Washington Electrician License Requirements
By Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified October 1, 2026 against Washington L&I pages, Chapter 19.28 RCW, Chapter 296-46B WAC, the July 2026 fee schedule and the PSI exam bulletin
To do electrical work in Washington, you need an electrician certificate from the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Washington calls the worker credential a certificate of competency; the "license" is the separate one a contracting business holds. For the general journey level (01) certificate, you must finish an 8,000-hour registered apprenticeship, with at least 4,000 hours in new commercial or industrial work, and then pass the state exam with 70% or better on every section. Specialty certificates take 4,000 or 2,000 hours, depending on the specialty. Every in-state trainee or apprentice route starts with an L&I electrical training certificate.
Current rule: The temporary route that let some trainees reach the 01 exam without an apprenticeship is closed. L&I had to receive those exam applications before July 1, 2026 (WAC 296-46B-945(5)).
Find your path
| If you are… | You're aiming for | What qualifies you for the exam | Classroom hours | Your next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New to the trade and want to do all types of electrical work | 01 general journey level | Finish an 8,000-hour registered apprenticeship. At least 4,000 hours must be new commercial/industrial work, and no more than 4,000 can come from specialty work. | 96 hours of basic classroom instruction | Get a training certificate, then apply to a 01 apprenticeship |
| New and want residential, low-voltage, HVAC/R, sign, pump or maintenance work | A 4,000-hour specialty (02, 03, 04, 06, 06A, 07) | 4,000 hours in that specialty, supervised at least 75% of each working day | 48 hours | Get a training certificate and work under an electrician certified for that work |
| Doing narrow repair or maintenance work | A 2,000-hour specialty (03A, 06B, 07A, 07B, 07C, 07D, 07E, 10) | 720 or 1,000 hours at 100% supervision to test, then 2,000 hours total to certify | 24 hours | Mail form F500-097-000 |
| Already hold an 02, 03, 04, 06, 06A or 07 certificate | 01 | Join a registered 01 apprenticeship. The program must credit you 4,000 hours. | Set by the program | Contact a 01 program that covers your county |
| Licensed as a journeyman in another state, by exam | 01 | Qualifies without a Washington apprenticeship if that state required 8,000 supervised hours (4,000 commercial/industrial) earned there | Documented classroom training | Mail the Out-of-State Application (F626-009-000) |
| Unlicensed with 16,000+ hours out of state | 01 | Qualifies if at least 4,000 hours were new commercial/industrial work | Documented classroom training | F626-009-000 |
| Finished an 8,000-hour apprenticeship in another state | 01 | An equivalent apprenticeship qualifies (4,000 hours commercial/industrial) | Per that program | F626-009-000 |
| Hold an Oregon J or S license | 01 by reciprocity | Oregon J earned through an 8,000-hour apprenticeship and an Oregon exam, or an Oregon S earned by exam; the Oregon license must be current and active and the other reciprocity conditions must be met | — | Reciprocal application (F500-148-000) |
| Military electrical experience | 01 or a specialty | 8,000 hours in a U.S. armed forces construction battalion qualifies for the 01. Certain other military electrical work can cover up to 50% of the required hours. | — | Get a training certificate, then mail your DD 214 and VMET (the evaluation is free) |
| Graduate of a qualifying two-year electrical program | 01 or a specialty | For the 01, qualifying school can substitute for up to 2 years of work experience required within the apprenticeship path; it does not remove the current apprenticeship requirement. For a specialty, qualifying school can substitute for up to 50% of the required work experience. | — | Confirm the program and credit with L&I before relying on it |
L&I only counts hours it has approved. Check your record in L&I's Verify tool before you apply for any exam.
Sources: RCW 19.28.191; WAC 296-46B-945; L&I Electrician page; L&I Electrical Apprenticeship page.
Three dates that change the answer
July 1, 2023: the 01 went apprenticeship-only for the ordinary in-state path. Before this date, you could qualify by stacking trainee hours and classes. Since then, a new in-state 01 candidate has needed a registered apprenticeship; separately defined out-of-state, military, reciprocity and Canadian Red Seal routes can qualify under different rules. Specialty routes did not change, and neither did specialty contractors or the trainees they employ.
