Connecticut has no electrical license reciprocity. The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) holds no reciprocal agreement with any state, and every applicant passes a PSI exam: 80 questions for the E-2 journeyperson, 100 for the E-1 contractor plus a 50-question Business and Law exam, 70% to pass, on the 2020 or 2023 NEC (PSI bulletin, updated February 4, 2026).
An out-of-state license still helps. If it required the same classroom and job hours as the Connecticut license, DCP can use it to approve you for the exam. That is the "equivalent out-of-state license" route. Going the other way, Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire, Nevada, Utah, Vermont and Virginia each give some credit for a Connecticut license.
| At a glance | Connecticut electrical reciprocity |
|---|---|
| Who licenses you | DCP License Services. PSI gives the exams under the Electrical Trades bulletin (February 4, 2026). |
| Reciprocity | None. DCP says Connecticut has no reciprocal agreements with any jurisdiction. |
| Exam waived? | No. Every individual applicant takes the PSI exam for the license. |
| What your license can do | Stand in for the Connecticut training records, if your state required equal hours: 8,000 job hours and 720 classroom hours for E-2, 12,000 and 720 for E-1 |
| DCP fee | $90 for E-2, $150 for E-1, not refundable |
| PSI fee | $59 per exam portion. E-1 has two portions (trade and Business and Law). |
| States that take a CT license | Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire, Nevada (E-1 only), Utah, Vermont, Virginia |
Does Connecticut accept out-of-state electrical licenses?
Not in place of an exam. Your license can count as proof of training, which gets you approved to test sooner. The hours your state required must match the Connecticut license you want.
| CT license | Accepted from | You still need |
|---|---|---|
| E-2 unlimited journeyperson | No state by agreement. A license from any state can count as training if getting it took 8,000 apprentice job hours and 720 classroom hours. | DCP approval, then the 80-question PSI trade exam ($59). DCP fee $90. |
| E-1 unlimited contractor | No state by agreement. Your license can count if it took 12,000 job hours (8,000 as an apprentice plus 2 years licensed) and 720 classroom hours. | DCP approval, then the 100-question trade exam and the 50-question Business and Law exam ($59 each). DCP fee $150. |
| Limited licenses | The same equivalency test with smaller hour totals. Examples: L-2 needs 8,000 job and 576 classroom hours, and PV-2 needs 4,000 and 324. | The PSI exam for that license. Limited contractors also take Business and Law. |
Equivalency is not an exam waiver. DCP's out-of-state route replaces the Connecticut apprenticeship paperwork. You still sit for the PSI exam, and an E-1 applicant still passes Business and Law.
DCP also checks the courses. Your classroom hours must match the subjects on Exhibit A, DCP's required course list.
Every route into Connecticut ends at a PSI exam. PSI grades the code questions on the 2020 or 2023 NEC, your pick. JCR's Connecticut course is built on the 2020 NEC for the E-2 and E-1 trade exams.
$495 gets you: 100 video lessons (21 hours), JCR's 152-page workbook with a six-week plan, a 500+ question mock exam in print and online, and permanent code tabs. PSI allows permanent tabs in Connecticut exam books.
What to send DCP on the out-of-state license route
Pick one out-of-state license only. DCP reviews a single license for equivalency and ignores the rest. Send:
- The DCP application: the journeyperson form ($90) or the contractor form ($150). You can also file online at eLicense.
- A copy of your out-of-state license.
- An official license verification from that state.
- That state's laws and rules showing the hours you had to meet for the license.
- The scope of work for that license.
DCP doesn't pre-screen applications, and it takes them from individuals only, not companies. If you can't prove equal hours, apply on equivalent experience and training with your work records instead.
What the E-1 adds: Business and Law
Every Connecticut contractor passes a Business and Law exam on top of the trade exam. It has 50 questions, 2 hours and a 70% pass mark. You bring the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Connecticut, 6th edition. NASCLA is the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies.
A passed portion stays good for 2 years. Pass Business and Law first and you have 2 years to pass the trade portion.
Which states accept a Connecticut electrical license?
