Maryland Master Electrician License: Requirements, Experience, Reciprocity, and the PSI Exam
What the Maryland State Board of Master Electricians requires for a master license: seven years under a licensed master, the $65 PSI exam on the 2020 NEC, reciprocity with Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and DC, and the coming 2026 NEC switch.
Contents
Maryland Master Electrician License: Requirements and the Exam
Maryland licenses electricians statewide through the State Board of Master Electricians, part of the Maryland Department of Labor. The Board's licensing pages are at labor.maryland.gov/license/elec. The exams are given by PSI. Here is what the master license takes.
Experience
You need seven years of experience working under the direction of a licensed master electrician. Part of that experience can be credited for approved coursework. Check the Board's current rules for how much counts and which programs qualify.
A proposed change
A proposed rule would require you to hold the journeyperson license before sitting the master exam. It is still under review and is not in effect. If you are years from the master exam, it is worth tracking. See Maryland Journeyperson Electrician requirements.
The exam
| Item | Master exam |
|---|---|
| Vendor | PSI |
| Scored questions | 90, worth 100 points |
| Unscored pilot questions | 5 to 10 more |
| Time | 240 minutes (4 hours) |
| Passing score | 70 points (70%) |
| Fee | $65 |
| Retake | After 30 days |
| Reference allowed | NFPA 70, 2020 edition (the 2020 NEC) only |
It is open book, but the 2020 NEC is the only book allowed. There is no Maryland law or rules section, and calculations are worth 30 of the 100 points. What is on the exam breaks down every area.
Which code?
The exam tests the 2020 NEC today. PSI has offered only the 2020 edition since May 2, 2024, and the Board confirmed 2020 in November 2025.
A change is coming. In June 2026 the Board approved a proposed rule (COMAR 09.09.03.04) to enforce the 2026 NEC from August 31, 2026, published in the Maryland Register on August 7, 2026, and its exam committee is writing questions on the 2026 edition. No exam cutover date has been announced. In past code changes, candidates could choose the old or the new edition for a few months. If you are testing soon, study the 2020 NEC, and watch the Board's site for the switch.
Pass rates
Across both the master and journeyperson exams, 2,730 of 9,659 exams have passed since testing began, 28%. In 2025 through October, 753 candidates tested and 26% passed.
Reciprocity
Maryland has master electrician reciprocity with Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. If you hold a master license in one of those, check with the Board about applying through reciprocity rather than sitting the exam. There is no equivalent route at the journeyperson level.
Renewal
Licenses renew every two years.
Local registration
Counties may also require local registration on top of the state license, and limited and low-voltage licenses are issued by counties, not the state Board. Check with each county where you will work.
Getting ready
Try our free practice test on the 2020 NEC, or see the full Maryland Master Electrician exam prep.
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