July 1, 2026: the last grandfather window closed. Trainees who had 3,000 hours (or a finished two-year school program) before July 1, 2023 could keep working toward the 01 outside an apprenticeship. They could not work for an employer that trains apprentices, and L&I had to receive the exam application and paperwork before July 1, 2026.
If your application made that deadline and was approved, follow the one-year examination period that begins on the date of your exam approval. If it didn't, you now need a registered apprenticeship or one of the other qualifying routes. Questions about your situation go to ElectricalApprenticeship@Lni.wa.gov.
December 31, 2026: the 2026 NEC takes over in the field. Washington installations currently follow the 2023 National Electrical Code. The 2026 edition replaces it on December 31, 2026 (WAC 296-46B-010). The exam is a separate question; see which code book the exam uses.
Older guides that describe a "work 8,000 hours as a trainee" route without an apprenticeship are describing the law before these changes.
Journey level (01) step by step
- Get an electrical training certificate. You must be 16 or older and have a Social Security number or ITIN, and you apply online. It costs $48.10 online. At work, carry a government photo ID and display the certificate.
- Enter a registered 01 apprenticeship. Apply to a program directly, or join through an employer that becomes a "training agent" for a program. L&I publishes the list of 01 programs by county, and you can search more in ARTS by entering General Electrician.
- Work under supervision. The limit is one trainee per journey level electrician, who must supervise you at least 75% of each working day. Near the end, apprentices may work without direct on-site supervision during the last six months of their required experience (RCW 19.28.161).
- Keep your trainee certificate active. Renew it every 2 years with 48 hours of approved basic trainee classes. These must be classroom courses; online, correspondence and first aid classes don't count for trainees.
- Finish the apprenticeship. That means 8,000 hours, with at least 4,000 in new commercial or industrial installations and no more than 4,000 from specialty work. Washington's exam rule also requires 96 hours of basic classroom instruction at this level. Your apprenticeship's related classroom training is set by the program and may be more.
- Apply for the exam. Once Verify shows all your hours and classes, apply online. Or mail the In-State Application for Electrical Examination (F626-001-000) in the same envelope as your last affidavits. The fee is $114.60, which covers your first certificate. L&I mails an approval letter with instructions for scheduling with PSI.
- Pass every section at 70% or higher within the one-year examination period beginning on the date of exam approval.
At full time, which Washington's statute defines as 2,000 hours a year, 8,000 hours takes about four years. One more limit: an uncertified person can't keep working unsupervised for more than a year past the point they would have been eligible to test had they worked full time (RCW 19.28.191(3)).
Specialty electrician certificates
Washington has 14 specialties. Each one covers a defined scope of work, and a specialty certificate doesn't let you do work outside that scope. The full scopes are in WAC 296-46B-920(2). The summaries below are short on purpose, so check the rule before you rely on a limit.
| Code | Specialty | Hours to certify | Hours before you can test | Scope in brief |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Residential | 4,000 | 4,000 | Wiring for one- and two-family homes and qualifying multifamily buildings |
| 03 | Pump and irrigation | 4,000 | 4,000 | Circuits, feeders and controls for water systems and irrigation pumps |
| 04 | Signs | 4,000 | 4,000 | Signs, outline lighting and their circuits |
| 06 | Limited energy system | 4,000 | 4,000 | Low-voltage systems such as signaling, communications, alarms and controls |
| 06A | HVAC/refrigeration | 4,000 | 4,000 | HVAC/R equipment and its controls and internal wiring |
| 07 | Nonresidential maintenance | 4,000 | 4,000 | Maintenance, repair and like-in-kind replacement; not new installations |
| 03A | Domestic pump | 2,000 | 720 | Residential pump circuits up to 7½ hp at 250 volts, single phase |
| 06B | HVAC/refrigeration, restricted | 2,000 | 1,000 | Smaller HVAC/R equipment, within WAC voltage and amp limits |
| 07A | Nonresidential lighting maintenance and retrofit | 2,000 | 720 | Work inside existing light fixtures; no new fixtures |
| 07B | Residential maintenance | 2,000 | 720 | Home repair and replacement up to 250 V, 60 A, single phase |
| 07C | Restricted nonresidential maintenance | 2,000 | 1,000 | Up to 277 V/20 A lighting circuits or 250 V/60 A other circuits; no breaker replacement |
| 07D | Appliance repair | 2,000 | 720 | Appliances connected as a single unit, up to 250 V, 60 A, single phase |
| 07E | Equipment repair | 2,000 | 1,000 | Servicing utilization equipment as defined in RCW 19.28.095 |
| 10 | Door, gate and similar systems | 2,000 | 720 | Electric door and gate operators and their controls |
4,000-hour specialties. Trainees need at least 75% supervision by an electrician certified for that work, plus 48 hours of basic classroom instruction. The ratio is up to two trainees per specialty electrician.
