New Hampshire Master Electrician License: Requirements and How to Apply
What New Hampshire requires for a master electrician license: the journeyman qualification plus 2,000 hours as a journeyman, the Board application, Prov's 126-question exam, reciprocity with Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts, and renewal.
Contents
New Hampshire Master Electrician License: Requirements and How to Apply
In New Hampshire, a master electrician is the license for running an electrical business: a master hires others to do electrical work, or does it for their own account as a business (RSA 319-C:2, V). A corporation or partnership doing electrical work needs a licensed master directly in charge of its electrical business (RSA 319-C:10). The Electricians' Board (OPLC) issues the license; Prov gives the exam.
Who can take the master exam
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Journeyman qualification | Pass the New Hampshire journeyman exam (8,000 apprentice hours plus 600 hours of schooling, or the alternatives in Elec 304.01(a)) |
| Journeyman experience | 2,000 hours of field experience as a journeyman doing electrical installations before you take the master exam (Elec 304.01(f)) |
How to apply
- Apply to the Electricians' Board with the $50 application fee (nonrefundable).
- Wait for approval, then schedule with Prov online or at (801) 733-4455, at a New Hampshire test center or remotely. The exam fee is $90 per attempt.
- See your result right away. Prov scores the exam when you finish.
If you have not passed within a year of the Board receiving your application, you file a new application and pay again (RSA 319-C:8).
The exam in brief
| Item | New Hampshire Master Electrician 2020 |
|---|---|
| Given by | Prov, by computer at four NH test centers or remotely |
| Questions | 126 |
| Time | 300 minutes (5 hours) |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Format | Open book |
| Code | 2020 NEC |
Twenty-five of the 126 questions are on New Hampshire's licensing law: RSA 319-C and the Board's rules Elec 100-400. See what is on the Master exam.
Running the business
A master answers for more than the code:
- Supervision: apprentices work only under direct supervision, with the ratios in RSA 319-C:2-a: on a work site, each master may supervise two apprentices, up to six masters with two each.
- Licenses on display: the license certificate must be posted at the principal place of business (RSA 319-C:7, III).
- Employing unlicensed people: an electrical business that has an unlicensed person other than an apprentice make electrical installations commits a misdemeanor (a felony for a business entity) under RSA 319-C:15.
- Change of address: report it to the Board within 30 days (Elec 404.03).
Licensed in another state?
New Hampshire has long-standing agreements recognizing master licenses from Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts. Its NERA reciprocity covers journeymen only. Confirm with the Board before you apply.
Renewal and continuing education
Licenses renew every two years from the date of issuance. Each new NEC edition triggers the 15-hour code-update course, with at least an hour on New Hampshire's law and rules, due within 12 months from the following January 1 (Elec 403.01): December 31, 2026 for the 2026 NEC.
Practice for the exam
Our New Hampshire Master practice test covers the 2020 NEC and the state law, and every question cites its section. Still a journeyman? Start with the Journeyman requirements.
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