To get started as an electrical trainee:

1. Make sure you meet the basic age and other requirements. Trainees must be 16 years or older. Employers hiring youth under 18 must have a minor work permit and appropriate parental/school or summer authorization forms. See our publication, Hiring Teens? (F700-142-909), for more information.
2. To work in the electrical trade, you must have a trainee certificate and work under the supervision of an electrician to gain enough hours of experience to qualify for an electrician examination. You and the electrician supervising you must be on the same jobsite.
   In general, supervision ratios are:
   
   1. • 1 trainee to 1 general journey level electrician when doing journey level type work, or
      • 2 trainees to 1 specialty electrician when doing specialty type work.
3. To apply for a training certificate, you must have a valid Social Security number (SSN) according to state and federal law – RCW 26.23.150 and 42 USC §666(a)(13).
   
4. Learn what trainees need to know about education requirements and documenting work experience. (Review all information in Tabs above.)
5. Apply to become an electrical trainee (See Apply Tab).

Approved Training School Programs and Apprenticeships for Trainees:

1. Training School Programs.
2. Apprenticeships.

What hours count as electrical experience?

The electrical construction trade includes, but is not limited to, installing or maintaining electrical wires and equipment that are used for light, heat, or power and installing and maintaining remote control, signaling, power limited, or communication circuits or systems according to RCW 19.28.006(7).

Before, during, and after work in the trade starts, electricians and trainees perform a variety of tasks. They may stage materials, lay out work, attend safety meetings, and clean up. Service work includes traveling from the shop to the job, between jobs, and back to the shop where they often clean out and restock their vehicle. There are specialties that involve installing and maintaining mechanical equipment like electric doors and gates or HVAC systems in addition electrical work related to the equipment.

There are many variables. All employer paid hours doing work described above count when the work is a usual and accustomed part of the electrical trade they are working in.

What hours do not count?

Experience gained by violating the electrical laws does not count toward qualifying for an electrician exam.

Examples of unlawful experience:

• Working without a training certificate, or working with an expired one.
• Working without being a registered apprentice when required to be.
  Learn more: www.Lni.wa.gov/ElectricalApprenticeship.
• Working for an unlicensed electrical contractor or one that has an expired, suspended, or revoked license. Property owners are not required to be licensed electrical contractors when they meet conditions in RCW 19.28.261(1) and (5)(a).
• When not properly supervised by a certified electrician. See the definition of “supervision” in WAC 296-46B-100.
• Working under the supervision of electrician with an expired or inactive certificate.
• Working out of ratio. For specialties defined in WAC 296-46B-920(2), one specialty electrician can supervise two trainees. For work not included in specialties, one (01) journey level electrician can supervise no more than one trainee. Apprenticeship programs may have stricter requirements.

Other factors that cause hours not to count:

• When Affidavits of Experience are not received by the 180-day deadline. Learn more: www.Lni.wa.gov/Trainee.
• When experience is not verifiable through payroll, employment security department records, or electrical permit and inspection records.
• When places of work lack opportunity to regularly perform electrical work or when duties do not involve consistent electrical installation or electrical maintenance work such as:

• • Duty as a delivery driver serving multiple projects on a continuing basis,
  • Duties that consist mostly of installing, maintaining, or monitoring mechanical equipment while not performing any work in the electrical trade to support it, or
  • Administrative duties like project management, payroll, or procurement.

Find the status of contractors and electricians by using our Verify tool.

Learn about deadlines by visiting the Reporting Your Hours of Experience tab on this page.

Get information about how many hours are needed to qualify for an examination in Table 945-1 in WAC 296-46B-945.

If you ever had a trainee certificate, your only option is to renew it. Contact us if you are not able to renew after completing education requirements.

To apply for a trainee certificate:

Be at least 16 years old. See our publication, Hiring Teens? (F700-142-909), for more information.

Applicants for certificates or licenses must have a valid Social Security number (SSN) according to state and federal law – RCW 26.23.150 and 42 USC §666(a)(13).

Be prepared to pay a fee.

How to apply if you have never had a training certificate before:

Apply online: Apple and iPhone users - use a web browser other than Safari, (Chrome works well).

Trainee responsibilities:

Renew your certificate before it expires. Renewal requires 48 hours of Basic Classroom Instruction.

