New Mexico Electrician License Guide: EE-98 Exam, NEC Edition & Reference Rules (2026)
New Mexico's electrical exams are administered by PSI under contract with the Construction Industries Division (CID), and they run on the 2020 NEC — not the 2023 or 2026 edition some aggregator sites claim. The exam itself is split into three separate parts (commercial/industrial, residential, and specialties), and New Mexico explicitly bans a reference book most electricians reach for by habit. Here's exactly what the Candidate Information Bulletin says, straight from PSI and the CID.
Quick Answer
| Licensing authority | Construction Industries Division (CID), NM Regulation and Licensing Department |
| Exam vendor | PSI Services, LLC (computer-based) |
| Journeyman classification | EE-98J — Residential and Commercial Electrical, 8,000 hours experience |
| Contractor classification | EE-98 — same trade exam, plus a required Business and Law exam |
| EE-98 trade exam format | 3 parts: Commercial/Industrial (80Q/200min), Residential (40Q/100min), Specialties (50Q/135min) — 75% to pass each |
| NEC edition tested | 2020 (NFPA 70), plus the New Mexico Electrical Code, NMAC 14.10.4 (2020) |
| Reference materials | Open book — candidate's own bound copy, may be highlighted/tabbed before the exam |
| Explicitly banned reference | Ugly's Electrical References (2008/2011/2014 editions) — named and disallowed by PSI |
| Exam fees | $68.88 Business & Law; $269.06 full EE-98 combination (3 parts); $89.69 per part retake |
Who Regulates Electrical Work in New Mexico
The Construction Industries Division (CID), part of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, licenses electricians and electrical contractors statewide. CID has contracted with PSI Services, LLC to run the entire approval and testing process — PSI doesn't just proctor the exam, it also handles eligibility review. You must be pre-approved by CID before you can even schedule a test with PSI.
Journeyman vs. Contractor: Two Different Credentials
New Mexico splits electrical licensing into two tiers built around the same trade exam:
- EE-98J (Journeyman Electrician) — covers residential and commercial work combined (New Mexico doesn't split journeyman licensing by residential-only or commercial-only), requiring 8,000 hours of qualifying experience (roughly 4 years). This is the only New Mexico electrical classification that carries reciprocity with a short list of other states.
- EE-98 (Electrical Contractor) — the license that lets you run your own electrical contracting business. The CID's own guidance states that "QP applicants must pass the exam(s) applicable to the classification being sought, as well as a Contractor's Business and Law exam" — meaning the contractor track adds the Business and Law exam on top of the trade exam.
What we couldn't fully confirm: the PSI bulletin lists the EE-98 trade exam's three parts and fees without separately breaking out a journeyman-only fee schedule or explicitly stating whether EE-98J candidates must also sit the Business and Law exam. If you're applying for the journeyman classification specifically, confirm with CID/PSI exactly which of the three EE-98 parts and whether Business and Law apply to your application before you pay for an exam you don't need.
The EE-98 Exam: Three Parts, Not One
Per the PSI bulletin, the EE-98 trade exam is a genuine three-part combination exam, and "you must take and pass all parts of the combination exams. If you do not pass all parts of an exam, you need to retake only the part(s) you did not pass."
| Part | Questions | Time | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 — Commercial and Industrial | 80 | 200 min | 75% (60 pts) |
| Part 2 — Residential | 40 | 100 min | 75% (30 pts) |
| Part 3 — Specialties (low voltage, alarms, signs, telephone/comm systems) | 50 | 135 min | 75% (38 pts) |
Content areas for Parts 1 and 2 cover general electrical installation requirements, services/feeders/branch circuits, overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding, conductors and cables, raceways and boxes, hazardous locations and special equipment, lighting and general-use equipment, motors/transformers/generators, and New Mexico state code amendments. Part 3 covers low voltage/alarms, electrical signs and outline lighting, and telephone/sound/communication systems.
The Business and Law Exam
Required of all new contractor candidates, per the bulletin: 50 questions, 75% (38 points) to pass, 130 minutes, $68.88. It covers licensing requirements, estimating and bidding, business organization and financial management, tax law, labor law, project management and lien law, contracts, risk management, and environmental/safety topics. Allowed references: the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management (Basic 14th Edition), the New Mexico Construction Industries Licensing Act (NMSA Chapter 60, Article 13), and the New Mexico Contractor's License Requirement (NMAC Title 14, Chapter 6, Part 3). You must pass the Business and Law exam and your trade exam within one year of each other — passing one and letting the other lapse past a year means retaking the expired one.
The NEC Edition, and the Reference That's Banned
The PSI bulletin lists, word for word, the allowed reference for the EE-98 trade exam: "NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code, 2020, or The National Electrical Code Handbook", plus the "New Mexico Electrical Code (NMAC 14.10.4), 2020." That's the 2020 NEC — not 2023, and not 2026. Some third-party test-prep pages currently advertise New Mexico's exam as covering the 2023 code; based on the current, dated PSI bulletin, that's out of date.
