Electrician License from Virginia to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Georgia accept a Virginia electrician license?
An electrical license transfers from Virginia to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Office of the Secretary of State), verify your Virginia license, and meet Georgia's endorsement requirements. Georgia issues no journeyman electrician license; for its statewide electrical CONTRACTOR license the Board waives the exam only for applicants who hold a Non-Restricted (Class II) license obtained by examination in Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee, with no violations — every other applicant must pass the Georgia electrical contractor examination.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia publishes no reciprocity list covering Virginia, but the Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Office of the Secretary of State) 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, check the board's separate master-level rules — 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's different between Virginia and Georgia
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Georgia. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Virginia to Georgia (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Georgia to Virginia (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Virginia matter?
Virginia gets Georgia's most common result: 37 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: no state license to transfer (13).
- Reciprocity agreements
Georgia's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
Virginia's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (District of Columbia, Kentucky, and West Virginia), not including Georgia.
- Application fee
Georgia lists $40 for an out-of-state applicant and Virginia lists $171.75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Georgia and Virginia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Georgia (this move): Georgia issues no journeyman electrician license; for its statewide electrical CONTRACTOR license the Board waives the exam only for applicants who hold a Non-Restricted (Class II) license obtained by examination in Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee, with no violations — every other applicant must pass the Georgia electrical contractor examination
- Virginia (the reverse move): Virginia waives its journeyman tradesman exam under an examination-reciprocity agreement only for applicants holding the corresponding license in the District of Columbia, Kentucky, or West Virginia; an applicant licensed in any other state may instead qualify to sit - but must pass - the Virginia journeyman tradesman exam by submitting a current out-of-state license and letter of good standing
What changes, Virginia → Georgia
| Virginia (current) | Georgia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $171.75 (Reciprocity or examination method fee is $171.75 (includes the 2026 HB 30 $7.25/year technology fee); card exchange is $131.75; if the exam is not waived the PSI exam sitting fee is charged separately) | $40 ($30 application + $10 processing (non-refundable) for the electrical contractor reciprocity application; see the Board fee schedule for the license-issuance fee) |
| Processing time | DPOR does not publish a processing timeframe on the tradesman application | The Board publishes no official processing-time figure for reciprocity |
| Licensing authority | Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) - Board for Contractors | Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Office of the Secretary of State) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Office of the Secretary of State) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Office of the Secretary of State) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Georgia does not license individual journeyman electricians — the transferable statewide credential is the electrical CONTRACTOR license (Class I Restricted / Class II Non-Restricted).
- For contractor reciprocity, hold a current Non-Restricted license obtained by examination in AL, LA, NC, SC, or TN, in good standing with no violations.
- Grandfathered, endorsement, conversion, or reciprocity licenses are NOT eligible for reciprocity — apply by examination instead.
- Submit three notarized reference forms (at least one from a licensed electrical contractor).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does this route work for a master electrician?
Not necessarily — master licenses move on separate terms. Some boards keep their own master reciprocity list; otherwise they review the master license individually. Confirm the Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Office of the Secretary of State)'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.
- Georgia SOS — Board of Electrical Contractors FAQ (reciprocity states, exam waiver, grandfather exclusion) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — Electrical Reciprocity Application (Form 44) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors (board home) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- VA DPOR Board for Contractors - Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements with Other Jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- VA DPOR - Tradesman Exam & License Application (A501-2710EXLIC) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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