Electrician License from North Dakota to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Arkansas accept a North Dakota electrician license?
Yes — Arkansas has a reciprocity arrangement covering North Dakota license holders. Apply to the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners (Department of Labor and Licensing) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the journeyman exam and complete Arkansas's remaining requirements.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
North Dakota is on Arkansas's journeyman reciprocity list, which puts this move on the fast track: Arkansas waives its journeyman exam for electricians who earned a qualifying North Dakota license by examination, held it at least a year, and meet the experience hours. Two conditions decide whether you actually qualify — your North Dakota 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 North Dakota on it, and the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners (Department of Labor and Licensing) is the live source.
What's different between North Dakota and Arkansas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arkansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
North Dakota to Arkansas (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Arkansas to North Dakota (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from North Dakota matter?
Coming from North Dakota matters here: only 16 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Arkansas.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (21) and no state license to transfer (13).
- Reciprocity agreements
Arkansas's reciprocity agreement list names 16 states, including North Dakota.
North Dakota's reciprocity agreement list names 13 states, including Arkansas.
- Application fee
Arkansas lists $25–$75 for an out-of-state applicant and North Dakota lists $50 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Experience hours
Arkansas's first-time-applicant standard is 8,000 hours of documented experience for the journeyman license; North Dakota's is 8,000.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and North Dakota carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arkansas (this move): No Arkansas examination is required if the applicant qualifies for reciprocity: they must hold a current, in-good-standing journeyman license from a listed reciprocal state, have held it at least one year, and have been tested (examined) for it in that state. Applicants from non-reciprocal states, or whose license was not earned by exam, must pass the Arkansas journeyman exam.
- North Dakota (the reverse move): No ND written exam is required under NERA reciprocity if you passed a state-administered exam in a reciprocal state; applicants from non-reciprocal states must pass the ND journeyman exam
What changes, North Dakota → Arkansas
| North Dakota (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience hours | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Application fee | $50 ($25 reciprocal application fee + $25 journeyman license fee on approval; master reciprocity is $50 + $50) | $25–$75 (Journeyman license fee is $25 per year; a license is issued for 1-3 years depending on the year within the NEC code cycle (about $25-$75 up front), and reciprocal applicants pay no $80 examination fee because they are not examined. Master license fee is $50 per year.) |
| Processing time | NDSEB does not publish a processing time; no written exam is required for reciprocity | Board does not publish a processing time; applications must be received at least 5 business days before the monthly board meeting at which they are reviewed |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB) | Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners (Department of Labor and Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners (Department of Labor and Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners (Department of Labor and Licensing).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Provide certification from the sister state that you are currently licensed as a journeyman and in good standing.
- Have held the sister-state license for at least one year and have been tested (examined) for it — grandfathered/non-exam licenses are not eligible.
- Only an original license from a listed state qualifies; you cannot reciprocate a license that was itself obtained by reciprocity.
- Non-reciprocal journeyman experience is a 4-year (8,000-hour) DOL-approved apprenticeship, or 16,000 hours without an approved apprenticeship.
- 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 North Dakota is on Arkansas's list?
A North Dakota 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. Arkansas's reciprocity is conditional, not automatic.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Arkansas Dept. of Labor & Licensing — Electrical Inspection and Licensing (journeyman & master reciprocal partner lists) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners — Administrative Rules (April 2024): fees, reciprocity, experience ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NDSEB — Reciprocal License Agreements & Requirements ↗ (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