2,000-hour specialties run on a two-stage track:
- Work at 100% supervision until you reach the "hours before you can test" figure: 720 or 1,000.
- Apply with form F500-097-000. The fee is $102.20, of which $67.90 is nonrefundable, and the PSI exam fee is separate.
- Pass the exam. L&I then issues a nonrenewable 0% supervision modified training certificate, which lets you work alone in that specialty.
- Before that certificate expires, complete 24 hours of basic trainee classes. Once you reach 2,000 hours, apply for your specialty certificate with form F500-098-000.
Moving up to the 01 later. Hours from a 4,000-hour specialty carry forward: an 01 apprenticeship must credit 02, 03, 04, 06, 06A and 07 holders 4,000 hours. Time spent earning a 2,000-hour specialty cannot be counted toward the 01.
Sources: WAC 296-46B-945 Table 945-1; F500-097-000, rev. 07-2026; L&I Electrician page.
Protect your hours
Years of work can go uncounted over paperwork, so check these as you go.
- Keep your training certificate current the whole time you work. Hours worked without one can't be credited.
- Check your supervisor's certificate. They must be certified for the kind of work you're doing, and they must stay on the same job site.
- Stay within the ratio and supervision rules: 1:1 with at least 75% supervision for journey level work, up to 2:1 for specialty work, and 100% supervision in 2,000-hour specialties until you pass the exam.
- Log hours in the right category. New commercial/industrial, residential and other specialty work count differently.
- File trainee affidavits on time. If you're a trainee outside an apprenticeship, L&I must receive your Affidavit of Experience (F500-149-000) for the previous two years no later than 180 days after each expiration date on your training certificate. Miss it and you can lose credit for those hours. The deadline doesn't apply to hours worked while registered in a Washington apprenticeship or a recognized Oregon apprenticeship.
- Keep copies of everything you mail, and use certified mail if you want proof it arrived.
- Check Verify to see the hours and classes L&I has recorded before you apply for an exam.
Sources: L&I Electrical Trainee page; RCW 19.28.161.
Out-of-state, Oregon and military applicants
Washington doesn't automatically transfer out-of-state licenses. You qualify for the 01 exam through one of the statute's routes: an equivalent apprenticeship, an out-of-state journeyman license earned by exam, 16,000 hours of experience, or construction-battalion service. Specialty candidates can qualify with equivalent out-of-state experience in that specialty.
How to document out-of-state work (L&I Electrical Examination page):
- From a state that licenses electricians: send a notarized letter from that state's licensing board. It must confirm that your license is active, name its type, confirm you earned it by exam, and confirm you met minimum hours equivalent to Washington's.
- From a state that doesn't license the work: send notarized letters on official letterhead from employers, your apprenticeship director, or a recognized contractor or labor organization. Each letter must give exact dates, hours broken down by work category, the type of work, and your supervision level. Add payroll records and copies of those employers' contractor or business licenses.
- Classroom training: send an apprenticeship completion certificate, a training-director letter, or a notarized school transcript showing your NEC and electrical theory hours.
- Filing: mail everything in one envelope with the fee. The out-of-state application has no online option.
Oregon. Oregon is the only state L&I lists a reciprocal agreement with. You're likely eligible for a Washington 01 by reciprocity if:
- you hold an Oregon journeyman (J) license earned through an 8,000-hour apprenticeship with at least 576 classroom hours and an Oregon exam, or an Oregon supervising (S) license earned by exam; and
- you have never held a Washington 01 certificate; and
- you haven't failed the Washington 01 exam in the last two years.
