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Electrical Licenses & Certifications

The Electrical Board is an entity under the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries that enforces the dispositions of Chapter 19.28 of the Revised Code of Washington. It is also the entity in charge of administering the licensing process for electrical-related licenses and certification in the State of Washington. The Electrical Board distinguishes different licenses and certifications: trainee, electrician, electrical administrator, telecommunications administrator, electrical contractor, a telecommunications contractor, and master electrician.

How to Apply for the Electrical Trainee License in the State of Washington?

To become certified electricians in Washington, contractors must first obtain an Electrical Trainee certification. Trainees work under the supervision of certified electricians. After acquiring the necessary experience to be eligible for a contractor examination, trainees can apply for an electrician license.

  1. Meet the following requirements:
    • Be 16 years of age
    • Have a valid Social Security Number according to State and Federal law
  2. Register in an electrical apprenticeship program through the Apprenticeship Registration & Tracking System:
    • Construction Electrician
    • Inside Electrician
    • Inside Wireman
  3. Fill out and submit an online application and pay the corresponding fee
  4. Expect a training certificate within 10 business days after completing the application
  5. Make sure to work under the supervision of a certified electrician
  6. Report your hours of experience 180 days after the expiration date of the training certificate by submitting an Affidavit for Washington Electrical Trainees

Washington Electrician Licenses & Certifications

  • Appliance Repair (7D)
  • Domestic Well (3A)
  • Door, Gate, and Similar Systems (10)
  • Equipment Repair (7E)
  • General Journey Level Electrician (EL01)
  • HVAC/Refrigeration - Restricted (6B)
  • HVAC/Refrigeration System (EL06A)
  • Limited Energy System (EL06)
  • Nonresidential Maintenance (EL07)
  • Nonresidential Lighting Maintenance and Lighting Retrofit (7A)
  • Pump and Irrigation (EL03)
  • Residential (EL02)
  • Residential Maintenance (7B)
  • Restricted Nonresidential Maintenance (7C)
  • Signs (EL04)

Application Process for Electrician Licenses & Certifications in Washington

  1. Be an electrical trainee or have equivalent out-of-state or military experience
  2. Meet the experience and training requirements:
    You can use the Washington Department of Labor & Industries’ tool to verify the hours of experience
    • General Journey Level Electrician (EL01):
      • 8,000 hours, of which 4,000 must be spent working in commercial or industrial installations, as an electrical trainee under the supervision of a Journey Level Electrician
      • 96 hours of basic classroom instruction
      • Be supervised 75% of the time
    • Residential (EL02), Pump and Irrigation (EL03), Signs (EL04), Limited Energy System (EL06), HVAC/Refrigeration System (EL06A), Nonresidential Maintenance (EL07):
      • 4,000 hours of work experience related to the selected specialty as an electrical trainee
      • 48 hours of basic classroom instruction
      • Be supervised 75% of the time
    • Domestic Well (3A), HVAC/Refrigeration - Restricted (6B), Nonresidential Lighting Maintenance and Lighting Retrofit (7A), Residential Maintenance (7B), Restricted Nonresidential Maintenance (7C), Appliance Repair (7D), Equipment Repair (7E), Door, Gate, and Similar Systems (10):
      • 2,000 hours of work experience related to the selected specialty as an electrical trainee
      • 24 hours of basic classroom instruction
      • Be supervised 75% of the time
  3. Fill out the corresponding application form for the electrical examination:
  4. Mail the application and the documents needed to certify the experience required for each license to:
    Electrical Licensing and Certification
    PO Box 44460
    Olympia WA 98504-4460
  5. Register to PSI© and schedule the examination once the application is reviewed by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. For more information on the test, refer to PSI©’s Electrical Certification Candidate Information Bulletin

