Trades by State
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California electrical license requirements and insurance

To work for yourself as an electrician in California, you need the C-10 Electrical Contractor license. California has 7 electrical license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. The state sets no minimum liability insurance, and workers' comp is required as soon as you have one employee. A $25,000 bond is required.

Who it applies to

1Who needs an electrical license in California? What is this?

C-10 Electrical Contractor: anyone who contracts to do electrical work in California that needs a contractor license. A sole owner, partnership, corporation, or LLC can hold it. The license names one qualifying individual who meets the board's experience and exam requirements and is answerable for how the company does its work

LicenseWho needs itWhat it covers
C-10 Electrical ContractorAnyone who contracts to do electrical work in California that needs a contractor license. A sole owner, partnership, corporation, or LLC can hold it. The license names one qualifying individual who meets the board's experience and exam requirements and is answerable for how the company does its workPlaces, installs, erects or connects electrical wires, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduits, solar photovoltaic cells, or any part of them. Covers anything that makes, carries, changes or uses electrical energy, in any form and for any purpose.
General Electrician certificationAn employee of a C-10 contractor who makes electrical connections of 100 volt-amperes or more. This card covers every kind of work the other four cards coverAny work that needs certification, in every category
Residential Electrician certificationAn electrician whose work is on single-family and small residential buildingsWork on residential buildings that needs certification
Fire/Life Safety Technician certificationAn electrician who installs and services fire alarm and life safety systems for a C-10 contractorSystems covered by article 760 of the National Electrical Code
Voice Data Video Technician certificationAn electrician who installs phone, data, and video cabling for a C-10 contractorSystems covered by articles 725, 770, 800, 810 and 820 of the National Electrical Code
Nonresidential Lighting Technician certificationAn electrician who installs, repairs and maintains lighting in buildings that are not homesNonresidential lighting work that needs certification
Electrician trainee registrationAnyone building up the hours toward a card while working for a C-10 contractorWork done under the eye of a certified electrician while you learn
Who runs it

2Who issues electrician licenses in California? What is this?

Contractors State License Board (CSLB), part of the California Department of Consumer Affairs issues electrical licenses in California.

See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state

NameContractors State License Board (CSLB), part of the California Department of Consumer Affairs
Websitecslb.ca.gov
Look up a licensecslb.ca.gov
The lawBusiness and Professions Code division 3, chapter 9 (Contractors State License Law, sections 7000 and following)
The rulebookTitle 16 California Code of Regulations, division 8 (sections 810 and following)
Who certifies electricians
  • A second body certifies the people.
  • The Electrician Certification Unit sits inside the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement at the Department of Industrial Relations.
  • Its rules are Labor Code sections 3099 to 3099.5 and title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, sections 290 and following
Look up a certified electriciandir.ca.gov
Does the state license this trade?You need both. The company holds the C-10, and each electrician on the crew holds a card
Checked by a person against the official page
·2 official pages
Getting licensed

3How to become an electrician in California What is this?

California has 7 licenses that matter to an electrician: C-10 Electrical Contractor, General Electrician certification, Residential Electrician certification, Fire/Life Safety Technician certification, Voice Data Video Technician certification, Nonresidential Lighting Technician certification, Electrician trainee registration. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.

LicenseExperience requiredTraining requiredExam
C-10 Electrical ContractorFour years of work at journey level (a fully qualified worker who needs no supervision), or as a foreman, supervisor, contractor, or owner-builder, in the last ten years. Up to three of the four years can come from an apprenticeship, technical training, or a degree, but at least one year must be hands-on work. Someone who saw you do the work, such as an employer, foreman, fellow journeyman, union rep, or building inspector, must sign a Certificate of Work Experience.None required beyond the experience aboveYes, two computer exams run by PSI Exams: a Law and Business exam and a C-10 trade exam. You get 3.5 hours for each, 18 months from the date your application is accepted to pass both, and can retake a failed exam after 21 days.
General Electrician certification8,000 hours working for an electrical contractor on systems covered by the National Electrical Code, in two or more listed areas. Or finish an apprenticeship approved by the California Apprenticeship Council. Some areas are capped, such as 1,500 hours for troubleshooting and 300 for stock room work—Yes, a written exam. 100 questions in four hours
Residential Electrician certification4,800 hours working for an electrical contractor on systems covered by the National Electrical Code, in one or more listed areas. Or finish an approved apprenticeship. Residential wiring can count for all 4,800 hours—Yes, a written exam. 80 questions in three hours
Fire/Life Safety Technician certification4,000 hours on article 760 systems for an electrical contractor, in two or more listed areas. Or NICET certification in Fire Alarm Systems at level II or above. Or an approved apprenticeship—Yes, a written exam. 50 questions in two hours
Voice Data Video Technician certification4,000 hours on those systems for an electrical contractor. Up to 300 hours of trade training in voice, data and video can count. Or an approved apprenticeship—Yes, a written exam. 50 questions in two hours
Nonresidential Lighting Technician certification2,000 hours installing, repairing and maintaining nonresidential lighting for an electrical contractor. Or an approved apprenticeship—Yes, a written exam. 50 questions in two hours
Electrician trainee registration—Proof of the courses you finished in the past year goes in with each renewal—
What it costs

