• Change your address, pay renewal or reinstatement fee online
• Change your address form
• Get a duplicate license

About Master Electricians

Master electricians have met eligibility requirements, taken and passed an examination and are certified with the department to do both:

• Work with the tools of the trade as an installer.
• When assigned; act as an administrator to ensure that an electrical contractor's work is in compliance withs the electrical laws and rules.

What is required to become a master electrician?

1. Get the required experience as an electrician.
   • Master general journey level electrician - you must have been certified as a general journey level electrician by L&I for at least 4 years.
   • Master specialty categories - you must have been certified by L&I in that specialty, for at least 2 years.
2. Apply for and pass the appropriate exam.

You must have the required amount of experience as an electrician. If you have not been certified with L&I as an electrician, you cannot qualify for the master electrician exam. Get information about becoming certified as an electrician with L&I.

More information

• Find out more about the Electrical Program.
• Read the Electrical law Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 19.28.
• Join the Electrical Listserv to receive emails with the Electrical Currents Newsletter and other important information.

Apply for a Master Electricians' certificate

You must qualify to apply for a master electrician's certificate.

Do I meet the eligibility requirements?

• If you have held a general journey level electrician certificate with L&I for at least 4 years, you may qualify to take the master general journey level electrician examination.
• If you have held a specialty electrician certificate with L&I for at least 2 years, you may qualify to take the master specialty electrician examination for that specialty.

There are 3 ways to apply:

1. Apply Online if you meet the eligibility requirements you can submit your application and pay your fee online. You'll need the following:
   • Your name and address.
   • Your Social Security number (required by federal law).
   • $154.00 application fee. (Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express).
   • Email address and phone number.
2. Apply in person
   • Meet the eligibilty requirements as noted above.
   • Bring your completed master electrician's application to any L&I office location.
   • $154 application fee — Pay by Cash, Check, Money order, or Credit Card
3. Apply by mail
   • Meet the eligibilty requirements as noted above.
   • Complete a master electrician's application.
   • Send your completed application form and $154 application fee, payable by check or money order to the L&I address printed on the application.

We will approve or deny your application within 5 days, and notify you by mail.

If you are approved, you are responsible for scheduling an exam with PSI. Information on how to schedule the exam is included in the approval letter. Study the content outlines for your exam.

If you are denied, you will receive information indicating why the application was denied and how to re-apply.

Refunds

The application fee is non-refundable after a certificate has been issued. Refund requests before the certificate has been issued can be made in writing to L&I, minus a processing fee of $33.30.

Preparing for an Exam

Scheduling an Exam

Challenging an Exam

Master Electrician Exams

How to prepare for your exam(s)

Exams are administered by PSI, an independent testing center. All exam candidates must receive approval from L&I before scheduling with PSI.

Exam Content outlines and other examination information is available in the Candidate Bulletin of Information located at www.psiexams.com.

For more information, see Preparing for Your Electrical Exam to find out what to expect and how to prepare.

Renew online here

How to renew your Master Electrician certificate

Master Electrician certificates must be renewed every 3 years. 24 hours of continuing education are required for renewal.

What you need to dos

1. Make sure you have completed 24 hours of continuing education courses or units (CEUs).
   Eight (8) of those hours must be code update and 4 hours must be RCW/WAC review.

   • Your continuing education credits are recorded by your course provider.
   • Master Electricians who renew without the required CEUs completed will be renewed to an inactive status, which means you cannot work as a Master Electrician.
2. Make sure you don't have any outstanding, unpaid citations with L&I.
   If you're not sure, go online to Look Up Electrical Violations or call L&I's Electrical Program at 360-902-5269.
3. Download and complete the application.
   Fill out the certificate renewal application and follow its instructions carefully.
4. Be prepared to pay the renewal fee. See the consequences of late renewal here.
   Renew before your card expires so you don't have to pay a late renewal fee.

   • If you pay before your expiration date:
   • The online renewal fee is $132.20.
   • If paying in person or by mail the renewal fee is $152.20.
   • (You are responsible to ensure that the department receives your renewal application materials before your expiration date.)

