Electrician License from New Hampshire to Wisconsin: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Wisconsin accept a New Hampshire electrician license?
Yes — Wisconsin has a reciprocity arrangement covering New Hampshire license holders. Apply to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) - Division of Professional Credential Processing under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete Wisconsin's remaining requirements.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
New Hampshire is on Wisconsin's journeyman reciprocity list, which puts this move on the fast track: Wisconsin waives its journeyman exam for electricians who earned a qualifying New Hampshire license by examination, held it at least a year, and meet the experience hours. Two conditions decide whether you actually qualify — your New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire on it, and the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) - Division of Professional Credential Processing is the live source.
What's different between New Hampshire and Wisconsin
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Wisconsin. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New Hampshire to Wisconsin (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Wisconsin to New Hampshire (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The two directions differ: New Hampshire and Wisconsin do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from New Hampshire matter?
Coming from New Hampshire matters here: only 2 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Wisconsin.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (35) and no state license to transfer (13).
- Reciprocity agreements
Wisconsin's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (Iowa and New Hampshire), including New Hampshire.
- Application fee
Wisconsin lists $100–$200 for an out-of-state applicant; New Hampshire has no verified fee figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Experience hours
Wisconsin's first-time-applicant standard is 8,000 hours of documented experience for the journeyman license; New Hampshire's is 8,000.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Wisconsin and New Hampshire carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Wisconsin (this move): Wisconsin waives its journeyman exam for an applicant holding a valid Iowa Journeyman A or New Hampshire Journeyman Electrician license obtained by that state's examination and held continuously for at least 1 year; applicants licensed in any other state must complete Wisconsin's apprenticeship/experience requirement and pass the Wisconsin journeyman exam
- New Hampshire (the reverse move): No New Hampshire exam is required to license a journeyman by endorsement if you hold a current license in a listed qualifying jurisdiction and have at least 1 year of professional experience in the journeyman category (Plc 313.24); applicants from non-listed jurisdictions must license by examination (verify 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and pass the NH journeyman exam)
What changes, New Hampshire → Wisconsin
| New Hampshire (current) | Wisconsin (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience hours | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Application fee | OPLC application/license fees are published only on the board's fee page (the application states 'SEE WEBSITE FOR FEES'); the official fee schedule was access-restricted and could not be retrieved as of 2026-07-21 - see https://www.oplc.nh.gov/find-board/electricians-board/electricians-license-fees | $100–$200 (DSPS calculates fees in the LicensE portal; the published 4-year credential fee is $100 (journeyman) and $200 (master); reciprocity applicants pay no exam fee) |
| Processing time | OPLC does not publish a processing time for endorsement/reciprocal applications | DSPS does not publish a decision timeframe; applications are processed through the LicensE portal |
| Licensing authority | New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) - Division of Professional Credential Processing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Wisconsin sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Wisconsin's current requirements on the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) - Division of Professional Credential Processing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) - Division of Professional Credential Processing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Reciprocity requires holding the Iowa Journeyman A or New Hampshire Journeyman license continuously for at least 1 year immediately before applying, obtained through that state's examination.
- New Hampshire applicants must have completed an electrical apprenticeship-schooling program of at least 600 hours (24 hours safety-related); Iowa applicants an apprenticeship or the required experience hours.
- Master-level reciprocity is available only for an Iowa Master A Electrician license.
- Apply and pay fees through the online LicensE portal (license.wi.gov).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What could disqualify me even though New Hampshire is on Wisconsin's list?
A New Hampshire 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. Wisconsin's reciprocity is conditional, not automatic.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- WI DSPS - Journeyman Electrician License Application Information (#3106) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WI DSPS - Master Electrician License Application Information (#3107) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WI DSPS - Trades Renewal Dates and Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC - New Changes for Reciprocity (Plc 313.24 Electricians' Board qualifying jurisdictions) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC Electricians' Board - Journeyman/Master/Reciprocal Application (8,000-hour journeyman requirement; reciprocity section) ↗ (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