Washington Electrical Administrator Licenses and Certifications

  • Electrical Administrator Appliance Repair (7D)
  • Electrical Administrator Domestic Well (3A)
  • Electrical Administrator Door, Gate, and Similar Systems (10)
  • Electrical Administrator Equipment Repair (7E)
  • Electrical Administrator General (AD01)
  • Electrical Administrator HVAC/Refrigeration - Restricted (6B)
  • Electrical Administrator HVAC/Refrigeration System (EL06A)
  • Electrical Administrator Limited Energy System (EL06)
  • Electrical Administrator Nonresidential Lighting Maintenance and Lighting Retrofit (7A)
  • Electrical Administrator Nonresidential Maintenance (EL07)
  • Electrical Administrator Pump and Irrigation (EL03)
  • Electrical Administrator Residential (EL02)
  • Electrical Administrator Residential Maintenance (7B)
  • Electrical Administrator Restricted Nonresidential Maintenance (7C)
  • Electrical Administrator Signs (EL04)
  • Telecommunications Administrator

How to Apply for a Washington Electrical Administrator License or Certification?

  1. Check out the scope of work for each electrical administrator license and choose the one more closely to the desired field
  2. Register with PSI© to take the electrical administrator examination in Washington
  3. Refer to the official exam outline for information on how to schedule the exam and choose the preferred location
  4. Fill out a Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Electrician Certificate form to be assigned to an electrical contractor
  5. Mail the passing score reports within 90 days of the date of the report, the Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form, and the fee to:
    Department of Labor and Industries
    Electrical Program
    P.O. Box 44460
    Olympia, WA 98504-4460
  6. Expect the certificate within 5 days after the Electrical Board receives all the documentation

Washington Electrical Contractor Licenses and Certifications

  • Electrical Contractor
  • Telecommunications Contractor

How to Obtain an Electrical Contractor License in Washington?

  1. Meet the license requirements for electrical contractors:
    • A valid Unified Business Identifier number from the Department of Revenue or the Secretary of State
    • Have a certified, assigned electrical administrator or master electrician
    • Electrical or telecommunication contractor’s surety bond, or assignment of savings account
    • If the business is planning on hiring employees, obtain a workers’ compensation account
  2. Fill out and complete the following documents:
  3. Send all the documents and the corresponding fees to:
    Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
    Electrical Program
    P.O. Box 44460
    Olympia, WA 98504-4460

Washington Master Licenses and Certifications

  • Journey Level Master Electrician
  • Master Appliance Repair (7D)
  • Master Domestic Well (3A)
  • Master Door, Gate, and Similar Systems (10)
  • Master Equipment Repair (7E)
  • Master HVAC/Refrigeration - Restricted (6B)
  • Master HVAC/Refrigeration System (EL06A)
  • Master Limited Energy System (EL06)
  • Master Nonresidential Lighting Maintenance and Lighting Retrofit (7A)
  • Master Nonresidential Maintenance (EL07)
  • Master Pump and Irrigation (EL03)
  • Master Residential (EL02)
  • Master Residential Maintenance (7B)
  • Master Restricted Nonresidential Maintenance (7C)
  • Master Signs (EL04)

Instructions to Apply for a Washington Master License or Certification

  1. Satisfy the requirements for the corresponding certification level:
    • For the Journey Level Master Electrician, be certified as a General Journey Level Electrician (EL01) for at least four years
    • For the other master licenses, be certified as an electrician for at least 2 years
  2. Gather the following before applying for the examination with PSI©:
    • Social Security Number
    • Mailing address
    • Email address
    • Corresponding fees
  3. Fill out the Application for Master Electrician Certification Examination and send it, along with all the previous documents, to:
    Electrical Program
    PO Box 44460
    Olympia, WA 98504-4460
    The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries allows candidates to apply in person. Refer to the list of local offices before visiting
  4. Expect a notice by mail from the Labor & Industries department and instructions on scheduling the exam once the application is reviewed
  5. Take and pass the master examination. For further information on the subjects and study material needed to prepare for the exam, refer to the Candidate Information Bulletin
  6. Complete a Change Assignment of Master Certificate form to be assigned as a designated master electrician to an electrical contractor and submit it with the corresponding fee

Important Contact Information and Resources for Electrical Licenses & Certifications in Washington

Contact Information for Electrical Licenses and Certifications

Department of Labor & Industries

Electrical Program
Olympia, WA 98504-4460
360-902-5259
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PSI© Exams

PSI© Contact Website
(855) 746-8170
​​3210 East Tropicana
Las Vegas NV-89121

Helpful Links for Electrical Licenses & Certifications in Washington

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