To become a master electrician, you must have the required amount of experience as an electrician and take and pass the master electrician exam in your specialty. Master electricians are certified to act as an administrator. Both master electricians and administrators ensure that an electrical contractor's work is in compliance with the electrical laws and rules. But only master electricians can work with the tools of the trade as an installer.

Master electricians who have met eligibility requirements, taken and passed an examination, and are certified with L&I can:

  • Work with the tools of the trade as an installer.
  • When assigned, act as an administrator for an electrical contractor to ensure that an electrical contractor's work is in compliance with the electrical laws and rules.
Becoming a Master Electrician

To become a certified master electrician in Washington, you must be certified as a general journey level or specialty electrician with L&I for a specific amount of time.

There are two levels of certification for master electricians: general journey level and specialty master electricians.

  • Journey level master electrician: To qualify for the master electrician exam you must be certified as a general journey level electrician by L&I for at least 4 years.
  • Specialty master electrician: To qualify for the exam you must be certified by L&I in an specialty, for at least 2 years.

Depending on the date you pass the examination and your birthdate, your initial certification will be good for a minimum of 25 months up to a maximum of 36 months.

When you pass the master electrician examination, it replaces your existing electrical certification. You can't carry both an electrician and master electrician certificate for the same certification.

Apply

Online

To apply for a master electrician examination online, you will need:

  • Your Social Security number.
  • Mailing address.
  • Email address.
  • Required fees.
    • Stated on the application.
    • Your examination fee - this fee varies by specialty and is paid directly to the testing agency (PSI).

What L&I will do:

  • Review your application to verify that you meet qualification requirements.
  • Mail you a notice once your application is approved with instructions on how to schedule your exam with PSI.
  • Send a letter if your application is denied, stating the reason(s) for denial.
Assignment of master electrician

As a master electrician, you are required to notify us within 10 days of any change in your assignment status.

When you assign as the designated administrator/master electrician to an electrical contracting company, you are accepting the responsibility to ensure the electrical contractor complies with all appropriate Washington state electrical laws and rules.

To assign yourself as the designated administrator/master electrician to an electrical contractor or unassign yourself, you must send us a completed Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate (F503-009-000)form, with the fee stated on the form and mail it as instructed.

Renew

Master electrician's certificates must be renewed every 3 years. Your certificate expires on your birthdate. You must complete 24 hours of L&I approved continuing education, including a minimum of 8 hours of code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC review.

Renewal requirements

Before you renew your master electrician's certificate online, make sure you're eligible to renew:

  • Use our Verify tool which will tell you if you have:
    • Met the education requirements.
    • Any outstanding, unpaid citations.
    • An expired or suspended certificate.

If your certificate is more than 90 days past the expiration date, you must reapply and take the master electrical examination to reinstate your certificate. If you have any issues with your certificate, contact us for assistance. If an education course is not appearing on your record, contact your course provider.

Renew

Online

To renew online, you will need the following:

  • Your 12-digit certificate number. Use our Verify tool to look it up if you need to.
  • Last 4 digits of your Social Security number.
  • Birthdate.
  • Email address and phone number.
  • Your renewal fee payable by credit/debit card or electronic check.

By mail or in person

Late renewal requirements

If you pay your renewal fee but have not completed your continuing education requirements, your certificate will be place in an inactive status until education requirements are met. If you are assigned to an electrical contractor, you will be unassigned if you have not fulfilled your education requirements before your certificate expires.

You should renew your certificate before it expires. If you are on the job with a card that is expired, suspended, inactive, or revoked, you can be subject to citation and fines. If you don't renew before your certificate expires, a late-renewal fee will be charged. If you are assigned to an electrical contractor, you will be unassigned on the expiration date of your certificate.

If you are unassigned due to late renewal or not meeting educational requirements, you must complete the Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form (F503-009-000) to become reassigned to the electrical contractor, along with the fee stated on the form.

What L&I will do

We will verify that you have:

  • Completed the required continuing education.
  • Paid the appropriate renewal fee.
  • No outstanding fines or penalties.

Within 5 days after we receive your renewal, L&I will:

  • Notify you if there are any outstanding issues that need to be resolved.
  • Send your certificate.

For more information

Contact Us