What reciprocity means for contractors
Reciprocity means one state will recognize part of your credentials from another state — usually waiving the trade exam, but still requiring a state-specific business and law exam, financial statements, and insurance. Full reciprocity (no additional requirements) is rare. Most agreements are limited to specific trades or license levels. A high count does not mean universal reciprocity. Many states have board-specific agreements that only cover certain trades. An electrician may have reciprocity in 15 states while a general contractor from the same home state has zero.Most reciprocity-friendly jurisdictions
Ranked by total number of unique reciprocal partner states across all boards and trades. States with the broadest agreements offer the most portability for multi-state contractors.| Rank | Jurisdiction | Unique partner states | Boards with reciprocity | Reciprocity model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 31 | 1 (Electrical) | Electrical only — master/journeyman agreements with 21 states; journeyman-only with 10 additional states |
| 2 | Arkansas | 23 | 4 | GC board (AL, LA, MS, TN), Electrical Journeyman (18 states), Electrical Master (OR, ND), Alarm (LA, OK, TN) |
| 3 | Alabama | 21 | 5 | GC (AR, LA, MS, NC, TN), HVAC (LA, MS, SC, TN, WV), Electrical (GA, LA, MS, NC, OH, SC, TN, VA), Fire Marshal (16 states) |
| 4 | Idaho | 16 | 3 | Electrical Journeyman (14 states), Plumbing Journeyman (MT, OR, WA); no GC registration reciprocity |
| 5 | Wyoming | 16 | 1 (Electrical) | Journeyman (AK, AR, CO, ID, IA, ME, MN, MT, NE, NH, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX), Master (ID, IA, SD) |
| 6 | Nebraska | 14 | 2 | Electrical Contractor (IA, MN, SD, TX), Journeyman (14 states via multi-state group) |
| 7 | Colorado | 14 | 1 (Electrical) | Journeyman electrical only (AK, AR, ID, IA, MN, MT, NE, NH, NM, ND, OK, SD, UT, WY); plumbing by endorsement |
| 8 | Iowa | 13 | 2 | Electrical (AK, AR, CO, MN, MT, NE, NH, ND, OK, SD, TX, WI, WY), Plumbing/Mechanical (SD) |
| 9 | Minnesota | 11 | 1 (Electrical) | Master/Journeyman (NE, ND, SD), Multi-State Journeyman (AK, AR, CO, ID, MT, UT, WA, WY) |
| 10 | New Mexico | 11 | 1 (Electrical) | Multi-state journeyman electrician group (AK, AR, CO, ID, MT, NE, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY) |
| 11 | North Carolina | 10 | 2 | GC exam waivers (AL, FL, MS, SC, TN + NASCLA), Electrical (AL, FL, GA, MS, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV) |
| 12 | South Carolina | 10 | 2 | CLB exam waivers (AL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OH, PA, TN, TX, UT), RBC (AL, GA, LA, NC, UT) |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 10 | 2 | Electrical Journeyman (AK, AR, CO, ID, MT, NE, NM, SD, TX, WY), Plumbing Journeyman (AR) |
| 14 | Ohio | 10 | 1 (OCILB) | Master-level: AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV across electrical, HVAC, plumbing, refrigeration |
| 15 | Mississippi | 9 | 1 | Exam waivers with AL (5 boards), AR, FL, GA, LA, NC, OH, SC (2 boards), TN |
| 16 | Oregon | 7 | 2 | Electrical Journeyman (AR, ID, ME, MT, UT, WA, WY), Supervising (AR, UT), Plumbing (ID, MT) |
| 17 | Florida | 5 | 2 | Construction (CA, LA, MS, NC, GA + NASCLA), Electrical endorses exams from 9 states but no formal reciprocity |
| 18 | Maine | 5 | 1 (Electrical) | Master (NH, VT), Journeyman (ID, NH, ND, OR, VT) |
| 19 | Delaware | 5 | 1 (Asbestos) | Asbestos Class A reciprocity with Region III states (MD, PA, VA, WV, DC) |
| 20 | California | 4 | 1 | Limited exam waivers with AZ, LA, NV, NC; also accepts NASCLA B-General Building |
| 21 | South Dakota | 4 | 2 | Electrical by equivalence; Plumbing (IA, MN, MT, ND + IPC/NITC exam holders) |
| 22 | West Virginia | 4 | 3 | HVAC (AL), Electrical (NC, OH, TN), General Building (TN), Plumbing (OH), Manufactured Home (OH) |
| 23 | Texas | 4 | 2 | A/C & Refrigeration (GA, SC), Master Electrician (LA, NC) |
