Checked against primary sources 2026-09-07

Code ME

Wisconsin Master Electrician License: Routes and Exam

The master card is the one that carries responsibility for other people, and it is the credential a permit is pulled against. Three routes lead to it, and the shortest of them is twelve months as a licensed journeyman electrician.

Test yourself: thirty free questions, timed

What the card carries

A master electrician is responsible for the work of journeymen, apprentices and registered electricians, and pulls the permit before installation work begins.

The statute is behind that. Wis. Stat. 101.862(3) says no person who is not a master electrician may install, repair or maintain electrical wiring "unless a master electrician is at all times responsible for the person's work." SPS 305.40 then lists the licensed master electrician first among the nine lawful roles.

Milwaukee's ordinance shows what that looks like in practice. Section 222-13-2-a requires the state licensed electrical contractor pulling a permit to provide a copy of its contractor license "and a copy of the license of the master electrician who is taking full responsibility."

The three routes in

SPS 305.43(2) prints the standard route as "at least 1,000 hours per year of experience for at least 7 years in electrical construction work."

Form 3107, Rev. 12/04/2025, Category A gives three. The first is "Completed at least 12 months of experience as a licensed Journeyman Electrician." The second is an experience route: "Experience in installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical wiring during a period of at least 60 months, with at least 10,000 hours of experience over that period; OR at least 1,000 hours per year for at least 7 years." The third is a "Bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering from an accredited engineering university or college."

Read the second route carefully, because the 10,000 hours and the seven years are two ways of meeting one route rather than two separate routes. Read the third one too, because it asks for no hours at all.

Category B on the same form covers a Wisconsin master electrician license that had been exchanged for a journeyman electrician license, which is a route back rather than a route in.

What school is worth here

The master grade allows more education credit than the journeyman grade. SPS 305.43(2) credits each full-time semester at 500 hours, "with no more than 3,000 hours and 3 years of experience through education being credited."

Six full-time semesters is the ceiling. Form 3107 prints the same 3,000 hour and three year cap.

The exam

Open book, passing score 70 percent, four hours of seat time on the Pearson VUE schedule at $95.00, with $35 to apply and $30 as the state examination fee under Table 305.02.

One small inconsistency to know about. The master and residential master exam pages introduce the permitted references as "the following three reference items," while the journeyman and residential journeyman pages say "four." All four pages then print the same three numbered entries, and the standalone permitted materials PDF marks every electrician row "Up to 4 items." The book rules page prints all of it.

DSPS publishes no question count for the master exam. Figures circulate, and none of them comes from DSPS or Pearson VUE.

Fees, term and continuing education

The license fee on issue is $200, the term is four years and the expiry date is June 30. The renewal fee is $200.00.

Continuing education is "at least 24 hours of acceptable continuing education" under SPS 305.43(7), the same figure as the journeyman grade over the same four year term.

Late filing has its own price. The DSPS renewal schedule carries a $200.00 reinstatement fee for electrical credentials and a $25.00 late continuing education fee, and SPS 305.07 sets out what a filer more than one term late has to do.

The one reciprocity route

Form 3107 Category C is "Reciprocity for Applicants Holding a Current Master A Electrician License in Iowa." The conditions are a valid, unexpired "Master Electrician license acquired through a state examination in Iowa," held "continuously for at least one year immediately prior to submitting an application in Wisconsin."

Two conditions inside that sentence get missed. The Iowa license has to be the Master A class, and it has to have been acquired through a state examination in Iowa. An Iowa master license obtained by Iowa's own reciprocity or grandfathering does not qualify on the face of the form.

New Hampshire appears on the journeyman form only. There is no New Hampshire route to a Wisconsin master license.

How many hold it

The DSPS count file, as of 06/01/2026, gives 5,480 in state active master electricians, 1,001 in state inactive and 7,442 in total across in state and out of state records.

Set that against 3,005 active in state electrical contractor licenses. There are more masters than contracting businesses, which is what you would expect from a rule that makes a master responsible for other people's work.

Questions people ask

How do I become a master electrician in Wisconsin?

Qualify on one of three routes on form 3107, apply in LicensE, pass the open book examination at 70 percent and pay the $200 license fee. The routes are twelve months as a licensed journeyman, the experience route of 10,000 hours over 60 months or 1,000 hours a year for seven years, and a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering.

How many years does a Wisconsin master electrician license take?

SPS 305.43(2) sets seven years at 1,000 hours a year. Form 3107 shortens that to twelve months for somebody who already holds a Wisconsin journeyman electrician license, and it accepts a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering with no hours at all.

What does a master electrician do that a journeyman cannot?

A master is responsible for the work of journeymen, apprentices and registered electricians and pulls the permit before installation work begins. A journeyman works under a master's general supervision.

How much is the Wisconsin master electrician license?

Table 305.02 sets $35 to apply, $30 for the state examination fee and $200 for the license fee. Renewal is $200.00 every four years on June 30.

How much continuing education does a master electrician need?

At least 24 hours of acceptable continuing education under SPS 305.43(7), before the four year term expires.

Can I transfer a master electrician license into Wisconsin?

From Iowa only, and only a Master A license acquired through a state examination in Iowa and held continuously for at least one year before you apply here.

What this page cites

• SPS 305.43, Master electricians Seven years at 1,000 hours a year, the 3,000 hour education cap and the 24 hours of continuing education. source
• Form 3107, Rev. 12/04/2025 The three routes in Category A and the Iowa Master A reciprocity conditions in Category C. source
• DSPS Master Electrician exam page Open book, 70 percent, and the three reference items as that page words it. source
• Milwaukee Code of Ordinances Chapter 222 Requires a copy of the license of the master electrician taking full responsibility on a permit application. source
• Trades renewal dates and fees The $200.00 renewal, the $200.00 reinstatement fee and the $25.00 late continuing education fee. source
• DSPS license counts, as of 06/01/2026 The 5,480 in state active master records against 3,005 active contractor licenses. source