Home › Electrician license by state › Montana

How to get an electrician license in Montana

Hours, exam, fees, renewal and continuing education for Montana, pulled from official MT sources and checked .

Quick answer
  • Licensing body: Montana State Electrical Board (Department of Labor & Industry)
  • State journeyman license: Yes (The State Electrical Board licenses journeyman, residential and master electricians statewide.)
  • Journeyman Electrician: 8,000 hours of practical experience through an approved electrical apprenticeship (plus 576 instruction hours), or 8,000 hours of legally obtained practical experience, or 20,000 hours in electrical maintenance with at least 8,000 practical. For the experience route, no more than half of the practical hours may be residential.
  • Exam: open book, via PSI
  • Code edition: Not confirmed for enforcement. The journeyman application checklist says exams are currently based on the 2020 NEC.

Requirements by license

Journeyman Electrician

Experience8,000 hours of practical experience through an approved electrical apprenticeship (plus 576 instruction hours), or 8,000 hours of legally obtained practical experience, or 20,000 hours in electrical maintenance with at least 8,000 practical. For the experience route, no more than half of the practical hours may be residential.Source: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · as of · Application checklist and MCA 37-68-305: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · Experience split: ARM 24.141.515 in boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov
ExamPSI. Open book. Open book after the Board approves you and sends a letter of eligibility. 70% or higher to pass. Allowed materials include the applicable NEC code book, a silent nonprogrammable calculator, Montana statutes and rules, and the Hittinger Printreading book (ARM 24.141.503).Source: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · as of · Exam rules: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov
Fees
  • Application by examination (includes original license): $240
  • Temporary work permit (optional, exam candidates): $50
  • Application by reciprocity or endorsement: $250
Source: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · as of
RenewalEvery 2 years. All electrician licenses expire July 15 of even-numbered years. Renewal opens 60 days before. For the 2026 cycle, renewal fees are abated 50%. The fee schedule lists a two-year journeyman renewal of $140 (so $70 with the 2026 abatement).Source: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · as of · Fee schedule ARM 24.141.405: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov Abatement notice: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov
CE to renew16 hours per 2-year renewal period
  • NEC updates (at least 8 hours)
Finish by July 15 of even years. New apprenticeship graduates are exempt from CE for their first renewal. Courses approved by reciprocal states are acceptable.
Source: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · as of

License types in Montana

  • Journeyman Electrician
  • Residential Electrician
  • Master Electrician
  • Electrical Contractor (limited and unlimited)
  • Temporary practice permit
Source: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · as of

Reciprocity (licensed in another state?)

Reciprocal states listed on the application checklist: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Endorsement is also available from other jurisdictions with substantially equivalent requirements. City or county licenses do not count.Source: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · as of · ARM 24.141.504: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov

What we couldn't confirm yet

We only publish what we can tie to an official source. These items aren't published anywhere we could verify, so ask the office listed:

FAQ

Does Montana have a state journeyman electrician license?

Yes. You need an approved apprenticeship with 8,000 practical hours and 576 instruction hours, or qualifying experience, then a PSI exam.

Is the Montana electrician exam open book?

Yes. PSI exams are open book, and you need 70% or higher to pass.

How much is the Montana journeyman application fee?

The application by examination is $240. A temporary work permit is an extra $50.

Does Montana have electrician license reciprocity?

Yes, with 16 listed states including Texas, Idaho and Wyoming, plus endorsement from other equivalent jurisdictions.

Already licensed? See Montana electrician license renewal & CE requirements.

Other states

Compare every state side by side: license requirements by state · renewal & CE by state.