Washington general journeyman electrician requirements
Washington general journeyman (01) candidates in state need a completed 8,000-hour approved electrical apprenticeship with at least 4,000 hours of new industrial or commercial work, plus 96 hours of basic classroom instruction, then a passing score on both exam sections. The application fee is $114.60 to L&I plus a $75 PSI sitting fee.
Experience and classroom hours
In state, a completed 8,000-hour approved electrical construction apprenticeship, at least 4,000 hours of it new industrial or commercial work, plus 96 hours of basic classroom instruction. You start on an electrical training certificate, which requires age 16. Out-of-state routes (an equivalent apprenticeship, a journey certificate earned by exam, or 16,000 hours of experience) and a military route also exist. You log those hours under a licensed electrical contractor, and L&I has to approve your experience before PSI Services will seat you.
The exam
PSI Services delivers the (01) exam in two scored sections you pass separately. First is NEC & Theory: 60 questions in 3 hours. Second is Washington Laws & Rules (RCW 19.28 + WAC 296-46B): 17 questions in 1 hour. That is 77 questions across 4 hours, and you need 70% on each section. It is open book on the 2020 NEC, not the 2023 edition. See the laws & rules section for what that second test actually covers.
Fees
$114.60 application fee to L&I ($44.20 nonrefundable), plus a PSI sitting fee of $75 for the 4-hour exam. The L&I application fee covers your eligibility review, and the PSI fee is what you pay to sit each time.
If you do not pass a section
Wait 14 days to retest. After a third failed attempt, wait 3 months between attempts. You retest only the section you failed, and you have one year from approval to pass both sections. The recovery plan walks through how to use that window on the one section you missed.
Renewal and continuing education
Every 3 years (on your birthdate). 24 hours of continuing education per 3-year renewal, including 8 hours of NEC code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC update.
Eligible to test? Find your weak spots first.
Start with the free 15-minute diagnostic. It shows the areas costing you the most points across both sections. Then the full platform drills your weak areas with original questions, calculators, a 30-day plan, and study guides, all on the 2020 NEC, before you pay the $114.60 to L&I and book it.
- L&I Electrical Examination Information. Confirms PSI administration, the 70%-per-section pass mark, open-book rules, and that the exam uses the 2020 NEC.
- L&I Electrician Licensing & Requirements. The in-state 01 exam application (8,000 hours, 96 basic classroom hours), 3-year renewal, and 24-hour CE rule.
- RCW 19.28.191 (eligibility for the journey level exam). Since July 1, 2023 the in-state route is a completed 8,000-hour approved electrical apprenticeship (4,000 hours new industrial or commercial). Out-of-state and military routes are listed there too.
- WAC 296-46B-909 (fees). Journey level electrician application: $114.60, of which $44.20 is nonrefundable (WSR 26-10-060, effective July 1, 2026).
- WAC 296-46B (Washington electrical code adoption). Washington's electrical administrative code. Adopts the NEC with state amendments; the Laws & Rules exam section tests RCW 19.28 + WAC 296-46B.