Electrician License from New Mexico to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Ohio accept a New Mexico electrician license?
There is no Ohio state license to transfer into: Ohio issues no statewide journeyman electrician license. Any licensing for this work is handled below the state level (a city, county or contractor-level authority), so check with the authority where you will work.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
No state license to transfer
There is nothing to transfer into Ohio, and it has nothing to do with New Mexico: Ohio issues no statewide journeyman or master electrician license. Ohio issues no statewide journeyman or master electrician license, so there is no state journeyman exam to waive or transfer; journeyman and master licensing (and any exam) is set by individual municipalities. Ohio's only statewide electrical credential is the commercial Electrical Contractor license (OCILB), for which reciprocity from a partner state waives the Ohio exam. Identify the authority that governs electrical work at your Ohio jobsite and apply there; your New Mexico license and documented hours may count with that authority, but no state agreement applies.
What's different between New Mexico and Ohio
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Ohio. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New Mexico to Ohio (this page): No state license to transfer.
Ohio to New Mexico (the reverse move): No state license to transfer.
Ohio issues no statewide journeyman electrician license, so neither direction is a state-license transfer.
- Does coming from New Mexico matter?
Coming from New Mexico does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Ohio.
- Reciprocity agreements
New Mexico's reciprocity agreement list names 10 states (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming), not including Ohio.
- Fee and processing
Ohio issues no statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is no Ohio state license application fee or processing time to compare with New Mexico's.
- Exam rules on record
Ohio and New Mexico carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Ohio (this move): Ohio issues no statewide journeyman or master electrician license, so there is no state journeyman exam to waive or transfer; journeyman and master licensing (and any exam) is set by individual municipalities. Ohio's only statewide electrical credential is the commercial Electrical Contractor license (OCILB), for which reciprocity from a partner state waives the Ohio exam
- New Mexico (the reverse move): New Mexico waives its CID journeyman exam for an applicant holding an equivalent journeyman certificate/license (originally earned by exam) that is current and in good standing from a reciprocal state; applicants from non-reciprocal states must document 4 years of experience and pass the CID journeyman exam (75% to pass).
What changes, New Mexico → Ohio
| New Mexico (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $75 (All journeyman certificate fees are $75 (NM RLD/CID fee schedule); reciprocity uses the same journeyman application/certification fee.) | No statewide journeyman/master license exists, so there is no state journeyman fee. The OCILB commercial Electrical Contractor reciprocity application (a different, contractor-level credential) is a $25.00 non-refundable fee per trade; annual license fee applies on issuance. Municipal journeyman/master fees vary by city and are not published statewide |
| Processing time | CID does not publish a processing time; all certification requirements must be met within 6 months of application | Not applicable at the state level for journeyman/master (municipal); OCILB does not publish a processing time for the contractor reciprocity application |
| Licensing authority | New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), Electrical Bureau — Regulation and Licensing Department | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance (issues the commercial Electrical Contractor license only; no state journeyman/master license) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Ohio issues no statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is no state license to transfer: confirm with the authority linked on this page who licenses the work where you will practice.
- Contact that city, county or contractor-level authority for its own requirements, exams and fees.
- Keep records of your current license, exams and documented experience — a local authority may credit them, but nothing transfers at state level.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Who do I apply to if Ohio has no state journeyman license?
The authority covering your jobsite: the city or county office that licenses individual electricians, where that jurisdiction licenses them at all. Ohio sets no statewide journeyman requirement, so whether that authority credits your New Mexico license and documented experience is its decision — confirm it with the specific Ohio jurisdiction where you will work.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- OCILB — Electrical Reciprocity Verification of Licensure (West Virginia, master + contractor electrician) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OCILB — Contractors and contracting companies (reciprocity applications by state) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NM CID Electrical Bureau — reciprocity links to partner-state electrical boards ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NMAC 14.6.4 — Journeyman Certification (EE-98J journeyman residential/commercial: 4 years experience; CID exam, 75% to pass) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NM RLD Construction Industries — Forms and Applications Fees ($75 journeyman certificate) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NERA — National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (About) ↗ (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