According to electrical laws, the requirement for trainees to be enrolled in apprenticeship programs applies to trainees that are performing work limited to (01) electricians – work not included in specialty categories described under WAC 296-46B-920(2).
Apprenticeship requirements do not apply to specialty electrical contractors or to the electrical trainees they employ.
To perform work limited to (01) electricians, trainees must be registered in approved Washington, Oregon, or Montana apprenticeship programs.
Contact Apprentice@Lni.wa.gov if you have questions about becoming an apprentice, training agent, or sponsoring an approved apprenticeship program.
An electrical trainee becomes an apprentice after they enroll in an approved apprenticeship program.
Learn more:
Select “Become an Apprentice” at www.Lni.wa.gov/Apprenticeship.
FAQ
How do I become an apprentice in a (01) general electrician program?
Review the programs found under the “(01) Programs” tab above. Contact programs directly to learn how to qualify, how to apply, etc.
Can I get credit toward apprenticeship completion for prior work experience, completion of a training school program, or military service?
Apprenticeship programs may evaluate hours approved by the L&I electrical section and determine how many hours to award. Credit is granted at the discretion of the program's apprenticeship committee.
Use our Verify tool to view hours approved by the L&I electrical section.
Learn how to apply for credit for military and out of state experience. Select the “MILITARY AND OUT OF STATE OR COUNTRY” tab above.
If I am a specialty electrician, do I have to start over?
If an apprentices are (02), (03), (04), (06), (06A), and (07) specialty electricians, apprenticeship programs must grant 4,000 hours of credit toward apprenticeship completion. For (06A) specialty electricians, only 2000 hours can be applied if 2000 (06B) hours were counted toward qualifying to become an (06A).
Are there other requirements for apprentices?
When you are working in the trade, you must carry government issued photo ID and your apprenticeship ID card on your person and display your electrical training certificate on the front upper half of your body.
Learn how to apply for an electrical training certificate.
What do I have to do to qualify for a (01) general journey level electrician exam?
Washington programs: Your apprenticeship training director will submit an Affidavit of Experience for Washington Registered Electrical Apprenticesto report any remaining hours needed to qualify and indicate you have completed the education and work experience requirements of your apprenticeship program. For fastest processing, include your In-State Application for Electrical Examination and application fee in the same envelope.
Oregon programs: Once you pass the Oregon general journeyman (J) exam and complete your apprenticeship program, submit an Application for a Reciprocal (01) General Journey Level Electrician Certificate.
Montana programs: Submit an Out-of-State Application for Electrical Examination and include copies of apprenticeship completion documentation proving you qualify.
Before employers can employ apprentices, employers must:
- Become a training agent. Becoming a training agent for an apprenticeship program usually takes just a few weeks. Find the “(01) Programs” tab above to learn about programs serving your area. Contact them directly for more information, or
- Sponsor your own apprenticeship program.
Learn more:
See “Apprenticeship for Employers” tab at www.Lni.wa.gov/Apprenticeship.
Enter the term General Electrician in the Occupation field for a partial list of programs.
Programs not found through the search above are listed below.
| Apprenticeship Program Name | Occupation | Territory in WA |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Management Group of Washington | Inside Electrician | Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Lewis, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Kittitas, Walla Walla |
| Construction Industry Training Council of Washington - Construction Electrician | Construction Electrician | All counties in Washington |
| Frontier Apprenticeship & Training (Frontier Electric of Washington FRONTEW115M5 employees only) |
Inside Electrician | Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania |
| Inland Empire Electrical Training Trust | Inside Electrician | Adams, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Whitman |
| LU 112 - NECA Electrical Apprenticeship Committee | Inside Wireman | Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Walla Walla, Yakima, Kittitas |
| Northwest Washington Electrical Industry Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee | Inside Wireman | Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Island, Okanogan, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom |
| Performance Electrical Apprenticeship Committee Employees of Interlock Performance Group DBA Boone Electric and Linx Integrated only. |
Inside Electrician | Pierce, King, Thurston, Lewis, Snohomish, Spokane, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Lincoln, Whitman |
| Puget Sound Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee | Inside Wireman | Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Clallam |
| Southwest Washington Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee | Inside Wireman | Pacific, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Mason, Pierce, Thurston |
| Titan Electrical Apprenticeship & Training (Titan Electrical LLC TITANEL877RD employees only) |
Inside Wireman | Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Adams, Lincoln, Snohomish, King, Pierce |
| Tradesmen Apprenticeship & Comprehensive Training (Tradesman Electric Inc. TRADEEI954R9 employees only) |
Inside Electrician | Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania |
Military experience
Construction battalion electricians in the armed forces of the United States:
If you are a construction battalion electrician with eight thousand hours of experience in the electrical construction trade installing and maintaining electrical wiring and equipment for installations like those regulated by L&I, you may qualify for a general (01) journey level electrician examination.
Submit an Out-of-State Application for Electrical Examination (F626-009-000) and supporting documentation outlined below.