More surprising: PSI explicitly lists reference materials that are not allowed in the exam room for the EE-98 trade exam, and one of them is a book many electricians carry as a matter of habit: "Ugly's Electrical References, George V. Hart, 2008, 2011, or 2014 edition" — named and banned, alongside the American Electricians' Handbook and the Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook. If your study bundle includes an older Ugly's edition as a "free bonus," don't assume you can bring it into a New Mexico electrical exam.
Reference Material Markup Rules
New Mexico's rule is the standard candidate-supplied, pre-marked model — but stated with unusual precision. Per the bulletin: "Candidates are responsible for bringing their own references to the examination center. Reference materials must be bound, and may be highlighted, underlined, and/or indexed prior to the examination session. Reference materials containing any writing will not be allowed into the examination. References may not be written in during the examination session." Tabs are allowed only if permanent: "References may be tabbed/indexed with permanent tabs only. Temporary tabs, such as Post-It notes, are not allowed and must be removed from the reference before the examination begins." Loose or attached extra papers are confiscated on sight, and anyone caught writing in a reference during the exam has it confiscated and reported to the department.
Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Business and Law Exam | $68.88 |
| EE-98 combination exam (all 3 parts, first attempt) | $269.06 |
| EE-98 single-part retake | $89.69 per part |
Exam fees are valid for 1 year from the date PSI receives payment. This bulletin doesn't list CID's separate license-issuance or renewal fees — check directly with CID for those.
Eligibility Windows and Retesting
- Once approved, you must test within 6 months of your eligibility date or you'll need to reapply with CID.
- You may not take the same exam more than twice within a 30-day period. Two fails within 30 days means a mandatory 30-day wait from your first attempt before retesting.
- Passing scores are valid for 1 year from the exam date.
- Test centers are located in Albuquerque, Farmington, Las Cruces, Roswell, and Santa Fe, plus out-of-state options in Durango, CO and Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland, TX.
Other Electrical Specialty Classifications
Beyond EE-98/EE-98J, PSI's New Mexico bulletin lists several narrower electrical-adjacent classifications, each open book on the 2020 NEC with the same permanent-tab rule: ER-1 (Residential Electrical Wiring), ES-1 (Electrical Signs and Outline Lighting), ES-2 (Cathodic and Lightning Protection Systems), ES-3 (Low Voltage Special Systems, under 50 volts), ES-7 (Telephone Communication Systems), ES-10/ES-10J/ES-10R (Water Well Pump Installer), and EL-1 (Electrical Distribution Systems, including Transmission Lines). There are also separate, non-contractor Electrical Inspector (General) and Residential Electrical Inspector exams for inspector certification rather than contracting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What NEC edition does New Mexico's electrician exam use?
The 2020 NEC (NFPA 70), per PSI's current Candidate Information Bulletin, plus the state-specific New Mexico Electrical Code (NMAC 14.10.4, 2020 edition). Treat any source claiming a newer edition with caution until you've checked your own bulletin.
Can I bring Ugly's Electrical References into a New Mexico electrical exam?
Not according to the current PSI bulletin for the EE-98 trade exam — the 2008, 2011, and 2014 editions of Ugly's Electrical References are explicitly listed as disallowed reference material, along with the American Electricians' Handbook and the Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook.
Can I highlight and tab my code book before the New Mexico exam?
Yes — highlighting, underlining, and indexing done before the exam session are allowed, and permanent tabs are fine. Temporary tabs like Post-it notes are not allowed and must be removed before the exam starts. No writing of any kind is permitted once the exam begins.
What's the difference between EE-98J and EE-98?
EE-98J is the journeyman classification (residential and commercial combined, 8,000 hours of experience). EE-98 is the contractor classification, which layers a required Business and Law exam on top of the same trade-knowledge testing. We were not able to fully confirm from public sources whether journeyman applicants take all three EE-98 trade exam parts or a subset — confirm with CID/PSI directly.
How long is my New Mexico exam eligibility good for?
You must test within 6 months of your CID-approved eligibility date, or you'll need to reapply. Once you pass, that score is valid for 1 year, and you must pass your trade exam and Business and Law exam within a year of each other.
Study Materials
New Mexico's electrical exams run on the 2020 NEC, and our current catalog carries the 2023 and 2026 editions — not the exact edition PSI lists for this exam. On top of that, several of our bundles include an Ugly's Electrical References booklet as a bonus, and New Mexico's own bulletin names specific older Ugly's editions as disallowed exam-room references. Rather than sell you a mismatched-edition bundle with a banned bonus item, we'll point you to our general electrical code book collection for background study, and recommend you source the exact 2020 NEC edition separately for exam-day use once you've confirmed your bulletin's requirements with CID/PSI.
Official Sources
- PSI New Mexico Contractor Examinations Portal
- NM RLD Construction Industries Division — Apply for a License
This guide is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Licensing rules, fees, and exam content change — always confirm current requirements directly with the New Mexico Construction Industries Division and PSI before applying, testing, or purchasing study materials.
