Electrician License Requirements in New Mexico
- Training hours
- —
- Upfront cost
- $75
- Exam
- Journeyman Electrician Certification Examination
- Renewal cycle
- Every 3 years
- Issuing board
- New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (Electrical Bureau)
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. No individual under age 18 may be issued a journeyman certificate of competence (14.6.4.8(A)(3) NMAC). An application may be denied if the applicant has a disqualifying felony conviction under 14.6.3.8(F) NMAC, indicating a criminal-history review is part of the process. [1]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete the required training. New Mexico measures this in years, not hours: 4 years of work experience within the 10 years immediately prior to application (14.6.4.8(C)(1) NMAC). Accredited technical/college/apprenticeship training may substitute for up to half the requirement, with each year of training counted as one-half year of experience. No fixed classroom-hour figure is published, so hours is left null. [1]
- 3
Journeyman Electrician Certification Examination
Pass the Journeyman Electrician Certification Examination. Passing score is 75% or higher (14.6.4.8(C)(2)(c) NMAC). An applicant must first submit satisfactory work-experience documentation before being permitted to sit for the exam. Exam scheduling/registration runs through PSI (test-takers.psiexams.com/nmcon); no official page found publishing the exam fee amount, so fee is left null. [1]
- 4
Submit your application
Submit your application to New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (Electrical Bureau). [2]
- 5
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (Electrical Bureau) issues your Journeyman Electrician Certificate of Competence for New Mexico.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [2] | None specified |
| License fee [2] | $75 |
| Renewal fee [2] | $75 |
| Journeyman Electrician Certification Examination [1] | None specified |
| Work experience affidavit fee (submitted to PSI) [2] | $36 |
CID's fee schedule lists a single flat 'All Journeyman Certificate Fees' amount of $75, which is not broken out into separate application/issuance/renewal lines, so the same figure is used for license and renewal here. A separate $36 notarized work-experience affidavit fee is paid to PSI during the application process.
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 3 years. 16 continuing education hours required per cycle.
16 hours of continuing education required every 3-year period between electrical code updates: 8 hours must be code-change instruction, 8 hours may be other industry-related instruction. Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal application or the renewal is treated as incomplete.
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.
New Mexico maintains bilateral reciprocal licensing agreements (journeyman certificate/license only, not a formal interstate compact with a compact commission) with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Reciprocal applicants must hold a current, active, good-standing journeyman electrician certificate/license (or higher) obtained by passing an exam after a 4-year apprenticeship or 4 years of equivalent experience, and must submit the NM journeyman application, processing fee, and a copy of the qualifying out-of-state certificate/license. compacts is left [] because this is a bilateral reciprocity list, not a compact-commission-administered compact, per source rule 6.
2 state-approved training providers in New Mexico — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Cost calculator
- $75
Frequently asked questions
How many years of experience are required to become a journeyman electrician in New Mexico?
4 years of work experience within the 10 years immediately prior to application. Accredited technical, college, manufacturer, or apprenticeship training may substitute for up to half of that requirement, at a rate of one-half year of experience per year of training.
What score is needed to pass the journeyman electrician exam?
A passing score of 75% or higher is required. An applicant must first submit satisfactory work-experience documentation to CID before being allowed to sit for the exam.
Does New Mexico have reciprocity with other states?
Yes, for the journeyman certificate/license only, New Mexico has reciprocal agreements with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, provided the applicant holds a current, active, good-standing certificate/license obtained via exam after a 4-year apprenticeship or equivalent experience.
What continuing education is required to renew?
16 hours every 3-year period between code updates: 8 hours of code-change instruction and 8 hours of other approved industry-related instruction, submitted with the renewal application.
How much does a journeyman certificate cost?
CID's published fee schedule lists a flat $75 Journeyman Certificate Fee. A separate $36 work-experience affidavit fee is paid to PSI during the application process.
Sources
- [1] rld.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/14.6.4_markup-3.docx — accessed 2026-07-11
- [2] rld.nm.gov/construction-industries/forms-and-applications/fees/ — accessed 2026-07-11
- [3] rld.nm.gov/construction-industries/continuing-education/ — accessed 2026-07-11