Washington electrical license requirements and insurance
To work for yourself as an electrician in Washington, you need the General Electrical Contractor License (01) license. Washington has 6 electrical license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. Workers' comp is required as soon as you hire one employee. A $4,000 bond is required.
1Who needs an electrical license in Washington? What is this?
General Electrical Contractor License (01): the business. It is illegal to advertise, bid, offer, or carry out work that installs or maintains wires or equipment carrying electric current without one
| License | Who needs it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| General Electrical Contractor License (01) | The business. It is illegal to advertise, bid, offer, or carry out work that installs or maintains wires or equipment carrying electric current without one | All types of electrical and telecommunications installation, plus the minor plumbing allowed by RCW 18.106.150. No limit on building type, voltage, or size |
| Specialty Electrical Contractor License | A business that only works in one narrower part of the trade and wants a cheaper, narrower license than the general one | Each one is limited to its own work, buildings, voltage and amperage. Read the subsection for the code you want before you apply |
| Electrical Administrator or Master Electrician Certificate | One person at the company, named to L&I, who answers for the business following the electrical rules. Without one the contractor license cannot be issued. It can be an administrator, or a master electrician instead | The administrator must be certified for the same category as the license, general or the specialty you hold |
| General Journey Level Electrician Certificate (01) | Each electrician doing the work. Nobody may work in the electrical construction trade without a certificate or a trainee card | All types of electrical and telecommunications installation |
| Specialty Electrician Certificate | An electrician who works in one narrow part of the trade rather than across all of it | — |
| Electrical Training Certificate | Everyone learning the trade. You cannot touch electrical work in Washington without a trainee card or an electrician certificate | Electrical work under the supervision of a certified electrician |
2Who issues electrician licenses in Washington? What is this?
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), Electrical Program issues electrical licenses in Washington.
See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state
| Name | Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), Electrical Program |
|---|---|
| Website | lni.wa.gov |
| Look up a license | secure.lni.wa.gov |
| The law | RCW chapter 19.28 (electrical installations) |
| The rulebook | WAC chapter 296-46B (electrical safety standards, administration and installation) |
3How to become an electrician in Washington What is this?
Washington has 6 licenses that matter to an electrician: General Electrical Contractor License (01), Specialty Electrical Contractor License, Electrical Administrator or Master Electrician Certificate, General Journey Level Electrician Certificate (01), Specialty Electrician Certificate, Electrical Training Certificate. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.
| License | Experience required | Training required | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Electrical Contractor License (01) | None for the business itself | None for the business itself | No for the business. The administrator you name has to pass an exam |
| Specialty Electrical Contractor License | — | — | — |
| Electrical Administrator or Master Electrician Certificate | — | — | Yes, an L&I exam. No experience is needed to sit the administrator one |
| General Journey Level Electrician Certificate (01) | 8,000 hours as a trainee, of which 4,000 must be on new industrial or commercial installations and no more than 4,000 may come from specialty work. A two-year electrical program at a public community or technical college can replace two years of the work | 96 hours of basic classroom instruction before you can sit the exam | Yes, an L&I electrician exam |
| Specialty Electrician Certificate | The 4,000-hour specialties are supervised at least 75 percent of the time. The 2,000-hour ones are supervised the whole time until you pass the exam | — | Yes, an L&I electrician exam |
| Electrical Training Certificate | None to start | 48 hours of approved classroom instruction on the electrical law, the national electrical code, or electrical theory, shown at each renewal | No |
4How much does an electrical license cost in Washington? What is this?
The government fees on this page add up to about $809 in Washington. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.
