Texas to Washington: master electrician license reciprocity
Washington gives no credit for a Texas master electrician license. You qualify from scratch.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
No out-of-state credit toward the master certificate
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
An out-of-state master or journeyman license gives no advantage toward the Washington Master Electrician (01) certificate. RCW 19.28.191(1)(a) requires four years holding a valid journey level certificate, L&I's master electrician page requires four years certified as a general journey level electrician with L&I, and WAC 296-46B-945 states that no credit may be applied from out-of-state toward qualifying for the master examination. The applicant must first obtain the Washington journey level (01) certificate (by exam, or by reciprocity from Oregon), hold it for four years, and then apply for and pass the master exam, which is scheduled with PSI after L&I approval.
Fees listed are what the applicant pays once eligible after four years as a Washington journey level electrician. The $106.70 first-time master exam fee applies when the department administers the exam; PSI-administered exams are paid to PSI at PSI's rate.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Do not count
What you must already have
- You must have held your Texas license for at least 4 years.
What you'll do to get licensed in Washington
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($204.60). Master electrician exam application fee (includes original certificate and application processing).
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Washington Master Electrician (01) exam, open book, minimum score 70 percent; scheduled with PSI after L&I approval.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($106.70). Master electrician first-time examination fee when administered by the department (retest $125.00); PSI-administered exams are paid to PSI.
Published fees on this path total $311.30, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Trade exam
- Exam fee · $106.70
How Washington licenses master electricians
Washington master electrician · “Master Electrician (01)”
Statewide license
Issued by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Electrical Program
Washington issues a statewide Master Electrician (01) certificate through the Department of Labor & Industries. To sit the master exam an applicant must have held a valid journey level electrician certificate for four years, and L&I applies this as four years certified as a general journey level electrician with L&I; WAC 296-46B-945 states that no out-of-state credit may be applied toward qualifying for the master exam. Master certificates cannot be obtained through reciprocity, and Washington has no master-level agreement with any state. An out-of-state master electrician therefore first obtains the Washington journey level (01) certificate, holds it for four years, and then takes the master exam. Certificates renew every three years with 24 hours of continuing education.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Washington master electrician exam if I'm licensed in Texas?
- Yes. Washington requires the trade exam on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Texas license?
- At least 4 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Washington master electrician license from Texas?
- Published fees on this path total $311.30, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Texas work hours count in Washington?
- No. Washington does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.
- Does it work the other way, from Washington to Texas?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Washington to Texas, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- L&I - Master Electrician Certificate · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 14, 2026Requires at least 4 years certified as a general journey level electrician with L&I (2 years for specialties); master exam taken through PSI; renewal every three years with 24 CE hours.
- Application for a Reciprocal (01) General Journey Level Electrician Certificate (F500-148-000) · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Form · verified September 14, 2026States that Washington is party to a reciprocal agreement with Oregon and no other states, that a license not obtained through Oregon examination cannot be reciprocated, and that Washington master certificates cannot be obtained through reciprocity. PDF text was read through the search index; the file itself did not extract in this session.
- RCW 19.28.191 - Application for certificate of competency - Qualifications - Examination · RCW 19.28.191 · Washington State Legislature · Statute · verified September 14, 2026(1)(a): to take the master journey level exam the applicant must have possessed a valid journey level electrician certificate of competency for four years. (1)(c): journey level exam eligibility via 8,000-hour apprenticeship, an out-of-state journey level certificate obtained through examination in a jurisdiction requiring at least 8,000 supervised hours, 16,000 hours of out-of-state experience, or 8,000 hours in armed forces construction battalions.
- WAC 296-46B-909 - Electrical/telecommunications fees · WAC 296-46B-909 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 14, 2026Fee table filed 5/5/26, effective 7/1/26. Journey level, specialty, or reciprocal electrician application (includes original certificate and processing) $114.60; journey level exam fee when administered by the department $80.30; master electrician exam application $204.60; master first-time exam fee $106.70, retest $125.00.
- WAC 296-46B-945 - Qualifying for master, journey level, specialty electrician examinations · WAC 296-46B-945 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 14, 2026Journey level exam pathways include an out-of-state journey level certificate obtained by examination in a jurisdiction requiring 8,000 supervised hours (4,000 in new commercial/industrial), or 16,000 hours of out-of-state experience; documentation by notarized letters from licensed contractors, apprenticeship directors or employers. States: 'No credit may be applied from out-of-state toward qualifying for a master electrician certificate of competency examination.'
- WAC 296-46B-960 - Administrator and electrician certificate of competency examinations · WAC 296-46B-960 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 14, 2026Open-book exam; minimum passing score 70 percent on any exam or section; two-week wait after a failure, three-month wait after three failures in a year; exam must be completed within one year of approval.
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.