Other military electrical experience
If you have other experience in the armed forces of the United States matching one of the scopes of work L&I regulates, it may count toward the hours of experience you need to qualify for specialty electrician exam. It may also count toward experience needed to complete an apprenticeship program if approved by an apprenticeship committee.
Nuclear, marine, shipyard, shipboard, radar, weapons, aeronautical experience, or similar experience may count for up to 50 percent of the experience required to qualify for an exam.
There are no fees required to evaluate military experience.
Process:
- Establish a licensing record by obtaining an electrical training certificate.
- Send us a copy of your DD 214 form or current enlistment documentation, and
- A copy of your VMET (Verification of Military Experience and Training). Your local recruiting office can help you obtain this information.
- Include additional documentation of your electrical experience if you are able. Examples: Letters from commanding officers outlining your work experience, history of assignment, training reports, etc.
- Tell us about what type of electrical certification you are pursuing – general journey level electrician (01) or which of the specialties?
Include your L&I training certificate number on the top right corner of everything.
Mail it to:
Department of Labor & Industries
Electrical Licensing – Military Experience
PO Box 44460
Olympia WA 98504-4460
Please do not email your submission, doing so adds time to processing and could expose personal information.
Keep copies of what you send to us. Please do not send original documents, they will not be returned. Consider using certified mail to track receipt.
We will evaluate your experience and update you with the results. Use our Verify tool to keep track of your status.
Contact us at 360-902-5269 if you have questions.
Out of state experience
To evaluate your out of state experience, we need to have a record for you. Establish a licensing record by obtaining an electrical training certificate.
Write your L&I training certificate number on the top right corner of every page you send to us so we know where to store it.
Process:
- Include a letter telling us about what type of electrical certification you are pursuing – general journey level electrician (01) or which of the specialties?
- Provide proof of any hours of in-person classroom training on the National Electrical Code and/or electrical theory. Examples: Completion certificates from an apprenticeship; or trade school; or college; or continuing education course providers; or Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET). Correspondence courses or internet-based distance learning classes are not accepted classroom training methods.
- Provide documentation of your experience:
Supporting documentation required:
For experience in a state that does not require electrician certification for the work performed:
Provide an original notarized letter of work experience (not a photocopy) provided by a nationally recognized contractor/labor organization apprenticeship training director or your lawful employer accompanied by documentation verifying you have worked the hours being claimed.
Letters of work experience must be composed on the letterhead of the provider.
Documentation must be specific as to exact dates of employment, number of hours worked, type of work performed (e.g., low voltage, HVAC/R, residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) and a description the on‐the‐job supervision (by who, how much of each day if it was required) you had while you were learning the trade.
Provide proof of employment for all experience – payroll summary, W‐2's or Social Security Certified Itemized Statement of Earnings ‐ SSA‐7050‐F4.
For experience in state requiring electrician certification for the work performed:
Provide the following:
Documentation certifying hours worked from the certifying state or apprenticeship training director including the type of work performed (e.g., low voltage, HVAC/R, residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) and number of hours worked within the state.
Only work legally performed under the certifying state's licensing and certification requirements is eligible for consideration.
Check each page, your training certificate number must appear on the top right corner of every page you send so we know where to store it.
In a single envelope mail it to:
Department of Labor & Industries
Electrical Licensing – Out of State Experience
PO Box 44460
Olympia WA 98504-4460
Please do not email your submission, doing so adds time to processing and could expose personal information.
Keep copies of what you send to us. Please do not send original documents, they will not be returned. Consider using certified mail to track receipt.
We will evaluate your experience and update you with the results. Use our Verify tool to keep track of your status.
Contact us at 360-902-5269 if you have questions.
Out of country experience
Rules for experience in another country have no provisions allowing credit for engineering degrees to apply toward experience required to qualify for an electrician examination. Out of country experience credit is not allowed toward a specialty electrician certificate.
If you have a journey level electrician certificate or license from a country outside the United States that requires that at least four years of electrical construction training and certification is obtained by examination, you may be eligible for 4,000 hours of the specialty credit allowed towards the qualification to take the Washington journey level electrician examination.
Process:
- Establish a licensing record by obtaining an electrical training certificate
- Documentation of experience must be submitted in English and must include the following:
- A detailed explanation of your experience relates to what is described in WAC 296-46B-920. How many hours of experience in each category.
- Documentation of experience must be from employers on their letter head. Self-verification of experience is not acceptable.
- A copy of your certificate/license and proof it was obtained by examination.
Write your L&I training certificate number on the top right corner of every page you send so we know where to store it.
In a single envelope mail it to:
Department of Labor & Industries
Electrical Licensing – Out of Country Experience
PO Box 44460
Olympia WA 98504-4460
Please do not email your submission, doing so adds time to processing and could expose personal information.
Keep copies of what you send to us. Please do not send original documents, they will not be returned. Consider using certified mail to track receipt.
We will evaluate your experience and update you with the results. Use our Verify tool to keep track of your status.
Contact us at 360-902-5269 if you have questions.
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