Reciprocity clarification: L&I's current Electrician reciprocity guidance lists 576 classroom hours for Oregon J. The current September 2026 F500-148-000 reciprocal application, Part A, Eligibility, does not separately list that classroom total. Use the form and L&I's online guidance together, and confirm your route with L&I before applying.
The agreement's other disqualifying conditions are listed in WAC 296-46B-940(20). The reverse route also exists: a Washington 01 earned through an approved apprenticeship and a Washington exam, or a Washington master 01, can qualify for an Oregon reciprocal license.
Military. Experience from nuclear, marine, shipyard, shipboard, radar, weapons, aeronautical or similar military work can cover up to 50% of the hours required for an exam. The exception is 8,000 hours in a U.S. armed forces construction battalion, which qualifies you for the 01 on its own. To apply:
- Get a training certificate.
- Mail your DD 214 (or current enlistment papers) and your VMET, with your training certificate number on each page, to L&I Electrical Licensing – Military Experience.
- Say which certificate you're after.
The evaluation is free.
Canada and other foreign experience. A Canadian journeyperson construction electrician with at least four years of electrical construction training who earned a Construction Electrician Red Seal endorsement by examination can qualify to take the Washington 01 examination after holding the Red Seal for one year. Other qualifying out-of-country journey-level experience can receive up to 4,000 hours of specialty credit, but the applicant must then obtain another 4,000 hours of new commercial/industrial experience in Washington while registered in a journey-level apprenticeship. See WAC 296-46B-945(13)-(15).
Sources: RCW 19.28.191(1)(c); WAC 296-46B-945(12); L&I Electrician page, Reciprocity section.
The Washington electrician exam
After L&I approves your application, you take the exam through PSI at a test center. It's open book, and you need 70% or higher on each section. Journey level and specialty exams have an NEC-and-theory section and a Washington laws-and-rules section, which covers Chapter 19.28 RCW and Chapter 296-46B WAC. The exact sections, question counts and time for your exam are listed in the PSI exam bulletin.
Which code book? The current PSI bulletin (revised October 30, 2025) and L&I's exam page both say questions are based on the 2020 NEC. That's true even though Washington installations use the 2023 NEC today and will use the 2026 NEC from December 31, 2026. Check the edition named in the current bulletin before you buy or tab a code book.
What you can bring:
- An NEC book. Permanent index tabs and highlighting are fine. Removable tabs, sticky notes and handwritten notes are not.
- Printed copies of Chapter 19.28 RCW and Chapter 296-46B WAC, hole-punched in a three-ring binder. You can print them from L&I's Electrical Laws & Rules page.
- Original published references, such as pocket formula guides or an NEC keyword index, with permanent tabs and highlighting only.
- A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator.
Proctors check books. Handwritten notes are treated as an attempt to cheat.
Timeline and retakes (WAC 296-46B-960):
- Starting window: for electrician exams, your one-year examination period begins on the date of exam approval.
- First attempt: it must include every section. After that, you only retake the sections you failed.
- Waiting periods: wait two weeks between attempts. If you fail a section three times within a one-year period, the wait becomes three months.
- If the year runs out: sections you passed don't carry over. You reapply to L&I and retake everything.
Other rules:
- Accommodations: request them from L&I, with documentation, before you schedule. Extra time can be up to double the normal time.
- Cost: PSI's current bulletin bills most examinations by scheduled exam time; some multi-section initial exams use a flat rate. That fee is separate from L&I's application fee, and PSI registration fees aren't refundable.
- Challenging a result: send a written request to L&I within 20 days of the exam, with the $165.50 review fee.
Studying for it? These free guides go deeper: Is the journeyman electrician exam open book?, approved electrician exam calculators and journeyman electrician exam prep. Where a guide's code edition differs from Washington's 2020 exam edition, use the Washington edition.
