Checked against primary sources 2026-09-05
Unsettled
Georgia Electrical License Reciprocity: Two Answers
Ask the state whether it reciprocates and you get two answers, both from the Secretary of State's own site. The FAQ says no as of May 2026. The posted form and the how-to guide still describe a five state route for the Class 2 license. Here's both, in full.
Test yourself: thirty free questions, timed
On this page
Answer one: none, as of May 2026
The board's FAQ says Georgia does not currently offer licensure by reciprocity at this time, and dates that answer effective May 2026.
That's the most recent date on the face of any of the sources, which is why we lead with it. If it's right, an out of state contractor applies the same way anyone else does, with the experience record, the references and the exam.
Answer two: five states, Class 2 only
The board's form 44 Electrical - Reciprocity, revised August 2022, is still posted and still describes a working route. So does the how-to guide.
The states named on both are Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The route applies only to the Class 2 non-restricted license.
The conditions on the form are:
- You obtained the other state's license by passing that state's equivalent licensing examination.
- The license is current and active.
- There have been no penalties or violations of law.
- Verification of licensure is submitted.
- All other Georgia requirements are met, including three notarized references with at least one from a licensed electrical contractor.
- Louisiana applicants have held the license for three years.
The fee on the form is $40 total, being $30 plus $10 processing. Where the conditions are met, the form says the board will waive the normally required examination.
Which one to believe
We aren't in a position to resolve it, and we won't pretend otherwise. Both documents sit on the Secretary of State's own site and both were read on the same day.
The FAQ carries the later date and reads as a policy statement. The form and the guide read as live procedure and haven't been taken down. Rule 121-2-.03 is the reciprocity rule in the chapter index, and we couldn't read its full text because the rules PDF truncated in every fetch.
So: call the board before you build a plan on reciprocity. The Licensing Division takes calls at 404-424-9966, and the board page carries the current contact details.
If reciprocity is closed, what then
You apply by examination, the standard way. Four years of Primary Experience under an active licensed electrical contractor, documented area by area, three notarized references, a background check and the Class I or Class II exam at a scaled score of 70.
Out of state experience isn't automatically excluded by the rule's wording, but the rule ties Primary Experience to work under an active licensed electrical contractor. Ask the board how it treats your out of state supervisors before you file, and read the experience page for what the documentation has to cover.
A journeyman card from another state
Reciprocity here is between contractor licenses. Georgia has no journeyman license, so there's nothing for a journeyman card to reciprocate into.
What your card does is show experience. You can work in Georgia today as an employee of a licensed electrical contractor without any state credential, and your years still count toward the contractor license. The journeyman page explains how that works here.
Taking a Georgia license elsewhere
That's the other state's decision, made under its own rules, and we don't have those states' pages in front of us for this page. Ask the board you want to be licensed by, and expect them to want a verification of licensure from Georgia.
The state's licensee search is where a verification starts, and our lookup guide walks through it.
Questions people ask
Does Georgia have reciprocity for electrical licenses?
The board's FAQ says Georgia does not currently offer licensure by reciprocity, effective May 2026. Its posted reciprocity form and how-to guide still describe a route for five states. Both are on the state's site, so confirm with the board before applying.
Which states did Georgia reciprocate with?
Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, on the August 2022 form and the how-to guide. The route applies only to the Class 2 non-restricted license.
What does the reciprocity form require?
That you passed the other state's equivalent licensing exam, that the license is current, active and free of penalties or violations, that verification of licensure is submitted, and that all other Georgia requirements are met. Louisiana applicants have to have held the license three years.
Does reciprocity skip the exam?
The form says the board will waive the normally required examination where the conditions are met. Whether that route is open right now is exactly what the FAQ and the form disagree about.
How much does a reciprocity application cost?
The form prints $40 total, being a $30 application fee plus $10 processing. The board's fee schedule shows the same $30.00 application fee for reciprocity in both classes.
I have a journeyman license from another state. Can I use it?
Not as a license, because Georgia doesn't issue one. You can work as an employee of a licensed electrical contractor without any state credential, and your experience counts toward the Georgia contractor license.
Thirty free questions, timed, with the working shown
Every miss comes back with the arithmetic worked out and the code section named, so you learn the trap and not just the answer. No account.
All questions here are original. They are not actual exam questions, and no question bank can promise you a pass.
What this page cites
- Board FAQ, Secretary of State States that Georgia does not currently offer licensure by reciprocity, dated effective May 2026. source
- Form 44 Electrical - Reciprocity, revised August 2022 Names the five states, limits the route to Class 2, sets the conditions, the Louisiana holding period, the $40 total and the exam waiver. source
- How-to guide, electrical contractors Describes the same five state reciprocity route with license verification and references. source
- Board rules chapter index, 121-2 Lists Rule 121-2-.03 as the reciprocity rule in the qualifications chapter. source
- Board landing page Carries the board's contact details and the GOALS portal where any application is filed. source
The 2023 to 2026 section crosswalk maps every section that moved, both directions, $29 once.