4How much does an electrical license cost in California? What is this?

The government fees on this page add up to about $800 in California. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

LicenseApplicationExamFirst registrationRenewalAdding a license typeBoth exams (paid to PSI)Each exam (paid to PSI)Fingerprints (state)Fingerprints (FBI)Fingerprint scanning feeFirst license, company or partnershipFirst license, sole ownerRenewal, company or partnershipRenewal, sole ownerLate renewal, company or partnershipLate renewal, sole ownerReplacement card
C-10 Electrical Contractor$450———$230$102.86$51.43$32$17Varies by location$350$200$700$450$1,050$675—
General Electrician certification$75$100—$100————————————$30
Residential Electrician certification$75$100—$100—————————————
Fire/Life Safety Technician certification$75$100—$100—————————————
Voice Data Video Technician certification$75$100—$100—————————————
Nonresidential Lighting Technician certification$75$100—$100—————————————
Electrician trainee registration——$25$0—————————————

Added up

Government fees, added up$800
Electrician certification fees, added up$175

Does not include the $25,000 bond premium, insurance premiums, live scan rolling fees, lead-safe training, tools, a vehicle, or city permits and business licenses

Our estimate
Insurance

5How much electrical contractor insurance do you need in California? What is this?

California sets no minimum liability insurance for this license. Customers and general contractors usually ask for $1,000,000 anyway. Workers' comp is required as soon as you have one employee.

Minimum liability insuranceNone required by the state
Type of policyNone required by the state for a sole owner, partnership, or corporation
Minimum liability insurance for an LLC$1,000,000
About LLC insurance
  • An LLC must carry liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 if it has five or fewer people on record with CSLB.
  • Add $100,000 for each extra person, up to $5,000,000.
  • The insurer must be licensed in California or an eligible surplus line insurer.
Who this applies toOnly licenses held by an LLC
Who must be named on the certificate
  • CSLB, on the workers' compensation certificate.
  • Name the board as the certificate holder there, and take that policy out in your licensed business name, not your own.
  • The board does not ask to be named on your liability policy
Workers' comp required?
  • Yes, as soon as you have one employee.
  • The board has said that from January 1, 2028, every licensee must carry it whether or not they have employees.
  • That date was moved back from January 1, 2026.
Who can opt out
  • Until January 1, 2028, a C-10 licensee with no employees can file a workers' comp exemption certificate with CSLB.
  • C-10 is not one of the five classifications shut out of it.
  • Those five are C-8 concrete, C-20 heating and air, C-22 asbestos abatement, C-39 roofing, and C-61/D-49 tree service.
  • You cannot file it if a Responsible Managing Employee qualifies the license.
  • If you hire someone, the exemption stops and you have 90 days to file proof of a policy
Checked by a person against the official page
·6 official pages
Money checks

6Does California check your credit for an electrician license? What is this?

California does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you needNone
If your score is lowerNothing to do. The board does not list a credit score or a financial statement among its license requirements
About the bondThe $25,000 contractor bond is its own requirement, not a test of your finances. It protects customers if you do not finish the work
Checked by a person against the official page·cslb.ca.gov
Bonds

7Does an electrician need a bond in California? What is this?

California requires a bond of $25,000. A bond is a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish the job.

Does the state require a bond?Yes
Amount$25,000
Bond for the qualifying person$25,000
Bond for LLC employees$100,000

A bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers and workers can be paid if you break the rules) of $25,000 must be on file before the license is issued, or a $25,000 cashier's check instead. If the license is qualified by a Responsible Managing Employee, or by an officer who owns less than 10 percent of the company, a second $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual is needed. An LLC also needs a $100,000 employee and worker bond. The bond must come from a surety licensed by the California Department of Insurance.

Checked by a person against the official page
·3 official pages
Federal rules

8Federal rules that also apply What is this?

