LicensebyState

Moving to Washington as a master electrician: every state's rule

Washington has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: no credit.

Washington master electrician · “Master Electrician (01)”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 4 sources

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.

Every origin state

No credit 50
Every state's path into Washington
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaNo credit2026-09-23
AlaskaNo credit2026-09-23
ArizonaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ArkansasNo credit2026-09-23
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ColoradoNo credit2026-09-23
ConnecticutNo credit2026-09-23
DelawareNo credit2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaNo credit2026-09-23
FloridaNo credit2026-09-23
GeorgiaNo credit2026-09-23
HawaiiNo credit2026-09-23
IdahoNo credit2026-09-23
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IowaNo credit2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyNo credit2026-09-23
LouisianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MaineNo credit2026-09-23
MarylandNo credit2026-09-23
MassachusettsNo credit2026-09-23
MichiganNo credit2026-09-23
MinnesotaNo credit2026-09-23
MississippiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MissouriNo credit2026-09-23
MontanaNo credit2026-09-23
NebraskaNo credit2026-09-23
NevadaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
New HampshireNo credit2026-09-23
New JerseyNo credit2026-09-23
New MexicoNo credit2026-09-23
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
North CarolinaNo credit2026-09-23
North DakotaNo credit2026-09-23
OhioNo credit2026-09-23
OklahomaNo credit2026-09-23
OregonNo credit2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandNo credit2026-09-23
South CarolinaNo credit2026-09-23
South DakotaNo credit2026-09-23
TennesseeNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
TexasNo credit2026-09-23
UtahNo credit2026-09-23
VermontNo credit2026-09-23
VirginiaNo credit2026-09-23
West VirginiaNo credit2026-09-23
WisconsinNo credit2026-09-23
WyomingNo credit2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Washington from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Washington issues a master electrician license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 9 sources

Master electrician (01) by examination

The Washington Master Electrician (01) certificate is earned by a Washington general journey level (01) electrician who has been certified by L&I at that level for at least four years; no out-of-state credit applies. The candidate applies to L&I and, once approved, schedules the open-book master exam with PSI. The exam has three sections, NEC and theory, major load calculations, and Washington laws and rules, and each must be passed with at least 70 percent. A master electrician may work with the tools and, when assigned, act as the administrator responsible for an electrical contractor's compliance. The master certificate replaces the holder's journey level certificate.

PSI's candidate bulletin lists NEC and theory at about 80 questions in 4 hours, Washington laws and rules at about 20 questions in 1 hour, and major load calculations at 10 questions in 2 hours, based on the 2020 National Electrical Code. All sections must be passed within one year of the exam approval letter. The first certificate runs 25 to 36 months depending on the exam date and the holder's birthdate.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 3 years
Continuing education
24 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Washington General Journey Level Electrician (01) certificate held for at least four years for at least 4 years first.The time must be as an L&I-certified journey level electrician; out-of-state licenses and experience are not credited toward the master exam.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($204.60). Master electrician exam application fee paid to L&I; includes the original certificate ($44.20 is nonrefundable once the application is submitted).
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Washington Master Electrician (01) exam, NEC and theory section and major load calculations section, open book, 70 percent on each section; scheduled with PSI after L&I approval.
  3. 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Washington laws and rules section on chapter 19.28 RCW and chapter 296-46B WAC, open book, 70 percent to pass.
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Paid to PSI at a flat rate for the full master exam, in addition to the L&I application fee; retests within the one-year exam period are billed by the hour ($45 for one hour to $105 for seven). The flat rate is set by contract with L&I and is not published; PSI quotes it when you schedule (855-834-8751).

Published fees on this path total $204.60, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 3 years with 24 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $175.70 renewal fee.

At least 8 hours must cover changes in the currently adopted National Electrical Code and 4 hours must cover chapter 19.28 RCW and chapter 296-46B WAC; the remaining 12 hours can be any course on L&I's approved lists. First aid classes count for no more than 4 hours, and the same class cannot be credited twice.

Certificates expire on the holder's birthdate. Renewal costs $175.70 online or $202.20 by mail or in person; late renewal is $351.40 online or $404.50 by mail. A certificate more than 90 days past expiration requires retaking the master exam.

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
  • Law / code exam

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. L&I - Basic classroom instruction & continuing education · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  2. L&I - Electrical Examination · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. L&I - Master Electrician Certificate · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Washington Home Inspector Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Washington State Department of Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  5. RCW 19.28.191 - Certificate of competency - Eligibility for examination - Rules · RCW 19.28.191 · Washington State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  6. WAC 296-46B-909 - Electrical/telecommunications fees · WAC 296-46B-909 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. WAC 296-46B-945 - Qualifying for master, journey level, specialty electrician examinations · WAC 296-46B-945 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  8. WAC 296-46B-960 - Administrator and electrician certificate of competency examinations · WAC 296-46B-960 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  9. WAC 296-46B-970 - Electrical training and continuing education · WAC 296-46B-970 · Washington State Legislature · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026

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