⚠️ Important: This comparison is based on published state licensing requirements and may not reflect recent changes. Reciprocity and transfer rules change frequently and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by state licensing boards. This tool is for research purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Always contact Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes directly to confirm current transfer requirements before submitting any applications or fees.

Transfer Your Electrician License: Ohio → Michigan

Everything you need to know about transferring your electrician license from Ohio to Michigan

No Reciprocity

Michigan does not have formal reciprocity agreements with any other state. The Electrical Administrative Board may evaluate out-of-state licenses on a case-by-case basis, but applicants must still pass the required Michigan exam.

Requirements Comparison

Requirement	Ohio (OH)	Michigan (MI)
Education Requirements●	No state-level education requirement for individual electricians. OCILB commercial contractor license requires 5 consecutive years of trade experience or 3 years business experience with an Ohio PE license. Local jurisdictions set their own education requirements.	Must be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program as an apprentice. No specific degree required beyond RTI completion.
Exam Requirements●	Provider: PSI Exams; NEC: 2023 NEC (NFPA 70), effective March 1, 2024. Ohio skipped the 2020 NEC and adopted 2023 directly from the 2017 edition. Individual municipalities may enforce different versions.; Journeyman exam: not required; Master exam: not required	Provider: PSI Services LLC. Schedule at psiexams.com or call 855-579-4635. Preapproval from LARA required before scheduling.; NEC: 2023 NEC (with 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8, 1972 PA 230, 2016 PA 407, and associated promulgated rules); Journeyman exam: required; Master exam: required
Experience Requirements●	apprentice: null; journeyman: null; master: null	apprentice: No prior experience required. Must be employed by a Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor. Must be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program. Works under direct, personal, on-site supervision.; journeyman: 8,000 hours AND 4 years as an electrical apprentice under supervision of a licensed Journeyman or Master Electrician. Must be at least 20 years old.; master: 4,000 hours as a Journeyman AND held Journeyman license for at least 2 years. Total: at least 12,000 hours over at least 6 years. Must be at least 22 years old.
Fees	confidence: medium	journeyman license fee: $140; master license fee: $150; exam fee: $100 per exam (all exam types); renewal fee: $40; total initial fees: $140; confidence: high
Renewal / CE Requirements●	Period: Annual (1-year) or triennial (3-year) renewal options for OCILB commercial contractor license.; CE hours: null; Fee: null	Period: Annual (expires December 31). 60-day grace period until March 1 for late renewal. After March 1, license becomes void and must reapply and retest.; CE hours: 15; Fee: $40

Data verified as of 2026-04-03. Requirements may have changed since verification.

Key Differences

Michigan does not offer reciprocity for electrician licenses.
Education differs: Ohio requires "No state-level education requirement for individual electricians. OCILB commercial contractor license requires 5 consecutive years of trade experience or 3 years business experience with an Ohio PE license. Local jurisdictions set their own education requirements." while Michigan requires "Must be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program as an apprentice. No specific degree required beyond RTI completion.".
Experience differs: Ohio — apprentice: null; journeyman: null; master: null; Michigan — apprentice: No prior experience required. Must be employed by a Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor. Must be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program. Works under direct, personal, on-site supervision.; journeyman: 8,000 hours AND 4 years as an electrical apprentice under supervision of a licensed Journeyman or Master Electrician. Must be at least 20 years old.; master: 4,000 hours as a Journeyman AND held Journeyman license for at least 2 years. Total: at least 12,000 hours over at least 6 years. Must be at least 22 years old..
Renewal differs: Ohio — Period: Annual (1-year) or triennial (3-year) renewal options for OCILB commercial contractor license.; CE hours: null; Fee: null; Michigan — Period: Annual (expires December 31). 60-day grace period until March 1 for late renewal. After March 1, license becomes void and must reapply and retest.; CE hours: 15; Fee: $40.

Next Steps

1
Contact the destination state board to confirm current transfer/reciprocity requirements. Visit Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes →
2
Request credential verification from Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), under the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance. Issues State Licenses to Commercial Contractors for Electrical, HVAC, Hydronics, Plumbing, and Refrigeration trades. — this often takes 4–8 weeks. Visit Ohio board →
3
Gather required documentation (education transcripts, experience logs, exam scores).
4
Submit your application to Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes.

These steps are general guidance based on common transfer processes. Your state may have a different process. Always follow the instructions provided by your state licensing board.

Michigan Licensing Board

Board: Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes
Website: https://www.michigan.gov/lara
Phone: 517-241-9223

Contact Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes to confirm current transfer requirements →

Prepare for Your Licensing Exam

Get ready for the Electrician Licensing Exam with realistic practice tests from Exam Edge.