Rules from the US government that apply to an electrician in California on top of the state's own.

Federal licenseNone. There is no federal license or card for electrical work. The C-10 and the state electrician card are what you need
Lead-safe certification
  • Work that disturbs paint in a home or childcare building put up before 1978 is covered by the federal lead rule.
  • Electrical work is named in it.
  • The firm must be lead-safe certified and use a trained renovator.
  • Jobs that disturb six square feet or less of paint in a room inside, or 20 square feet or less outside, are left out
Who runs itThe EPA runs the renovation program in California. California is not on the EPA's list of states authorized to run their own, so the federal rules apply
Taken from the linked page, not separately checked
·2 official pages
Showing your number

9Where must a California electrician show the license number? What is this?

In California: your license number must appear in every construction contract, subcontract, and call for bid, and in every form of advertising. Advertising means business cards, contract proposals, signs, billboards, vehicle lettering, brochures, flyers, newspaper and magazine ads, radio and TV, websites, online posts, and directories.

The ruleYour license number must appear in every construction contract, subcontract, and call for bid, and in every form of advertising. Advertising means business cards, contract proposals, signs, billboards, vehicle lettering, brochures, flyers, newspaper and magazine ads, radio and TV, websites, online posts, and directories.
On your vehiclesShow the business name and license number on every commercially registered vehicle where it can be seen, in letters at least 72-point type, or three quarters of an inch high and wide. The heavier rule that also demands your business address in inch-and-a-half letters covers plumbing, sign, and well drilling contractors, not electrical
If you forgetLeaving the number out of your advertising brings a civil penalty of $100 to $1,000 for a first offense. The vehicle rule sets no fine of its own, but the board can act against your license
Checked by a person against the official page
·5 official pages
Tax

10Does an electrician charge sales tax on labor in California? What is this?

Whether California taxes your labor, your materials, or neither.

See how this compares in every state: Can you charge sales tax on labor? The rule in 25 states

MaterialsYou are the consumer of materials (wire, connections, conduit, anything that loses its identity once installed). You pay sales tax when you buy them and do not charge the customer tax on them.
Fixtures (things attached to the building)
  • You are the retailer of fixtures (items that stay recognizable after installation).
  • Regulation 1521 lists lighting fixtures, transformers and switchgear, and generators fixed to a building.
  • You charge the customer sales tax on the fixture.
  • In a lump-sum contract the tax is worked out on what the fixture cost you.
Installation laborNo sales tax
Homes versus businessesSame rules for a home and a business
New buildingsSame rules as repair and remodel
RepairsIn a lump-sum repair you pay tax on the parts and charge the customer nothing. If you bill the parts separately from the labor, or you replace the whole fixture, you charge the customer tax on the parts or fixture.
When you quote one total priceYou pay tax on materials at cost and report tax on fixtures at your cost. Listing materials, labor, and tax separately on the invoice does not turn a lump-sum contract into a time-and-material one.
When you bill time and materialsYou are still the consumer of materials unless you bill sales tax on a marked-up materials charge, or the contract passes title to the materials before installation and states their price separately. Then you are the retailer and charge tax on the materials.
Seller's permitNeeded if you sell and install fixtures such as lighting. Usually not needed if you only install materials under lump-sum contracts.
Tax rate7.25 percent statewide, plus district taxes of 0.10 to 2.00 percent in many cities and counties
Checked by a person against the official page
·4 official pages
Getting paid

11Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a California electrician What is this?

If you are not paid in California, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: within 20 days of your first day of work on the job (first day on January 10 means notice by January 30). A late notice still counts, but only for work done in the 20 days before you served it and after.

The order things have to happen in, counted in days
  1. Day 0
    Your first day on the job

    The clock starts here.

  2. Day 20
    Send your notice

    Within 20 days of your first day of work on the job (first day on January 10 means notice by January 30). A late notice still counts, but only for work done in the 20 days before you served it and after.

  3. Day 90
    File your lien

    If the owner hired you, record the lien within 90 days of the project being finished, or within 60 days after the owner records a notice of completion or cessation, whichever comes first (project finished March 1 with no notice recorded means lien by May 30). If a contractor hired you, the 60 days becomes 30 days.

Each day count is counted from the day the rule beside it names, which is not always the same day. Read the sentence under each one.

