Electrician License from Illinois to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB) ↗
A electrical license transfers from Illinois to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB), verify your Illinois license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. Alabama waives its journeyman trade exam only for a reciprocal applicant holding an equivalent Texas journeyman license — Texas is the sole state whose JOURNEYMAN license the AECB reciprocates (its seven other reciprocal boards are honored for the electrical-CONTRACTOR license only). Every other out-of-state journeyman must pass the Alabama journeyman examination, and all reciprocity applicants must also pass the Alabama Business & Law exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Alabama publishes no reciprocity list covering Illinois, but the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB) licenses out-of-state electricians by endorsement, so this move runs on the board's case-by-case judgment rather than an automatic waiver. If you hold a master license this is usually your route regardless — master electricians typically endorse rather than transfer through journeyman reciprocity. Ask the board, in writing, exactly which exam or experience requirement it will waive before you rely on it.
What changes, Illinois → Alabama
| Illinois (current) | Alabama (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | — | 8,000 |
| Application fee | No statewide fee; fees are set by each municipality | $35–$315 ($35 journeyman license fee on approval; the board's reciprocal-licensing fee is $315 (effective 2026-02-14) but is oriented to the electrical-CONTRACTOR reciprocal license — the AECB publishes no distinct journeyman-reciprocity fee. A non-reciprocal journeyman instead pays a $115 journeyman exam fee plus the $35 license fee. Fingerprint/background surcharge may apply.) |
| Processing time | Set by each municipality; there is no statewide process | AECB does not publish a processing time; applications are reviewed at scheduled board meetings |
| Licensing authority | No statewide board — electrician licensing is municipal (e.g., City of Chicago Department of Buildings) | Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, valid license with a listed reciprocal state board and have passed an equivalent examination.
- Pass the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board Business & Law examination.
- Journeyman-level reciprocity is available only from Texas; the other reciprocal agreements cover the electrical-contractor license only.
- Non-reciprocal journeyman applicants must document 8,000 hours of experience (up to 2,000 hours substitutable by approved education) and pass the Alabama journeyman exam.
- Pay the fees ($35–$315 ($35 journeyman license fee on approval; the board's reciprocal-licensing fee is $315 (effective 2026-02-14) but is oriented to the electrical-CONTRACTOR reciprocal license — the AECB publishes no distinct journeyman-reciprocity fee. A non-reciprocal journeyman instead pays a $115 journeyman exam fee plus the $35 license fee. Fingerprint/background surcharge may apply.)) and allow AECB does not publish a processing time; applications are reviewed at scheduled board meetings.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Alabama accept a Illinois electrician license?
A electrical license transfers from Illinois to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB), verify your Illinois license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. Alabama waives its journeyman trade exam only for a reciprocal applicant holding an equivalent Texas journeyman license — Texas is the sole state whose JOURNEYMAN license the AECB reciprocates (its seven other reciprocal boards are honored for the electrical-CONTRACTOR license only). Every other out-of-state journeyman must pass the Alabama journeyman examination, and all reciprocity applicants must also pass the Alabama Business & Law exam..
Which exam will I take moving from Illinois to Alabama?
Alabama waives its journeyman trade exam only for a reciprocal applicant holding an equivalent Texas journeyman license — Texas is the sole state whose JOURNEYMAN license the AECB reciprocates (its seven other reciprocal boards are honored for the electrical-CONTRACTOR license only). Every other out-of-state journeyman must pass the Alabama journeyman examination, and all reciprocity applicants must also pass the Alabama Business & Law exam..
What does the Illinois-to-Alabama move cost and how long does it take?
$35–$315 ($35 journeyman license fee on approval; the board's reciprocal-licensing fee is $315 (effective 2026-02-14) but is oriented to the electrical-CONTRACTOR reciprocal license — the AECB publishes no distinct journeyman-reciprocity fee. A non-reciprocal journeyman instead pays a $115 journeyman exam fee plus the $35 license fee. Fingerprint/background surcharge may apply.); processing AECB does not publish a processing time; applications are reviewed at scheduled board meetings.
Does this route work for a master electrician?
Usually yes — master electricians typically move by endorsement rather than journeyman reciprocity. Confirm the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB)'s master-level experience and exam requirements, which are separate from the journeyman track this site's grid tracks.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- AECB — Forms and Testing Information (reciprocal state boards list, reciprocity requirements & fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- AECB — Journeyman License by Examination application (8,000-hour experience requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- City of Chicago — Trade Licensing (Department of Buildings) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- City of Chicago — Supervising Electrician License (municipal exam/licensing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- City of Chicago — Electrical Contractor License ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]