Electrician License from New York to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) ↗
A electrical license transfers from New York to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry), verify your New York license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. 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).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Montana publishes no reciprocity list covering New York, but the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) licenses out-of-state electricians by endorsement, so this move runs on the board's case-by-case judgment rather than an automatic waiver. If you hold a master license this is usually your route regardless — master electricians typically endorse rather than transfer through journeyman reciprocity. Ask the board, in writing, exactly which exam or experience requirement it will waive before you rely on it.
What changes, New York → Montana
| New York (current) | Montana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | — | 8,000 |
| Application fee | No statewide license; municipal fees vary and are not published on a single state page. NYC Master/Special Electrician fees set by the Department of Buildings were not captured from an official page here. | $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 | No statewide process; timelines are set by each municipality. | The Montana State Electrical Board does not publish a processing time |
| Licensing authority | No statewide electrician board — municipal licensing (e.g., New York City Department of Buildings) | Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) (application linked below).
- 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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Montana accept a New York electrician license?
A electrical license transfers from New York to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry), verify your New York license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. 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).
Which exam will I take moving from New York to 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 the New York-to-Montana move cost and how long does it take?
$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 The Montana State Electrical Board does not publish a processing time.
Does this route work for a master electrician?
Usually yes — master electricians typically move by endorsement rather than journeyman reciprocity. Confirm the Montana State Electrical Board (Montana Department of Labor & Industry)'s master-level experience and exam requirements, which are separate from the journeyman track this site's grid tracks.
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)
- NYC Department of Buildings — Master Electricians & Special Electricians (license types; no journeyman) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYC Department of Buildings — Obtain a Master & Special Electrician License (experience and exam requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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