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LicenseReciprocity

Electrician License from South Dakota to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board ↗

Yes — Idaho has a reciprocity arrangement covering South Dakota license holders. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.

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Verdict

Reciprocity agreement

South Dakota is on Idaho's journeyman reciprocity list, which puts this move on the fast track: Idaho waives its journeyman exam for electricians who earned a qualifying South Dakota license by examination, held it at least a year, and meet the experience hours. Two conditions decide whether you actually qualify — your South 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 South Dakota on it, and the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board is the live source.

What changes, South Dakota → Idaho

Side-by-side: South Dakota vs Idaho (Electrician (journeyman/master)), verified 2026-07-21
South Dakota (current)Idaho (destination)
Training hours8,0008,000
Application fee$80 (SDCL 36-16-17 sets the biennial journeyman electrician license fee at eighty dollars; the electrical contractor (master-equivalent) biennial fee is $200. Reciprocal applicants pay 'the required fee' (SDCL 36-16-23). The Commission's online portal has been offline since Oct 21, 2025; no separate reciprocal application/processing fee is published on accessible pages.)$70 ($70 processing fee for an initial, reciprocal, or reopen-closed license application (per DOPL); exam fee is statutorily capped at $75 for non-reciprocal applicants who must test)
Processing timeThe Electrical Commission does not publish a processing time; no written exam is required under an existing reciprocal agreement.DOPL publishes no processing-time figure for reciprocal applications
Licensing authoritySouth Dakota Electrical Commission (Dept. of Labor & Regulation)Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the reciprocity application to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a current license earned by a state-administered examination in a reciprocal state, held continuously for at least 1 year.
  5. Document a four-year apprenticeship plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, or 16,000 hours of electrical experience.
  6. Grandfathered (non-exam) licenses are not eligible for reciprocity.
  7. Submit the DOPL initial/reciprocal license application with the processing fee.
  8. Pay the fees ($70 ($70 processing fee for an initial, reciprocal, or reopen-closed license application (per DOPL); exam fee is statutorily capped at $75 for non-reciprocal applicants who must test)) and allow DOPL publishes no processing-time figure for reciprocal applications.

Official links

Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board ↗Idaho application ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Idaho → South DakotaElectrician in South DakotaElectrician in IdahoAll electrician states

Frequently asked questions

Does Idaho accept a South Dakota electrician license?

Yes — Idaho has a reciprocity arrangement covering South Dakota license holders. Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Idaho Electrical Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.

Which exam will I take moving from South Dakota to Idaho?

Idaho waives its journeyman electrician examination for applicants who hold a current license earned by a state-administered exam in a reciprocal state and have held it continuously for at least one year; applicants from non-reciprocal states must pass the Idaho journeyman electrician examination.

What does the South Dakota-to-Idaho move cost and how long does it take?

$70 ($70 processing fee for an initial, reciprocal, or reopen-closed license application (per DOPL); exam fee is statutorily capped at $75 for non-reciprocal applicants who must test); processing DOPL publishes no processing-time figure for reciprocal applications.

What could disqualify me even though South Dakota is on Idaho's list?

A South 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 — Idaho's reciprocity is conditional, not automatic.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]