Seven states name a Connecticut license on their own lists or rules. The E-2 travels further than the E-1.
| State | CT license it accepts | You still need |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | E-2 (and the unlimited contractor license) for an Alaska Electrician Journeyman certificate of fitness | Held a full year before you apply. $50 application plus $200 certificate. No exam. |
| Montana | E-2 for Montana journeyman. Montana rates CT master-level and residential licenses "No." | Apply to the Montana State Electrical Board |
| New Hampshire | E-2 for journeyman. E-1 (listed as Connecticut Electrical Contractor) for master. | 1 year of experience in that license category, the Universal Application, the fee and a license verification |
| Nevada | E-1 for the C-2 electrical contractor license. Nevada waives its trade exam and experience check. | Licensed the past 4 years with the same qualified person, no discipline, and the Nevada Business and Law exam |
| Utah | E-2 is on Utah's journeyman endorsement map as equal. E-1: the person who qualified the contractor license may get Utah Master. |
Journeyman: license held 1 year, plus an official verification. Master: show you were the person who qualified the contractor license, then pass the Utah Master Electrician Law and Rule exam. |
| Vermont | E-2 for a Vermont journeyman license by endorsement | 3 years licensed in good standing. No exam. |
| Virginia | A CT license with a similar scope, under universal license recognition | Held 1 year, earned by exam. Tradesman ULR form, $171.75. DPOR may add a Virginia law exam. |
Where a Connecticut license gets no set credit
- Maine: its agreements cover New Hampshire, Vermont, North Dakota, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming only.
- Delaware: Connecticut isn't on either of its lists, so the board weighs Connecticut's laws one applicant at a time.
- Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa and the other NERA agreement states: Connecticut isn't on their lists. NERA is the National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance, a group of state boards that trade journeyman licenses with each other.
Every other state is covered in JCR's electrician license reciprocity by state guide.
How to get a Connecticut license with an out-of-state license
- Pick the Connecticut license on DCP's scope of work page. Most journeymen want E-2.
- Check the hours your state required against DCP's chart and Exhibit A.
- Gather your license copy, an official verification, your state's laws and the license's scope of work.
- File with DCP and pay $90 (E-2) or $150 (E-1).
- Once DCP approves you, book with PSI. Approval lasts 1 year, and you can retest as often as needed in that year.
- Pass, send DCP your score reports and license fee, then check eLicense before you work.
- Plan for renewal: every license expires September 30 each year ($120 E-2, $150 E-1).
PSI's bulletin says you can take the exam at PSI centers outside Connecticut, which helps if you still live in another state.
Connecticut reciprocity questions
Does Connecticut have electrical reciprocity with any state?
No. DCP states that Connecticut has no reciprocal agreements with any other jurisdiction. Every applicant passes a PSI exam. An out-of-state license can only count as proof of training.
Can I transfer my electrical license to Connecticut without taking the exam?
No. DCP requires every individual applicant to take the exam for the license. Your out-of-state license can replace the training records if it required equal hours, so DCP approves you to test.
Does Connecticut accept a New York or Massachusetts electrical license?
Not by reciprocity. Either license can be used on the equivalent out-of-state license route if it required the same job and classroom hours. You still pass the PSI exam.
Does the E-1 contractor need the Business and Law exam if I'm licensed elsewhere?
Yes. PSI's bulletin requires Business and Law for every Connecticut contractor license. It's 50 questions in 2 hours, and you need 70%.
Can I use a Connecticut E-2 in New Hampshire?
Yes. New Hampshire lists Connecticut for its journeyman license by endorsement and the Connecticut contractor license for master. You need 1 year of experience in the license category.
Taking the E-2 or E-1 exam? Study with JCR
JCR's Connecticut self-study course is built on the 2020 NEC, one of the two editions PSI allows. It covers code lookups, theory and calculations for the E-2 and E-1 trade exams.
The course is $495. Video lessons and digital practice exams open at checkout, and the printed workbook ships the same business day. Bring the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Connecticut (6th edition) for Business and Law.
Most students finish in 6–8 weeks at about an hour a night.
Not ready to buy? Take 25 free NEC practice questions.
More Connecticut guides
Where these rules come from
- DCP electrical license page (no reciprocal agreements)
- DCP journeyperson equivalent out-of-state license
- DCP contractor equivalent out-of-state license
- DCP license types and scope of work
- PSI Connecticut Electrical Trades bulletin (February 4, 2026)
- Alaska Mechanical Inspection reciprocity list
- Alaska certificate types and fees
- Montana equivalency list (August 2026)
- New Hampshire OPLC endorsement list
- Nevada licensure by endorsement
- Utah journeyman endorsement map
- Utah master endorsement map
- 26 V.S.A. § 906 (Vermont)
- Virginia DPOR universal license recognition
- Maine Electricians' Examining Board
- Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners
JCR checked this page against DCP, PSI and each receiving state's official pages on October 21, 2026. Rules and lists change, so confirm with DCP before you apply.