| License | Application | Exam | First certificate | Late renewal | Getting a lapsed license back | Administrator certificate | Administrator exam | Renewal by mail | Renewal online | Trainee certificate | Trainee certificate, online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Electrical Contractor License (01) | $353.9 | — | — | — | $71.5 | — | — | $353.9 | $306.2 | — | — |
| Specialty Electrical Contractor License | $353.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $353.9 | $306.2 | — | — |
| Electrical Administrator or Master Electrician Certificate | — | — | — | — | — | $160 | $44.2 | $202.2 | $175.7 | — | — |
| General Journey Level Electrician Certificate (01) | — | $80.3 | $114.6 | $212.9 | $33.5 | — | — | $106.4 | $92.6 | — | — |
| Specialty Electrician Certificate | — | $80.3 | $114.6 | — | — | — | — | $106.4 | $92.6 | — | — |
| Electrical Training Certificate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $67.9 | $59.2 | $56 | $48.1 |
Added up
| Government fees, added up | $809 |
|---|
One person starting alone. Trainee card $56, the electrician exam $80.30, the journey level card $114.60, the contractor license $353.90, the administrator exam $44.20, and the administrator certificate $160. Does not include the $4,000 bond premium, insurance, workers' comp, classroom hours, tools, a vehicle, or city permits
5How much electrical contractor insurance do you need in Washington? What is this?
What Washington requires you to carry before you work.
| Minimum liability insurance | None. L&I encourages an electrical contractor to carry liability insurance but does not require it and keeps no record of it |
|---|---|
| Who this applies to | The electrical contractor license on its own. If your business also registers as a contractor for non-electrical work, that registration does need insurance |
| If you also register as a contractor | $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or one combined limit of $250,000. The certificate is filed with L&I, and a lapse suspends the registration until a new policy is filed |
| Workers' comp required? | Yes, as soon as you hire one employee. Coverage comes only from the L&I state fund. Private workers' comp policies are not allowed in Washington |
| Who can opt out |
|
·6 official pages
- lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/electrical/electrical-licensing-exams-education/electrical-contractor
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.28.041
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.050
- lni.wa.gov/insurance/insurance-requirements/do-i-need-a-workers-comp-account/
- lni.wa.gov/insurance/insurance-requirements/how-to-get-a-workers-compensation-account
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=51.12.020
6Does Washington check your credit for an electrician license? What is this?
Washington does not check your credit for this license.
| Credit score you need | None |
|---|---|
| If your score is lower | Instead of the surety bond you can file a cash deposit or other negotiable security that L&I will accept |
7Does an electrician need a bond in Washington? What is this?
Washington requires a bond of $4,000. 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 | $4,000 |
| About the bond | If your business also registers as a contractor for non-electrical work, that registration carries its own bond on top, $15,000 for a specialty contractor or $30,000 for a general contractor. Cities may ask for more before they let you pull permits |
A $4,000 surety bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that people can be paid if you do not pay for labor or materials or your work causes damage), or a cash deposit instead. It covers wages, employee benefits, materials used on the job, and damage caused by your failure
8Federal rules that also apply What is this?
Rules from the US government that apply to an electrician in Washington on top of the state's own.
| Federal license | None. No federal license covers electrical contracting. The L&I contractor license and the electrician certificate are the ones you need |
|---|---|
| Lead-safe certification | If you are paid to disturb painted surfaces in a home, child care center or preschool built before 1978, your business must be EPA lead-safe certified and the work led by a certified renovator |
| The small-job exception |
|
Federal workplace safety rules also apply to your crew
9Where must a Washington electrician show the license number? What is this?
In Washington: the electrical law does not tell you to print your license number on ads, vehicles, or contracts. It does make it illegal to advertise, bid, or offer electrical work without holding the license.
| The rule | The electrical law does not tell you to print your license number on ads, vehicles, or contracts. It does make it illegal to advertise, bid, or offer electrical work without holding the license |
|---|---|
| On ads | If your business also registers as a contractor for non-electrical work, every ad that shows your name or address must show that registration number, and so must every flyer or mailer sent to homeowners. Vehicle signs and signs on your own building are exempt |
| If you forget | Under the contractor registration law, up to $10,000 per violation after a hearing. Not charged for an honest mistake |
| Written notice you must give the customer |
|
10Does an electrician charge sales tax on labor in Washington? What is this?
In Washington, taxed. Same rule as above. The rest of the rules are below.
