# Electrician Licenses From Other States: Minnesota

> Minnesota lists journeyworker reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Master reciprocity is listed with Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota, subject to qualification conditions. The Board of Electricity voted to deny Texas reciprocity on April 14, 2026.

Updated: 2026-11-15

## Start with the license class and state

The DLI guide lists reciprocal agreements through which qualifying applicants may obtain a journeyworker or master license based on examination in a participating state. The statute allows issuance without the Minnesota examination when the approved agreement and applicant conditions are satisfied. Treat the state list as the beginning of the review, not as automatic eligibility.

Check the class of license you hold, how you obtained it, and whether it is current. Keep the original examination history with your license record. A familiar state name on the list does not answer every question about the route you used to become licensed there.

## States listed in DLI's guide

| Minnesota license sought | Participating states outside Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Journeyworker | Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming |
| Master | Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota |

These lists come from DLI's examination guide. Use the [journeyworker license requirements](https://minnesotaelectricianexam.com/guides/minnesota-journeyworker-license-requirements/) or [master license requirements](https://minnesotaelectricianexam.com/guides/minnesota-master-electrician-license-requirements/) to understand the Minnesota class you seek. Do not assume that an agreement at a lower license level also applies to a higher one.

## How you obtained the license matters

DLI requires the same or greater license class to have been obtained by a state-level examination, rather than through reciprocity or a grandfather provision with a city or other political subdivision. The examination score must meet or exceed the score required by the state receiving the application. The applicant must meet that state's examination qualifications.

Minnesota's statute requires the qualifying state's experience and training requirements to be equal to or greater than Minnesota's requirements at the time the applicant obtained the qualifying license. It also requires an examination deemed equivalent to the Minnesota examination for the same class. Keep those qualifications separate from the simpler question of whether your license is active.

## Holding period and license status

DLI's guide requires at least one year holding the license in the first state and a current license in good standing. The statute specifies continuous holding for at least one year before application in Minnesota. The guide also says the applicant must not be under an order to deny, suspend, or revoke an electrical license in Minnesota.

Prepare a record that makes the sequence clear: qualifying examination, license issuance, and continued validity. Do not treat a recent renewal date as necessarily answering the question about the original holding period. Use the relevant records to support the chronology rather than guessing from the current card alone.

## Prior examination and discipline restrictions

The guide says an applicant must not have failed the same or a greater license examination in the state receiving the application. The statute makes an applicant ineligible under reciprocity after failing the same or greater Minnesota license examination, or when the same or greater license has been revoked or suspended. It also excludes an applicant who failed to renew a personal license for two years or more after expiration.

Read those conditions before planning reciprocity as a fallback after an unsuccessful Minnesota examination. Keep any uncertain history visible in the application review. Do not assume that a license from a participating state erases an earlier event that the statute expressly addresses.

## Fees and duties after approval

The guide requires an application and examination fee with the reciprocity application and a license fee after approval before issuance. The statute sets the reciprocity application and examination fee at $50, separate from the license fee. The fee's name does not mean that an approved reciprocal applicant must sit for the Minnesota examination.

After receiving the license, the licensee must meet continuing education and renewal requirements. Read the [continuing education guide](https://minnesotaelectricianexam.com/guides/minnesota-electrician-continuing-education/) and the page for the license class you seek. Treat approval, issuance, and maintenance of the license as separate steps in your plan.

## Texas reciprocity was denied

The Board of Electricity voted on April 14, 2026, to deny reciprocity with Texas. Do not treat a discussion of a possible agreement as an agreement that took effect. We report the recorded decision only.

If reciprocity does not fit your situation, review the regular examination pathway. The experience rule allows the department to assess out-of-state electrical work for substantial equivalence based on employer certification. That is an experience-credit question, not a reciprocal-license decision. Use [the Minnesota pathway overview](https://minnesotaelectricianexam.com/guides/how-to-become-an-electrician-in-minnesota/) to organize the next review. This independent page does not decide whether a particular applicant meets the conditions.

## Questions people ask

### Which states have journeyworker reciprocity in the guide?

Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

### Which states have master reciprocity in the guide?

Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

### How long must I have held the qualifying license?

The statute requires continuous holding for at least one year before the Minnesota application, with the license valid when applying.

### What did the board decide about Texas?

The Board of Electricity voted to deny reciprocity with Texas on April 14, 2026.

## Sources

- [DLI Electrical license examination guide](https://www.dli.mn.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/LicensingExaminationGuide.pdf) (checked 2026-11-15)
- [Minnesota Statutes chapter 326B](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/326B) (checked 2026-11-15)
- [Board of Electricity minutes, April 14, 2026](https://www.dli.mn.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/boe-minutes041426.pdf) (checked 2026-11-15)

Page: https://minnesotaelectricianexam.com/guides/electrician-licenses-from-other-states/