Getting an Electrical Contractor's License in California

Electrical Certifications are NOT Electrical contractor licenses in California. The only electrical contractor's license in California is the C-10 Contractor's license. Any employee working for a C-10 contractor MUST have one of five electrical certifications. Those certifications are:

• General Electrician
• Residential Electrician
• Fire/Life Safety Technician
• Voice Data Video Technician
• Nonresidential Lighting Technician

If you are a licensed C-10 contractor licensed by the Contractors' State License Board, then you do not need to be certified. However, if you have employees that work under you then they need to get certified. Please visit our website for more information about certification. Note that if you are a licensed C-10 contractor but working under another C-10 contractor's license as an employee you must be certified

The legal source of the above-mentioned information is:

Existing law requires that persons performing work as electrician under a C-10 licensed contractor be certified pursuant to certification standards established by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. “Electricians” is defined as all persons who engage in the connection of electrical devices for electrical contractors licensed pursuant to Section 7058 of the Business and Profession Code, specifically, contractors classified as electrical contractors in the Contractors State License Board Rules and Regulations [Labor Code § 108 (c)].

Below are some important links for electricians in California:

Instructions on filling out the Electrician Application
Application for Electrician Examination and Certification
California Electrician's FAQ
If you have no experience as an electrician, you must be a electrician trainee
Department of Industrial Relations

Reciprocity for California Contractors

The “License Verification Request” form is for contractors who have been licensed in a state that has a reciprocal license agreement with California. Currently, California has reciprocity with Arizona, Louisiana, Nevada and Utah. If a contractor has held a valid license in one of these states for the past five years and is applying for a similar license in California, he/she may be eligible for a waiver of the trade exam. The bottom portion of the License Verification Request form must be completed by the licensing agency in the state where the contractor was previously licensed.

California PSI© Electrical Exam Test Locations