Who has to send a notice
  • Everyone who wants to keep the right to file a lien, except workers paid by the hour.
  • If you were hired by the property owner, you only need to send the notice to the construction lender, if there is one.
  • If you were hired by a contractor, send it to the owner, the direct contractor, and any lender.
Send your notice byWithin 20 days of your first day of work on the job (first day on January 10 means notice by January 30). A late notice still counts, but only for work done in the 20 days before you served it and after.
File your lien byIf the owner hired you, record the lien within 90 days of the project being finished, or within 60 days after the owner records a notice of completion or cessation, whichever comes first (project finished March 1 with no notice recorded means lien by May 30). If a contractor hired you, the 60 days becomes 30 days.
Checked by a person against the official page
·4 official pages
Keeping it

12How do you renew an electrical license in California? What is this?

The C-10 Electrical Contractor renews every two years for an active license. An inactive license renews every four years. No training hours are required.

LicenseRenewalTraining hours each yearTraining hours each renewal
C-10 Electrical ContractorEvery two years for an active license. An inactive license renews every four years——
General Electrician certificationEvery three years. To renew you sign that you worked 2,000 hours in the trade in those three years and took 32 hours of classes——
Residential Electrician certificationEvery three years, with 2,000 work hours and 32 hours of classes——
Fire/Life Safety Technician certificationEvery three years, with 2,000 work hours and 32 hours of classes——
Voice Data Video Technician certificationEvery three years, with 2,000 work hours and 32 hours of classes——
Nonresidential Lighting Technician certificationEvery three years, with 2,000 work hours and 32 hours of classes——
Electrician trainee registrationEvery year, free, until you are certified or leave the trade——

Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.

Watch out

13What catches people out in California What is this?

The things people get wrong or do not expect about California, in a few sentences.

  • California licenses the business and certifies the person. The C-10 goes to the company. Every employee who makes an electrical connection of 100 volt-amperes or more needs a card of their own from the state labor department.
  • A C-10 with no employees can still file the no-employee workers' comp exemption. The five trades that cannot are concrete, asbestos abatement, heating and air, roofing, and tree service. That door closes for every trade on January 1, 2028.
  • There are five electrician cards, not one. General needs 8,000 hours on the job, residential 4,800, fire and life safety 4,000, voice data video 4,000, and nonresidential lighting 2,000.
  • A card lasts three years. To renew it you sign that you worked 2,000 hours in the trade in those three years and took 32 hours of classes.
  • An electrician trainee registers for $25 and renews free each year. The certified electrician watching a trainee may watch only one at a time.
  • Wire and conduit are materials, so you pay the tax at the counter. Lighting fixtures, transformers and switchgear are fixtures, so you charge your customer tax on those.
Checked by a person against the official page
·6 official pages

14Where these numbers come from

The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.

  1. dir.ca.gov/t8/290_0.html
  2. law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/8-CCR-291.1
  3. law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/8-CCR-291.5
  4. dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/electricaltrainee.htm
  5. cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Maintain_License/Workers_Compensation.aspx
  6. cdtfa.ca.gov/lawguides/vol1/sutr/1521.html
  7. dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/electricaltrade.html
  8. cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classifications/Licensing_Classifications_Detail.aspx?Class=C10
  9. cslb.ca.gov/contractors/applicants/contractors_license/exam_application/experience_for_exam.aspx
  10. cslb.ca.gov/contractors/applicants/contractors_license/exam_application/before_applying_for_license.aspx
  11. cslb.ca.gov/About_us/Examination_FAQ.aspx
  12. cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/fees.aspx
  13. cslb.ca.gov/Resources/IndustryBulletins/2024/SB%201455%20changes.FINAL.pdf
  14. cslb.ca.gov/contractors/applicants/contractors_license/exam_application/Issuing_My_License.aspx
  15. law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/8-CCR-291.0
  16. dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/1a.html
  17. law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/8-CCR-292.0
  18. dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/ECU_FAQ.htm
  19. dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/1b.html
  20. dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/1c.html
  21. dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/1d.html
  22. california.public.law/codes/ca_bus_and_prof_code_section_7125
  23. cslb.ca.gov/about_us/llc.aspx
  24. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7071.19
  25. dir.ca.gov/dwc/employer.htm
  26. cslb.ca.gov/contractors/maintain_license/bond_information/bond_requirements.aspx
  27. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7071.6
  28. epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program-contractors
  29. epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program
  30. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7030.5
  31. law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-861
  32. cslb.ca.gov/resources/guidesandpublications/advertisingguidelines.pdf
  33. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7029.6
  34. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7029.5
  35. cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/pub9.pdf
  36. cdtfa.ca.gov/industry/construction-contractors/industry-topics.htm
  37. cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/sales-use-tax-rates.htm
  38. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=8200
  39. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=8204
  40. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=8412
  41. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=8414