Get Started →

Ad | GetLicenseMap may earn a commission

GetLicenseMap is a research tool and does not provide legal, financial, or professional licensing advice. Licensing requirements vary by state and change frequently. Verify all information directly with your state licensing board before making licensing decisions.

Requirements Comparison

Requirement	Ohio (OH)	Michigan (MI)
Education Requirements●	No state-level education requirement for individual electricians. OCILB commercial contractor license requires 5 consecutive years of trade experience or 3 years business experience with an Ohio PE license. Local jurisdictions set their own education requirements.	Must be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program as an apprentice. No specific degree required beyond RTI completion.
Exam Requirements●	Provider: PSI Exams; NEC: 2023 NEC (NFPA 70), effective March 1, 2024. Ohio skipped the 2020 NEC and adopted 2023 directly from the 2017 edition. Individual municipalities may enforce different versions.; Journeyman exam: not required; Master exam: not required	Provider: PSI Services LLC. Schedule at psiexams.com or call 855-579-4635. Preapproval from LARA required before scheduling.; NEC: 2023 NEC (with 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8, 1972 PA 230, 2016 PA 407, and associated promulgated rules); Journeyman exam: required; Master exam: required
Experience Requirements●	apprentice: null; journeyman: null; master: null	apprentice: No prior experience required. Must be employed by a Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor. Must be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program. Works under direct, personal, on-site supervision.; journeyman: 8,000 hours AND 4 years as an electrical apprentice under supervision of a licensed Journeyman or Master Electrician. Must be at least 20 years old.; master: 4,000 hours as a Journeyman AND held Journeyman license for at least 2 years. Total: at least 12,000 hours over at least 6 years. Must be at least 22 years old.
Fees	confidence: medium	journeyman license fee: $140; master license fee: $150; exam fee: $100 per exam (all exam types); renewal fee: $40; total initial fees: $140; confidence: high
Renewal / CE Requirements●	Period: Annual (1-year) or triennial (3-year) renewal options for OCILB commercial contractor license.; CE hours: null; Fee: null	Period: Annual (expires December 31). 60-day grace period until March 1 for late renewal. After March 1, license becomes void and must reapply and retest.; CE hours: 15; Fee: $40

Data verified as of 2026-04-03. Requirements may have changed since verification.

Key Differences

Michigan does not offer reciprocity for electrician licenses.

Education differs: Ohio requires "No state-level education requirement for individual electricians. OCILB commercial contractor license requires 5 consecutive years of trade experience or 3 years business experience with an Ohio PE license. Local jurisdictions set their own education requirements." while Michigan requires "Must be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program as an apprentice. No specific degree required beyond RTI completion.".

Experience differs: Ohio — apprentice: null; journeyman: null; master: null; Michigan — apprentice: No prior experience required. Must be employed by a Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor. Must be enrolled in a related technical instruction (RTI) program. Works under direct, personal, on-site supervision.; journeyman: 8,000 hours AND 4 years as an electrical apprentice under supervision of a licensed Journeyman or Master Electrician. Must be at least 20 years old.; master: 4,000 hours as a Journeyman AND held Journeyman license for at least 2 years. Total: at least 12,000 hours over at least 6 years. Must be at least 22 years old..

Renewal differs: Ohio — Period: Annual (1-year) or triennial (3-year) renewal options for OCILB commercial contractor license.; CE hours: null; Fee: null; Michigan — Period: Annual (expires December 31). 60-day grace period until March 1 for late renewal. After March 1, license becomes void and must reapply and retest.; CE hours: 15; Fee: $40.

Next Steps

Contact the destination state board to confirm current transfer/reciprocity requirements. Visit Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes →

Request credential verification from Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), under the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance. Issues State Licenses to Commercial Contractors for Electrical, HVAC, Hydronics, Plumbing, and Refrigeration trades. — this often takes 4–8 weeks. Visit Ohio board →

Gather required documentation (education transcripts, experience logs, exam scores).

Submit your application to Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes.

These steps are general guidance based on common transfer processes. Your state may have a different process. Always follow the instructions provided by your state licensing board.

Michigan Licensing Board

Board

Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes

Website

https://www.michigan.gov/lara

Phone

517-241-9223

Contact Electrical Administrative Board, under the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes to confirm current transfer requirements →

Transfer Your Electrician License: Ohio → Michigan

No Reciprocity

Requirements Comparison

Key Differences

Next Steps

Michigan Licensing Board

Prepare for Your Licensing Exam

Related Pages

Transfer Your Electrician License: Ohio → Michigan

No Reciprocity

Requirements Comparison

Key Differences

Next Steps

Michigan Licensing Board

Prepare for Your Licensing Exam

Related Pages