Transfer Your Electrician License to New Mexico: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), Electrical Bureau — Regulation and Licensing Department ↗
New Mexico grants journeyman reciprocity to electricians licensed by examination in 10 named partner states (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming). Come from one of them and the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), Electrical Bureau — Regulation and Licensing Department waives its journeyman exam once you show a license held at least a year and meet its experience-hour requirement; come from anywhere else and you apply and sit the exam. 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).. Fee: $75 (All journeyman certificate fees are $75 (NM RLD/CID fee schedule); reciprocity uses the same journeyman application/certification fee.).
Moving to New Mexico from a specific state?
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Verdict
Reciprocity with 10 states
New Mexico's reciprocity is a bilateral list, and the list governs — not your years on the tools. If your license comes from a state New Mexico names below and you earned it by exam, the journeyman exam is waived; if it does not, no amount of experience substitutes for sitting the test. Two cautions specific to electrical reciprocity: the list is directional (it names who New Mexico accepts, which says nothing about the reverse), and a license you were grandfathered into rather than examined for is generally not eligible.
NERA-style journeyman reciprocity, no interstate compact. The canonical credential is the EE-98J journeyman (residential and commercial) certificate issued by the Construction Industries Division (CID); NM licenses electrical CONTRACTORS (e.g., EE-98) separately rather than a 'master' electrician. Reciprocity waives the CID journeyman exam for an equivalent journeyman certificate earned by exam in a partner state. NERA partner lists are bilateral and differ between members. Utah appears on an older (2012) RLD reciprocity-links document but is omitted from current NM guidance, so it is excluded here pending confirmation with CID.
New Mexico requirements at a glance
| Exam | 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). |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $75 (All journeyman certificate fees are $75 (NM RLD/CID fee schedule); reciprocity uses the same journeyman application/certification fee.) |
| Processing time | CID does not publish a processing time; all certification requirements must be met within 6 months of application. |
Step by step
- Confirm New Mexico's current requirements on the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), Electrical Bureau — Regulation and Licensing Department website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), Electrical Bureau — Regulation and Licensing Department (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, active journeyman electrician certificate/license in good standing from a reciprocal state, originally earned by passing that state's exam.
- Submit the New Mexico Application for Journeyman Certificate with a copy of the qualifying certificate/license and the certification fee.
- Non-reciprocal applicants must document 4 years of electrical work experience within the prior 10 years, then pass the CID journeyman exam (75% to pass).
- Complete all certification requirements within 6 months of application (NMAC 14.6.4.8.B).
- Pay the fees ($75 (All journeyman certificate fees are $75 (NM RLD/CID fee schedule); reciprocity uses the same journeyman application/certification fee.)) and allow CID does not publish a processing time; all certification requirements must be met within 6 months of application..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into New Mexico:
Frequently asked questions
Does my electrician license transfer to New Mexico?
New Mexico grants journeyman reciprocity to electricians licensed by examination in 10 named partner states (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming). Come from one of them and the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), Electrical Bureau — Regulation and Licensing Department waives its journeyman exam once you show a license held at least a year and meet its experience-hour requirement; come from anywhere else and you apply and sit the exam. 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).. Fee: $75 (All journeyman certificate fees are $75 (NM RLD/CID fee schedule); reciprocity uses the same journeyman application/certification fee.).
Will I have to retake the journeyman exam in New Mexico?
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 does licensing in New Mexico cost an out-of-state electrician?
$75 (All journeyman certificate fees are $75 (NM RLD/CID fee schedule); reciprocity uses the same journeyman application/certification fee.) (All journeyman certificate fees are $75 (NM RLD/CID fee schedule); reciprocity uses the same journeyman application/certification fee.).
How long does New Mexico take to process the application?
CID does not publish a processing time; all certification requirements must be met within 6 months of application. — CID does not publish a processing time; all certification requirements must be met within 6 months of application..
Which states does New Mexico have electrician reciprocity with?
Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming (10 states, verified 2026-07-21 against the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), Electrical Bureau — Regulation and Licensing Department). The list is bilateral, so a state New Mexico recognizes does not necessarily recognize New Mexico in return.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]