| 24 | Georgia | 3 | 2 | Residential (LA, MS, SC), General (LA, MS) |
| 25 | Kentucky | 3 | 2 | HVAC and Electrical (OH), Electrical (VA, WV); case-by-case for equivalent credentials |
| 26 | Maryland | 3 | 3 | Electrical Master (DE, VA, WV), Plumbing (DE), HVACR (DE, VA) |
| 27 | Nevada | 3 | 1 | Limited endorsement with AZ, CA, UT; licensure by endorsement for equivalent states |
| 28 | North Dakota | 3 | 2 | Electrical (MN, MT, SD), Plumbing (MN, SD; journeyman with MT) |
| 29 | Washington | 2 | 2 | Plumbing Journeyman (ID), Electrical (OR for certain licenses) |
| 30 | Vermont | 2 | 2 | Electrical (NH, ME), Plumbing by endorsement from equivalent states |
| 31 | Louisiana | 2+ | 2 | Plumbing (TX, AR); contractors board accepts passing exam scores from any state |
| 32 | Tennessee | Multiple | 1 | Trade exam waivers with multiple state contractor boards (referenced by AL, AR, FL, GA, MS, NC, OH, SC, WV) |
| 33 | Massachusetts | 1 | 1 | Electrical only (NH for Master and Journeyman) |
| 34 | Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | Electrical only (IA for Master Journeyman) |
States with no reciprocity agreements
These jurisdictions have no formal reciprocity agreements. Out-of-state contractors must meet all requirements from scratch, including examinations.| Jurisdiction | Notes |
|---|---|
| Alaska | No reciprocity; may recognize exams from Prometric or other testing firms case-by-case |
| Connecticut | No reciprocity highlighted in source material |
| District of Columbia | No reciprocity highlighted in source material |
| Guam | No reciprocity agreements with any U.S. state or territory |
| Hawaii | No reciprocity; equivalent experience from other jurisdictions may substitute for some requirements |
| Illinois | No reciprocity highlighted; no state-level GC licensing |
| Indiana | No reciprocity with any other state for plumbing |
| Kansas | KDOT does not honor prequalification from other states |
| Michigan | No reciprocity; out-of-state licenses may be reviewed for exam eligibility |
| New York | No reciprocity with any other state |
| Pennsylvania | No reciprocity with any other state |
| Rhode Island | No reciprocity highlighted in source material |
| Virgin Islands | No reciprocal agreements with any U.S. state or territory |
The multi-state electrical reciprocity network
The largest reciprocity network in the country is the multi-state journeyman electrician agreement. These states mutually recognize each other’s journeyman electrician exams, allowing licensed electricians to obtain credentials without retesting. Member states: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. This network covers 18 states. If you hold a journeyman electrician license originally obtained by examination in any of these states, you can apply for licensure in the others without retaking the trade exam — though you may still need to meet experience requirements and pay local fees.Reciprocity typically waives only the trade exam. Most states still require you to pass their state-specific business and law exam, submit financial statements, provide insurance certificates, and pay application fees. “Reciprocity” rarely means “automatic license.”
Understanding reciprocity types
| Reciprocity type | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Full exam waiver | Trade exam waived; B&L exam still required | Alabama GC ↔ Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee |
| Exam endorsement | Your exam from another state is accepted as equivalent | Minnesota accepts NE, ND, SD electrical exams |
| Licensure by endorsement | Experience and license history reviewed; may waive exam | Nevada endorses applicants licensed 4+ years in equivalent states |
| Multi-state agreement | Group of states mutually recognize each other | 18-state electrical journeyman network |
| Case-by-case | No agreement, but board may evaluate on individual basis | Alaska, Michigan, New Jersey |