Montana State Electrical Board

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FAQ's

  • A NSF payment is described as any of the following: 

    • overdraft
    • closed account
    • stopped payment
    • invalid credit card number or expiration date, or
    • payment not authorized by customer
  • If you are curing a payment issue with the Business Standards Division (BSD) for a check or credit card used to pay a fee or fine and the payment was sent back as NSF, you will be required to pay both the original amount due and a $30 NSF fee with a money order or cashier’s check.  If you are paying only the reinstatement fee and no other fees or fine, you may use a personal check.

  • The Board will reciprocate a Residential and Journeyman electrician license or a Master electrician licensed down to a Journeyman license if the Master electrician license was obtained by examination.

    The Board does not reciprocate a Master electrician license. The only way to obtain a master license is by examination.

    Please see the applications under the forms section for more details.

    Montana has reciprocity with the following states: AK, AR, CO, IA, ID, ME, MN, ND, NE, NH, NM, OK, SD, TX, WI, WY

    You can also view this map for reciprocal states.

     

    Last Updated 3/31/23

  • For Exam Frequently Asked Questions please click here.

    Exam Information
    Only applicants who have been approved by the Montana State Electrical Board will be allowed to register for an exam. PSI is the exam vendor for the State Electrical Board. Approved applicants will be issued an admission letter. Once an applicant is approved for the examination the applicant is eligible to take the exam within one week. 

    Examination Dates & Locations

    Days and hours of operation vary at each PSI location. PSI maintains test centers at over 700 locations nationwide.

    • Test center locations in Montana are Belgrade, Big Timber, Billings, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula.
    • Test center locations in Idaho are Blackfoot and Post Falls.
    • Test center location in Washington is Spokane.
    • Test center location in Wyoming is Sheridan.
  • Eight hours of continuing education must be obtained for each year in the renewal cycle. Requisite hours may be obtained during any portion of the renewal cycle. A minimum of four of the eight annual hours shall be certified as covering NEC updates. Newly licensed graduates of approved apprenticeship programs are exempt from continuing education requirements in the first renewal cycle. Licensees changing from journeyman or residential to a higher level of licensure are not exempt from completing the required hours of continuing education.  Licensees are responsible for maintaining a record of completion certificates for courses or seminars and the hours attended. A random audit of completion certificates may be performed by the board at any time.

  • If you are a home owner or a licensee, a permit is required to do electrical work on your home or on a business project.

    You can obtain an electrical permit from the Building Codes Bureau

  • (1) A temporary practice permit may be issued to an applicant upon completion of an application, submission of verification of experience, payment of the appropriate fees, and approval by the board or designated board representative. An applicant for a master electrician license may be issued a journeyman temporary practice permit.

    (2) An active temporary practice permit allows an applicant to perform work while employed by a licensed electrical contractor.

    (3) A temporary practice permit issued to an applicant for an electrician license shall expire 60 days from the date of issuance or upon receipt of licensure examination results.

    (4) A temporary practice permit does not allow an individual to act as a responsible electrician for a licensed electrical contractor.

    (5) Applicants who fail an exam with a score of 69 percent or less are not eligible for a temporary practice permit.

    (6) Subsequent temporary practice permits may be issued at the discretion of the board.

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