   If you are renewing after your expiration date and your renewal is not more than 90 days late:

   • The online renewal fee is $264.50.
   • If paying in person or by mail the renewal fee is $304.40.

   If your renewal is more than 90 days late, you cannot renew and must take the exam to reinstate your master electrician certificate.

   Note: Fees are nonrefundable after certificate has been issued.
   Refund requests before the certificate has been issued must be made in writing to the department. Mail to the L&I Electrical Program, P.O. Box 44460, Olympia, Washington 98504-4460.
   

5. If you wish to be assigned to an Electrical Contractor or change your assignment status,
   You must also complete the Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form and be prepared to pay the $39.90 fee. You must notify the department of any change in your assignment status within 10 days.
6. Submit your renewal request and fee one of the following 3 ways:
   • Save Money! Pay and submit your renewal request online via L&I’s Renew a License system (QuickCards).
     

     Before you apply online, you will need to have the following:

     • Your 12-digit license number.
     • Your credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express).
     • An active license (not suspended or expired for more than 90 days).
     • You'll be required to enter an email address and phone number.
   • Then mail your Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form and fee, if appropriate, to L&I's Electrical Program at the address indicated on the form.
     — OR —
   • Mail your fee, your renewal application, and the Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form and fee, if appropriate, to L&I's Electrical Program at the address indicated on the form. Payment can by made by check or money order.
     — OR —
   • Go to one of L&I's service locations where you can pay your fee and submit your renewal application and the Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form and fee, if appropriate. You can pay by Cash, Check. Money Order or Credit Card.

What L&I will do

1. Verify that the following information is on file with the department:
   • All necessary application information.
   • Sufficient continuing education credits to meet the requirement.
2. Within 5 days after we receive the information listed above, L&I will do one of the following:
   • Send your certificate.
     — OR —
   • Notify you of the action taken on your renewal application.

Continuing Education for Master Electricians

Get approved Continuing Education course (CEUs) lists below.

Continuing education requirements for renewal

If you are an Electrical Administrator, Master Electrician or Electrician, you are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education course work in the three (3) years between your certification renewals:

• 8 hours of your CEUs must be on currently adopted National Electrical Code changes.
• 4 hours must be on currently adopted Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 19.28 and related Washington Administrative Codes (WAC).
• The remaining 12 hours of continuing education credit can be your choice from the list of approved courses below.

Avoid late renewal

You can renew up to 90 days before your certification expires. Even if you have not completed the required CEUs as your renewal date approaches, you can submit your renewal application and fee to L&I.

Your certificate will become inactive. Inactive status allows you to avoid the late penalty and re-exam that result from being late.

You cannot work as an Electrician, Master Electrician or as an Electrical Administrator without an active certificate on your person. You must complete the required hours of continuing education and your class provider must post your credits to the L&I Trades Education Roster Reporting System before your active certificate can be issued.

Check your continuing education and certificate status

If you are unsure what continuing education has been reported, or the status of your certificate, check your record in L&I's Look up a Contractor or tradesperson to see what courses have been reported and may be considered for renewal will be listed.

Approved Continuing Education Courses (CEUs)

Courses listed below are for Electrician certification renewal only and cannot be used to qualify for a Trainee certificate renewal. (Find Basic Trainee Classes here.)

For course schedules, contact the course sponsor named in the lists below. Courses are good for three years from initial approval. Before selecting a course, verify the course will not expire before you complete it. Available continuing education courses include:

• Code Update Courses for Administrators, Master Electricians & Electricians (118 KB PDF)
• RCW-WAC Courses for Administrators, Master Electricians & Electricians (100 KB PDF)
• Industry Related Courses for Administrators, Master Electricians & Electricians (209 KB PDF)
• First Aid Courses for Administrators, Master Electricians & Electricians (109 KB PDF)

Courses specifically for combination 03 or 03A specialty plumber-electricians in the pumping industry:

• Pumping Industry Courses. (64 KB PDF)

(Trainees in the pumping industry must take Basic Trainee Classes to renew their training certificate.)

Washington Administrative Code 296-46B-970 rule regarding Electrical Continuing Education.

Information for Electrical Continuing Education/Basic Classroom Course Providers

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