How to get a journeyman electrician license in Washington

From the board

• Electrician Interested in becoming an electrical inspector?
• Look for available positions at careers.wa.gov.
• To apply you must first take an electrical assessment, available on the first (Tumwater), second (Tukwila), and third (Spokane) Tuesday of each month.
• To sign up for the assessment, contact electricalassessment@lni.wa.gov.
• To work in the electrical construction trade in Washington, you must have a valid electrician certificate issued by L&I.
• The electrical construction trade includes, b
• Board page: Electrician - Lni.wa.gov

Journey-level (01) hours

• 8,000 hours of electrical construction experience
• At least 4,000 of those in new commercial / industrial installations
• Classroom hours (historically 96 for (01))

Apprenticeship rule

After July 1, 2023, most in-state trainees must finish a WSATC-registered apprenticeship — or qualify under a grandfather, out-of-state, or military exception that L&I publishes.

Specialty certificates

Separate from (01). Common examples:

• 02 residential — commonly 4,000 specialty hours and 48 classroom hours
• 06 limited energy — commonly 4,000 specialty hours and 48 classroom hours

Confirm before you apply

Check your exact path on L&I's electrician and apprenticeship pages.

Exam

• See the Washington electrician exam guide for vendor, scheduling, references, and retakes
• LicenseFlo helps with paperwork and reminders — we do not sit the exam

Fees and timeline

• Budget application and exam fees to L&I, plus CE at renewal
• Processing times vary — plan in weeks
• Confirm current fees on the board site