Do not lose credit for your work experience hours - Report your hours on time! Learn more about Reporting Your Hours of Experience.

Carry a government issues photo ID and visibly display your certificate while you are on the job.

How to apply for a nonrenewable certificate that allows you to work unsupervised:

There are two types:

1. If you are about ready to take the 01 journey level electrician exam, see if you qualify: Application for a 6 Month Electrical Training Certificate (F626-011-000)
2. If you have been working under 100 percent supervision in a 2000 hour specialty and are ready to take the exam, submit an Application for a 0% Supervision Modified Electrical Training Certificate & Specialty Examination (F500-097-000)

What L&I will do

We mail out new training certificates within 10 business days. In the meantime, your receipt acts as your certificate for 30 days. Processing time for other types may be up to 4 weeks.

If you are working as a trainee, you must renew your training certificate before it expires.

It is not lawful to work in the trade while having an expired certificate. Renewal fees are non-refundable.

Renewal requirements:

Before you can renew, you must complete 48 hours of approved electrical basic trainee classes.

Before attempting to renew, confirm your education providers have reported 48 hours of completion credit by using our Verify tool: Select TRADESPEOPLE. Search by your name or certificate#.

Contact your provider if you are missing credit for a class you completed. Certificates of completion are not acceptable proof of completion.

How to renew:

1. Renew online:  (Apple and iPhone users - use a web browser other than Safari, Chrome works well.)
2. Or in person at an office location near you.

Do not lose credit for your work experience hours - Report your hours of experience on time!

Information provided here does not apply to:

• Anyone registered in an out-of-state apprenticeship program. Trainees who fit this description must report hours of experience to their respective out-of-state apprenticeship programs.
• Out-of-state exam applicants.

Affidavits of experience

Washington trainees – Do not lose credit for your work experience – Report your hours of experience on time!

180-day deadline for affidavits of experience:

Every two years, your electrical training certificate expires. It is your responsibility to report hours worked during the previous two years to L&I at that time. To do so, request affidavits of experience from your employers. They have 20 days to provide them to you.

DEADLINE: L&I must receive your affidavit(s) for the previous two years no later than 180 days after each expiration date printed on your training certificate. It is your responsibility to meet this deadline.

YOU WILL LOSE CREDIT FOR YOUR HOURS IF YOUR AFFIDAVIT IS LATE.

This deadline does not apply to hours worked while registered in Washington apprenticeship programs or recognized Oregon apprenticeship programs. Apprentices in Oregon programs must report hours to Oregon. Contact your training director for more information about affidavits if you are a registered apprentice.

If your employer does not provide affidavits to you within 20 days of your request, contact us at ElectricalProgram@Lni.wa.gov and we will assist you.

Trainees – Claim credit for hours of experience by submitting one or more Affidavit of Experience for Washington Electrical Trainees (F500-149-000).

Find information about fees and where to mail it your affidavit on the form.

Common reasons why affidavits are denied:

• Update fee not paid when required - See affidavit form for explanation.
• Affidavit includes omissions, errors, or alterations.
• Affidavit not received within 180 days of expiration when required.
• Employer’s history of permits and inspections does not support amount or type of experience claimed.
• Hours claimed cannot be supported by payroll or employment security department records.
• Date range on affidavit includes hours where a lapse is present. Examples:

• • Trainee does not have a training certificate, or it is expired or inactive.
  • Electrical contractor employing trainee has an expired or suspended license.
  • Certificate of trainee’s supervising electrician is expired or inactive.
  • Trainee is not properly supervised by a certified electrician.

To avoid a reduction of hours or denial because of a lapse within date range claimed, submit separate affidavits that include no lapses within date ranges.

See Chapter 19.28 RCW and Chapter 296-46B WAC for detailed information on affidavits of experience.

Reconsideration available

If you receive a decision that denies training hours, you can request a reconsideration. There is no fee for filing a request, which must be made within 20 calendar days of the date on the initial denial letter you received. The request must include specific reasons why the denial should be reconsidered along with a copy or photo of the letter you received.
Send the request to HoursReconsideration@Lni.wa.gov.

Tracking your hours of experience

To ensure the accuracy of hours reported on affidavits, trainees should keep a personal training log to track their hours. For an example, refer to our sample training log. A trainee’s log is strictly for their record keeping. It is not an acceptable form of documentation for contractors or employers.