How to get an electrician license in Washington: the official requirements
The General Journey Level Electrician (01) Certificate license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
In Washington, the state electrical license for individual electricians is issued by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. The general journey level electrician (01) certificate, issued by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). You need a valid L&I electrician certificate to work in the electrical construction trade in Washington, and a 01 electrician may do all types of electrical and telecommunications installations. Apprentice or trainee registration: Start with an electrical training certificate (trainee certificate): you must be 16 or older, you apply online, and you work under the supervision of a certified electrician on the same jobsite. Trainees renew the certificate every 2 years until they pass an exam. Trainees doing work limited to 01 electricians must be registered in an approved Washington, Oregon or Montana apprenticeship program. Experience and training: 8,000 hours of work experience for the 01 journey level exam, no more than 4,000 of which can be in 4,000-hour specialties. L&I says that after June 30, 2026 the route to the 01 exam is to complete the education and work experience requirements of a registered journey level (01) electrical apprenticeship. Licensing exam: The state electrician certification exam, scheduled with PSI. Once your exam application is approved, L&I mails you a notice with instructions on how to schedule it. How to apply: For Washington apprenticeship programs, your apprenticeship training director submits an Affidavit of Experience showing you have completed the program's education and work experience requirements; send your In-State Application for Electrical Examination and the application fee in the same envelope. There are no online payment or submission options.
Washington electrician license requirements
| Requirement | Washington |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The general journey level electrician (01) certificate, issued by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). You need a valid L&I electrician certificate to work in the electrical construction trade in Washington, and a 01 electrician may do all types of electrical and telecommunications installations. |
| Apprentice or trainee registration | Start with an electrical training certificate (trainee certificate): you must be 16 or older, you apply online, and you work under the supervision of a certified electrician on the same jobsite. Trainees renew the certificate every 2 years until they pass an exam. Trainees doing work limited to 01 electricians must be registered in an approved Washington, Oregon or Montana apprenticeship program. |
| Experience and training | 8,000 hours of work experience for the 01 journey level exam, no more than 4,000 of which can be in 4,000-hour specialties. L&I says that after June 30, 2026 the route to the 01 exam is to complete the education and work experience requirements of a registered journey level (01) electrical apprenticeship. |
| Classroom hours | 96 hours of basic classroom instruction for the 01 journey level exam; trainees also need 48 hours of approved basic trainee classes before each certificate renewal. |
| Licensing exam | The state electrician certification exam, scheduled with PSI. Once your exam application is approved, L&I mails you a notice with instructions on how to schedule it. |
| How to apply | For Washington apprenticeship programs, your apprenticeship training director submits an Affidavit of Experience showing you have completed the program's education and work experience requirements; send your In-State Application for Electrical Examination and the application fee in the same envelope. There are no online payment or submission options. |
| Background check | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. |
| State fees | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. |
| License term | Your first certificate lasts from 25 to 36 months, depending on your exam date and birthdate; after that you renew the electrician certificate every 3 years, and it expires on your birthdate. |
| Continuing education | 24 hours of approved continuing education for each renewal, including 8 hours of code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
This page covers the electrical license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
How to get licensed in Washington
- Apply online for an electrical training certificate (you must be 16 or older) and work under a certified electrician.
- To do 01 journey level work, register in an approved Washington, Oregon or Montana apprenticeship program.
- Complete the education and work experience requirements of the registered journey level (01) apprenticeship.
- Have your training director submit the Affidavit of Experience, and mail your In-State Application for Electrical Examination with the fee in the same envelope.
- When L&I approves your application, schedule and take the exam with PSI.
- Renew the certificate every 3 years with 24 hours of continuing education.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
Open →CareerHow to become an electricianThe career path, nationally.
Open →PayElectrician salary in WashingtonWhat electricians earn.
Open →CareerElectrician career guideThe job, skills and outlook.
Open →ResumeElectrician resumeHow to present your hours and licenses.
Open →InterviewElectrician interview questionsWhat hiring managers ask.
Open →Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the electrical license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
- This page covers the individual license named above. Master, contractor, specialty, sign, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Electrician (certification, apply, renew), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Electrical Trainee, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Electrical Apprenticeship, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Changes in becoming a journey level (01) electrician, Publication F500-151-000 (05-2023), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.