See how this compares in every state: Can you charge sales tax on labor? The rule in 25 states
| Building for a customer | You charge retail sales tax on the whole contract price, labor and materials, and show it as a separate line on the invoice. This is called retail or custom construction and covers most jobs an electrical company does for a homeowner or a business |
|---|---|
| Labor on homes (repairs and remodels) | Taxed. Same rule as above |
| Repairs and remodels on businesses | Taxed. Same rule as above |
| Labor on new buildings | Taxed when you work for the landowner or a prime contractor. Building on land you own to sell (speculative building) is taxed differently |
| Materials | You buy materials that become part of the building tax-free with a reseller permit. You pay sales tax on tools, supplies, and anything you use up on the job |
| Business and occupation tax | Your gross receipts from custom construction are also taxed under the Retailing B&O classification, a tax on the business itself that you do not pass to the customer |
| Tax rate | 6.5 percent state rate plus the local rate for the job site |
11Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a Washington electrician What is this?
If you are not paid in Washington, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: send it early. The notice only protects work done in the 60 days before you send it, so anything older is lost (work started on March 1 and notice sent on June 1 covers only work from April 2 onward). On a new single-family house it covers only the 10 days before the notice.
- Day 0Your first day on the job
The clock starts here.
- Day 60Send your notice
Send it early. The notice only protects work done in the 60 days before you send it, so anything older is lost (work started on March 1 and notice sent on June 1 covers only work from April 2 onward). On a new single-family house it covers only the 10 days before the notice
- Day 90File your lien
Record the lien with the county where the property sits within 90 days of your last day of work or last delivery (last work on June 1 means the lien is recorded by August 30)
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 |
|
|---|---|
| The exception that catches people out |
|
| What the lien reaches on a home the owner lives in | Only money the owner has not yet paid the prime contractor when your notice arrives. If the owner has already paid the prime in full, there is nothing for your lien to reach |
| Send your notice by |
|
| File your lien by | Record the lien with the county where the property sits within 90 days of your last day of work or last delivery (last work on June 1 means the lien is recorded by August 30) |
12How do you renew an electrical license in Washington? What is this?
The General Electrical Contractor License (01) renews every 2 years (the license expires 24 months after the day it is issued). No training hours are required.
| License | Renewal | Training hours each year | Training hours each renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Electrical Contractor License (01) | Every 2 years (the license expires 24 months after the day it is issued) | — | — |
| Specialty Electrical Contractor License | Every 2 years | — | — |
| General Journey Level Electrician Certificate (01) | Every 3 years, on your birthday | — | — |
| Specialty Electrician Certificate | Every 3 years | — | — |
| Electrical Training Certificate | Every 2 years | — | — |
Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.
13What catches people out in Washington What is this?
The things people get wrong or do not expect about Washington, in a few sentences.
- An electrical business does not have to register as a contractor as well. The contractor registration law exempts a certified electrician working inside the scope of that certificate, so most electrical-only companies hold the electrical license alone. Take on work outside electrical and you may need the registration too.
- L&I does not make an electrical contractor carry liability insurance and keeps no record of it. The $4,000 bond is the only money the state asks you to put up.
- On general electrical work a certified electrician may have only one trainee with them. On specialty work it is two. Either way they must be on the same job site for at least 75 percent of the working day.
- The general journey level card takes 8,000 hours, and 4,000 of those must be on new industrial or commercial installations. A two-year college program in the trade can stand in for two of the years.
- You need 96 hours of classroom instruction before you can even sit the general electrician exam. The 4,000-hour specialties need 48 hours.
- Your company cannot hold the license by itself. You have to name a certified electrical administrator or master electrician to L&I, and that person answers for the company following the electrical rules.
·6 official pages
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.090
- lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/electrical/electrical-licensing-exams-education/electrical-contractor
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.28.041
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.28.161
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.28.191
- lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/electrical/electrical-licensing-exams-education/electrician
14Where these numbers come from
The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.090
- lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/electrical/electrical-licensing-exams-education/electrical-contractor
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.28.041
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.28.161
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.28.191
- lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/electrical/electrical-licensing-exams-education/electrician
- app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-46B-920
- app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-46B-909
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.050
- lni.wa.gov/insurance/insurance-requirements/do-i-need-a-workers-comp-account/
- lni.wa.gov/insurance/insurance-requirements/how-to-get-a-workers-compensation-account
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=51.12.020
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.040
- epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program
- osha.gov/stateplans
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.100
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.114
- dor.wa.gov/education/industry-guides/construction/custom-construction
- dor.wa.gov/education/industry-guides/construction
- dor.wa.gov/taxes-rates/retail-sales-tax
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.031
- app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=60.04.091