Transfer Your Electrician License to New Jersey: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs) ↗
New Jersey has no NERA-style partner list, but the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs) licenses qualified out-of-state electricians by endorsement, judging your license and experience case by case. New Jersey's Class A journeyman license is granted on documented experience (8,000 hours), not a journeyman exam, so there is no journeyman exam to transfer; the Electrical Contractor business license requires passing NJ's three-part examination. Under N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 a journeyman from a jurisdiction that grants NJ licensees equal reciprocity may be licensed without further exam, but the board states it has no reciprocity with any state.. Fee: $150 (Class A journeyman initial license fee $150 in the first year of a triennial (prorated thereafter) per N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 eff. 6/2/2025, billed after approval; the Electrical Contractor business license is $225. Reciprocity applicants must also complete a 15-hour NEC course.).
Moving to New Jersey from a specific state?
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New Jersey works case by case rather than from a fixed partner list, so the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs)'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.
No interstate compact and no active reciprocity: the board's FAQ states 'New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state.' The canonical credential is the Class A Journeyman Electrician license (formerly the Qualified Journeyman Electrician certificate of registration), granted on documented experience rather than a journeyman exam; the full business credential is the Electrical Contractor license. N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 authorizes reciprocal licensure only where the applicant's jurisdiction grants NJ licensees equal reciprocity, so the board names no partner states. There is no 'master' electrician tier.
New Jersey requirements at a glance
| Exam | New Jersey's Class A journeyman license is granted on documented experience (8,000 hours), not a journeyman exam, so there is no journeyman exam to transfer; the Electrical Contractor business license requires passing NJ's three-part examination. Under N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 a journeyman from a jurisdiction that grants NJ licensees equal reciprocity may be licensed without further exam, but the board states it has no reciprocity with any state. |
|---|---|
| Training hours | 8,000 hours |
| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $150 (Class A journeyman initial license fee $150 in the first year of a triennial (prorated thereafter) per N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 eff. 6/2/2025, billed after approval; the Electrical Contractor business license is $225. Reciprocity applicants must also complete a 15-hour NEC course.) |
| Processing time | Board does not publish a processing time; the registration fee is billed only after the application is approved. |
Step by step
- Confirm New Jersey's current requirements on the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Document 8,000 hours of hands-on electrical experience (at least 4,000 within the prior 5 years) plus 576 classroom hours of related instruction (N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.1).
- For reciprocity, hold a Class A journeyman license in good standing for at least 2 of the last 5 years from a jurisdiction that grants NJ licensees equal reciprocity (N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8).
- Complete a Board-approved 15-hour course on the most recent edition of the National Electrical Code.
- To hold the Electrical Contractor business license, pass NJ's three-part examination (electrical, business/law, fire alarm).
- Pay the fees ($150 (Class A journeyman initial license fee $150 in the first year of a triennial (prorated thereafter) per N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 eff. 6/2/2025, billed after approval; the Electrical Contractor business license is $225. Reciprocity applicants must also complete a 15-hour NEC course.)) and allow Board does not publish a processing time; the registration fee is billed only after the application is approved..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into New Jersey:
Frequently asked questions
Does my electrician license transfer to New Jersey?
New Jersey has no NERA-style partner list, but the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Division of Consumer Affairs) licenses qualified out-of-state electricians by endorsement, judging your license and experience case by case. New Jersey's Class A journeyman license is granted on documented experience (8,000 hours), not a journeyman exam, so there is no journeyman exam to transfer; the Electrical Contractor business license requires passing NJ's three-part examination. Under N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 a journeyman from a jurisdiction that grants NJ licensees equal reciprocity may be licensed without further exam, but the board states it has no reciprocity with any state.. Fee: $150 (Class A journeyman initial license fee $150 in the first year of a triennial (prorated thereafter) per N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 eff. 6/2/2025, billed after approval; the Electrical Contractor business license is $225. Reciprocity applicants must also complete a 15-hour NEC course.).
Will I have to retake the journeyman exam in New Jersey?
New Jersey's Class A journeyman license is granted on documented experience (8,000 hours), not a journeyman exam, so there is no journeyman exam to transfer; the Electrical Contractor business license requires passing NJ's three-part examination. Under N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 a journeyman from a jurisdiction that grants NJ licensees equal reciprocity may be licensed without further exam, but the board states it has no reciprocity with any state..
What does licensing in New Jersey cost an out-of-state electrician?
$150 (Class A journeyman initial license fee $150 in the first year of a triennial (prorated thereafter) per N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 eff. 6/2/2025, billed after approval; the Electrical Contractor business license is $225. Reciprocity applicants must also complete a 15-hour NEC course.) (Class A journeyman initial license fee $150 in the first year of a triennial (prorated thereafter) per N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 eff. 6/2/2025, billed after approval; the Electrical Contractor business license is $225. Reciprocity applicants must also complete a 15-hour NEC course.).
How long does New Jersey take to process the application?
Board does not publish a processing time; the registration fee is billed only after the application is approved. — Board does not publish a processing time; the registration fee is billed only after the application is approved..
How many experience hours does New Jersey 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.
- NJ Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — FAQ (no reciprocity with any state) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-5.8 — Reciprocity for Class A journeyman electricians (equal-reciprocity condition; 2 of last 5 years; 15-hr NEC course) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.6 — Fee schedule (Class A journeyman $150; electrical contractor $225) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NJ Application for Certificate of Registration as Qualified Journeyman Electrician (8,000 hours + 576 classroom hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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