Nevada Electrical License Reciprocity (2026): Which States Count

Nevada's electrical reciprocity is for contractors. The Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) waives the C-2 electrical trade exam if your qualified individual has held an equivalent license for the past 4 years, and passed that state's matching trade exam, in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, North Carolina or Tennessee (endorsement chart). You still pass Nevada's Business and Law exam and file the license application ($300). Electrician cards in Las Vegas and Reno have no published transfer route: you pass an ICC exam on the 2023 NEC.

Electrical licenses Nevada accepts for the C-2

Nevada calls this licensure by endorsement. Your license must be active, held for the past 4 years with the same qualified individual, and free of discipline or pending cases (NSCB endorsement page, NAC 624.590). For the trade exam waiver, the qualified individual must also have passed the matching trade exam in that state (NAC 624.600). The qualified individual is the person who qualifies the company, often the owner.

Nevada accepts the NASCLA exam only for general building licenses, not for electrical. The Board can still require an exam from any applicant (application).

How to apply by endorsement

1. Find your license on the equivalency chart.
2. Get your license verified. Your current state's board fills out Nevada's Request for Verification of Licensure.
3. File the New License Application. Complete the Licensure by Endorsement section and attach the verification form and a resume of your experience. The fee is $300.
4. Pass the Business and Law exam. You get 6 months after filing and 3 tries (NAC 624.600).
5. Pay the license fees. The license is $600 for 2 years. A bond of $1,000 to $500,000 is set by the Board, and residential work adds a Residential Recovery Fund fee of $200 to $1,000 (NSCB FAQ).

Electrician cards in Las Vegas and Reno

Nevada has no statewide journeyman license. Clark County and Reno require electrician cards, which Electrical Safety Professionals (ESP), a nonprofit, issues.

• Exams: ICC R-16 Master, R-17 Journeyman and R-18 Residential, on the 2023 NEC, in person at Pearson VUE (ESP testing notice).
• Experience: 4,000 hours of electrical work or apprenticeship, plus your ICC pass letter (ESP notice).
• Cost: $85 for a journeyman or residential card, $100 for a master card.
• Out-of-state licenses: ESP's published rules list no transfer route. Reno lets contractors with reciprocal licenses from another city, county, state or country work 12 months inside city limits before they need a card (City of Reno).

Taking a Nevada license to another state

Fewer states accept Nevada licenses than Nevada accepts. Here's what each neighbor and partner state says:

See every state's rules in JCR's reciprocity guide.

Nevada reciprocity questions

Does Nevada have electrical license reciprocity?

Yes, for contractors. The Nevada State Contractors Board waives the C-2 trade exam if your qualified individual has held an equivalent license for the past 4 years, and passed that state's matching trade exam, in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, North Carolina or Tennessee. You still pass Nevada's Business and Law exam.

Can I transfer my journeyman license to Las Vegas?

Not directly. Clark County and Reno electrician cards come through Electrical Safety Professionals (ESP), and its rules list one route: pass the ICC exam and show 4,000 hours of electrical work.

Does Nevada accept the NASCLA exam for electrical?

No. The Board accepts NASCLA only for general building licenses, not the C-2.

Does California accept a Nevada C-2?

No. California's reciprocity list maps Nevada's C-2d Low Voltage to its C-7, but it has no entry for the C-2 to the C-10 electrical license.

What does the Nevada endorsement cost?

The application fee is $300 and the license fee is $600 for 2 years. Residential work adds a Residential Recovery Fund fee of $200 to $1,000.