montana 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.
- 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]