State guide
The NASCLA Route to a New Mexico Electrical License
Updated September 2026
New Mexico is one of the 17 licensing boards in the NASCLA electrical program that recognize the Master/Unlimited exam - the same standardized 100-question, open-book test everywhere it is used.
Here is exactly what the NASCLA electrical exam covers with the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (Regulation and Licensing Department), what New Mexico still asks of you on top of it, and the details that trip people up.
What the NASCLA exam covers in New Mexico
Accepted in lieu of the trade exam for the EE-98 electrical license and journeyman certificate.
What New Mexico still requires
Passing the trade exam is necessary, not sufficient. You still need a letter of good standing showing you have been licensed at least 1 year in another state (effective January 2023), the New Mexico contractor Business and Law exam (or an approved course in lieu), and a qualifying party with the required experience within the last 10 years.
Watch-outs and fine print
New Mexico is effectively an endorsement state: the NASCLA score only helps if you already hold a license somewhere else and have held it for at least a year.
The business and law requirement can be satisfied by an approved course instead of the exam - often the faster path.
Always confirm with the board
Licensing rules change and boards update their bulletins without notice. Before you schedule anything, confirm the current requirements at rld.nm.gov - it takes ten minutes and prevents expensive surprises.
Official source for current requirements: rld.nm.gov
Testing for New Mexico? Train for the real thing.
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Already passed? Here is what New Mexico needs next.
The $45 transcript, master license versus electrical contractor license, forming the company, the EIN, the business and law exam, the bond, insurance, and the application itself - ten steps, in order, with the official route and the real cost on each.
Nearby state guides