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License Reciprocity Checker

Pick where you're licensed and where you're moving — get the real answer: full reciprocity, an exam waiver, or the honest no with what to do instead.

✓ VERIFIED 2026-09-13data verified against official sources Runs in your browser — nothing you enter is stored.

How this tool works

Reciprocity is directional and specific: “Texas accepts Oklahoma journeymen” says nothing about Oklahoma accepting Texans, and a journeyman agreement doesn’t cover masters. This tool checks the exact directed pair you ask about against agreements we verified on the destination state’s official board site.

  • The default answer is no. Most state pairs have no formal agreement — when that’s the truth we say it plainly and show the destination state’s actual route for out-of-state licensees (many credit your documented hours toward exam eligibility even without reciprocity).
  • Common conditions we surface: the license must usually be exam-gained (not grandfathered), held for a minimum period (often 1 year), and in good standing.
  • Plumbing reciprocity is rare — plumbing codes differ more state-to-state (IPC vs UPC), so boards protect their exams. Electrical reciprocity is the most networked (the NERA alliance covers 15+ states for journeymen).

Verified directed reciprocity agreements (130 pairs)

Direction matters: each row means the destination state accepts the origin state's licensees. Verified on the destination board's official site; absence of a pair = no published agreement.

TradeLicensed inAccepted byAgreement
ElectricianAlaskaColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianArkansasColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianIdahoColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianIowaColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianMinnesotaColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianMontanaColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianNebraskaColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianNew HampshireColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianNew MexicoColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianNorth DakotaColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianOklahomaColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianSouth DakotaColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianUtahColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianWyomingColoradoReciprocity
ElectricianVirginiaMarylandReciprocity
ElectricianWest VirginiaMarylandReciprocity
ElectricianDistrict Of ColumbiaMarylandReciprocity
ElectricianDelawareMarylandReciprocity
ElectricianVirginiaMarylandReciprocity
ElectricianDelawareMarylandReciprocity
ElectricianDistrict Of ColumbiaMarylandReciprocity
ElectricianAlabamaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianFloridaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianGeorgiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianMississippiNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianOhioNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianSouth CarolinaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianTennesseeNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianTexasNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianVirginiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianWest VirginiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
ElectricianAlaskaOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianArkansasOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianColoradoOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianIdahoOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianIowaOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianMontanaOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianNebraskaOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianSouth DakotaOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianTexasOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianWyomingOklahomaReciprocity
ElectricianArkansasOregonReciprocity
ElectricianIdahoOregonReciprocity
ElectricianMaineOregonReciprocity
ElectricianMontanaOregonReciprocity
ElectricianUtahOregonReciprocity
ElectricianWashingtonOregonReciprocity
ElectricianWyomingOregonReciprocity
ElectricianArkansasOregonReciprocity
ElectricianUtahOregonReciprocity
ElectricianAlabamaTennesseeExam waiver
ElectricianLouisianaTennesseeExam waiver
ElectricianMississippiTennesseeExam waiver
ElectricianNorth CarolinaTennesseeExam waiver
ElectricianOhioTennesseeExam waiver
ElectricianSouth CarolinaTennesseeExam waiver
ElectricianWest VirginiaTennesseeExam waiver
ElectricianAlabamaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianAlaskaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianArkansasTexasReciprocity
ElectricianIdahoTexasReciprocity
ElectricianIowaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianNebraskaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianNew MexicoTexasReciprocity
ElectricianOklahomaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianSouth DakotaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianWyomingTexasReciprocity
ElectricianAlabamaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianArkansasTexasReciprocity
ElectricianIowaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianLouisianaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianNebraskaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianNorth CarolinaTexasReciprocity
ElectricianOhioTexasReciprocity
ElectricianColoradoUtahReciprocity
ElectricianAlaskaUtahReciprocity
ElectricianArkansasUtahReciprocity
ElectricianIdahoUtahReciprocity
ElectricianIowaUtahReciprocity
ElectricianMinnesotaUtahReciprocity
ElectricianMontanaUtahReciprocity
ElectricianNebraskaUtahReciprocity
ElectricianNew HampshireUtahReciprocity
ElectricianNew MexicoUtahReciprocity
ElectricianNorth DakotaUtahReciprocity
ElectricianOklahomaUtahReciprocity
ElectricianSouth DakotaUtahReciprocity
ElectricianWyomingUtahReciprocity
ElectricianDistrict Of ColumbiaVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianKentuckyVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianWest VirginiaVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianAlabamaVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianDistrict Of ColumbiaVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianKentuckyVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianMarylandVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianWest VirginiaVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianNorth CarolinaVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianOhioVirginiaReciprocity
ElectricianIowaWisconsinReciprocity
ElectricianNew HampshireWisconsinReciprocity
HvacDelawareMarylandReciprocity
HvacVirginiaMarylandReciprocity
HvacDelawareMarylandReciprocity
HvacVirginiaMarylandReciprocity
HvacSouth CarolinaNorth CarolinaExam waiver
HvacGeorgiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
HvacSouth CarolinaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
HvacTennesseeNorth CarolinaReciprocity
HvacVirginiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
HvacWest VirginiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
HvacAlabamaTennesseeExam waiver
HvacLouisianaTennesseeExam waiver
HvacMississippiTennesseeExam waiver
HvacOhioTennesseeExam waiver
HvacSouth CarolinaTennesseeExam waiver
HvacWest VirginiaTennesseeExam waiver
HvacMarylandVirginiaReciprocity
HvacMarylandVirginiaReciprocity
PlumberDelawareMarylandReciprocity
PlumberSouth CarolinaNorth CarolinaExam waiver
PlumberGeorgiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
PlumberSouth CarolinaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
PlumberTennesseeNorth CarolinaReciprocity
PlumberVirginiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
PlumberWest VirginiaNorth CarolinaReciprocity
PlumberArkansasOklahomaReciprocity
PlumberIdahoOregonReciprocity
PlumberMontanaOregonReciprocity
PlumberOhioTennesseeExam waiver
PlumberSouth CarolinaTennesseeExam waiver

FAQ

Why is plumbing reciprocity so much rarer than electrical?

Two reasons: plumbing codes genuinely differ (IPC vs UPC states plumb differently), and electrical licensing converged on the shared NEC — which enabled the NERA journeyman alliance (AK, AR, CO, ID, IA, MN, MT, NE, NH, NM, ND, OK, SD, UT, WY). Plumbing has only scattered pairs like Oregon↔Idaho/Montana and Oklahoma↔Arkansas.

Does NEC-based testing help my transfer?

Yes — several states (Colorado's endorsement route is explicit about this) accept out-of-state electrical licenses only if your exam was based on the NEC edition they currently use. An NEC-based exam-gained license is the strongest transfer asset an electrician has.

I'm a military spouse — is there a faster route?

Almost certainly yes. Most states now run expedited or temporary licensing for military members and spouses with out-of-state licenses (Maryland, Florida and Texas all have named programs). It's usually faster than normal reciprocity — search your destination board's site for 'military'.

If the exam doesn't transfer, do my hours at least count?

Usually yes — this is the most under-known fact in licensing. Even no-reciprocity states typically credit verified out-of-state supervised hours toward EXAM ELIGIBILITY (Washington counts 16,000 out-of-state hours; Minnesota credits hours worked for licensed contractors; Indiana accepts 4 documented years). You retest, but you don't restart.

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Licensing rules change and boards decide individual cases — verify with the official board before acting on a result. Not legal advice.