Washington electrician fees
These are L&I fees effective July 1, 2026 (WAC 296-46B-909). PSI exam fees are extra.
| Fee | Online | In person, mail or fax |
|---|---|---|
| Training certificate (original) | $48.10 | $56.00 |
| Training certificate renewal | $59.20 | $67.90 |
| Journey level or specialty exam application (includes your first certificate) | — | $114.60 |
| 2,000-hour specialty application (F500-097-000) | — | $102.20 |
| Journey level or specialty renewal | $92.60 | $106.40 |
| Journey level or specialty late renewal | $185.30 | $212.90 |
| Master electrician or administrator exam application | — | $204.60 |
| Master electrician or administrator renewal | $175.70 | $202.20 |
| Exam review (challenge) | — | $165.50 |
Worked example: Suppose you file online and renew your training certificate once. Your L&I fees from trainee to first certificate would be $48.10 + $59.20 + $114.60 = $221.90. That's before PSI exam fees, classes and books. Each additional two-year trainee renewal adds $59.20.
Keeping your certificate active
| Row label | Trainees | Journey level and specialty electricians |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal cycle | Every 2 years | Every 3 years, on your birthday |
| Education | 48 hours of basic trainee classes | 24 hours of continuing education: 8 on NEC code changes, 4 on RCW/WAC, 12 on other approved courses |
| What trips people up | Affidavits are due within 180 days after each expiration (for non-apprentice hours) | Renewing late doubles the fee, and more than 90 days expired means you must retest |
A few details:
- Your first certificate lasts between 25 and 36 months, depending on when you pass and your birthday.
- If you're not working in Washington, you can pay the renewal fee without the CE. Your certificate then sits in inactive status until you finish the education.
- Continuing education courses only count for certified electricians, not trainees. You can't get credit for the same class twice.
- Approved course lists are on L&I's basic classroom instruction and continuing education page.
Master electrician, administrator and contractor license
- Master journey level electrician: hold a Washington 01 for at least 4 years, then pass the master exam.
- Master specialty electrician: hold the Washington specialty certificate for at least 2 years.
- Out-of-state experience can't be credited toward either master exam (WAC 296-46B-945(3)).
- Electrical administrator: this certificate has no experience requirement, but it doesn't let you do electrical work.
- Electrical contractor license: a business that does electrical work needs this license, which is separate from anyone's electrician certificate. The contractor must post a $4,000 bond, provide the required workers' compensation and registration information, and designate a certified master electrician or administrator (RCW 19.28.041).
For how the levels compare, see journeyman vs. master electrician.
Quick answers
Is it a license or a certificate? Washington gives individual electricians a certificate of competency and gives businesses an electrical contractor license. When people search "electrician license," they mean the certificate.
Do Seattle or Spokane issue their own electrician license? No. Your certificate comes from L&I and is good statewide. Some cities, including Seattle, Spokane, Bellevue, Everett and Vancouver, handle their own electrical permits and inspections (L&I list).
Can I get the 01 without a Washington apprenticeship now? Not through the ordinary new in-state trainee-only path. Current alternatives include qualifying out-of-state or military experience, Oregon reciprocity, and the Canadian Red Seal route in WAC 296-46B-945(15). The old in-state non-apprentice allowance closed for applications not received by July 1, 2026.
How long does it take? About four years for the 01 at full time: 8,000 hours at 2,000 hours a year. About two years for a 4,000-hour specialty. For a 2,000-hour specialty, you can test after 720 or 1,000 hours and certify at 2,000.
Your Washington electrician checklist
Sources
Checked October 1, 2026.
- Washington L&I: Electrician · Electrical Apprenticeship · Electrical Trainee · Electrical Examination · City electrical permits and inspections
- PSI: Washington electrical exam bulletin (rev. October 30, 2025)
- Laws: RCW 19.28.041 · RCW 19.28.161 · RCW 19.28.191
- Rules: WAC 296-46B-010 · WAC 296-46B-909 · WAC 296-46B-920 · WAC 296-46B-945 · WAC 296-46B-960
- Forms: F626-001-000 · F626-009-000 · F500-097-000 · F500-098-000 · F500-148-000 · F500-149-000
For your own application, L&I's Electrical Program is the final word: ElectricalProgram@Lni.wa.gov · 360-902-5269.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries or PSI. Credential and exam names are used only to identify the subject of this page, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page summarizes public rules; it is not legal advice.