The Washington Journeyman Electrician Guide

What Is the Washington Journeyman Electrician License?

In Washington, L&I licenses electrical contractors and certifies individual electricians under chapter 19.28 RCW, with the administrative rules in WAC 296-46B. The 01 General Journey Level Electrician certificate is the credential for electricians who perform installations for hire across residential, commercial, and industrial work. L&I also certifies master journey level and specialty electricians under the same chapter, and it contracts with PSI to deliver the computer-based examinations.

Since July 1, 2026, entry into the 01 has moved to a registered-apprenticeship-only model: the trainee grace period has expired, so candidates must complete a registered apprenticeship or qualify through one of the approved equivalency routes before they can sit for the exam. Journey level electricians work for L&I-licensed electrical contractors, and the certificate is the credential employers across the state require for field electricians.

The Requirements

• Registered apprenticeship (RCW 49.04): Complete a registered apprenticeship of 8,000 hours under RCW 49.04, including at least 4,000 hours on new industrial or commercial installations and no more than 4,000 hours in specialty work. Since July 1, 2026 this is the standard in-state route to the 01 — the former trainee grace period has expired.
• Equivalent out-of-state apprenticeship: Complete a registered apprenticeship outside Washington that is equivalent to the in-state program, totaling 8,000 hours of documented electrical work.
• Journey certificate from another state: Hold a journey level certificate or license issued by another state on the basis of an examination.
• Out-of-state experience: Document at least 16,000 hours of out-of-state journey level electrical experience.
• Military construction battalion experience: Complete 8,000 hours of electrical work in a construction battalion of the armed forces.

These five routes are alternatives — you qualify through any one of them. Every route leads to the same next step: pass the two-section PSI exam and receive your 01 General Journey Level Electrician certificate from L&I.

Exam Format: Open Book, PSI

The Washington journeyman exam is <strong>open book</strong> and computer based, and it is administered in <strong>two sections on the same day</strong> at a PSI testing center: an NEC &amp; Theory section covering the National Electrical Code and general electrical theory, and a Washington Codes section covering RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B. The bulletin in effect as of this writing cites the <strong>NEC 2020</strong> — note that Washington adopts the NEC 2026 on <strong>December 31, 2026</strong>, so confirm which edition the current bulletin cites when you schedule:

Each section is scored independently and must be passed at 70% or better — you do not need a combined score. If you fail one section, you retake only that section. Washington adopts the NEC 2026 on December 31, 2026, but the exam bulletin in effect at publication still cites the NEC 2020; verify the cited edition on the L&I/PSI bulletin closer to your exam date. Because the code and rules are open book, the exam rewards <strong>navigation</strong> — knowing which chapter covers which topic, using the index efficiently, and reading sections including exceptions and tables.

What the Exam Covers

The official PSI content outline allocates the 60 questions of the NEC &amp; Theory section across 17 subject areas:

• NEC 90 — Introduction — 1 question: purpose and enforcement of the Code.
• NEC 100–110 — General Requirements — 3 questions: definitions and the general requirements for electrical installations.
• NEC 200–225 & 280–285 — Wiring and Protection — 3 questions: branch circuits, feeders, surge protection, and overvoltage protection.
• NEC 230 — Services — 4 questions: service entrances, disconnects, and service equipment.
• NEC 240 — Overcurrent Protection — 6 questions: fuses, breakers, and their proper application.
• NEC 250 — Grounding and Bonding — 6 questions: system and equipment grounding and the grounding electrode system.
• NEC 300–398 — Wiring Methods — 10 questions: the largest block — raceways, boxes, conductors, and cable installations.
• NEC 400–480 — Electrical Equipment — 3 questions: flexible cords, wiring devices, and other equipment articles.
• NEC 430–450 — Motors, HVAC, Generators, Transformers — 3 questions: motor circuits, air-conditioning equipment, generators, and transformers.
• NEC 490 — Equipment Over 600 Volts — 1 question:
• NEC 500–516 — Hazardous Locations — 2 questions:
• NEC 517–590 — Special Occupancies — 4 questions: health care facilities, places of assembly, and other special occupancies.
• NEC 600–695 — Special Equipment — 3 questions: signs, cranes, elevators, and similar equipment.
• NEC 700–702 — Emergency and Standby Systems — 2 questions:
• NEC 705–780 — Special Conditions — 1 question: interconnected power sources and other special conditions.
• NEC 800–830 — Communications Systems — 1 question:
• General Trade Knowledge & Theory — 7 questions: general electrical theory and trade knowledge.

The 17 areas above sum to the 60 questions of the NEC &amp; Theory section, which leans heavily on wiring methods (10 questions), grounding and bonding (6), overcurrent protection (6), and services (4). A separate 17-question Washington Codes section tests the laws and rules themselves — RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B — so you need both the NEC and the state electrical rules in your study plan.

How to Prepare

1. Lock in your eligibility route. Since July 1, 2026 the 01 is registered-apprenticeship-only: complete an 8,000-hour registered apprenticeship (RCW 49.04) with at least 4,000 hours on new industrial/commercial installations, or qualify through one of the equivalency routes (out-of-state apprenticeship, out-of-state journey certificate by exam, 16,000 hours of out-of-state experience, or military construction battalion hours). The trainee grace period is over.
2. Learn the two-section format. The exam is two sections on the same day: NEC & Theory (60 questions, 180 minutes, 70% — 42 correct) and Washington Codes (17 questions, 60 minutes, 70% — 12 correct). Each section is scored independently — budget your preparation for both, not a single combined score.
3. Confirm the cited NEC edition. The bulletin in effect as of this writing cites the open-book NEC 2020, but Washington adopts the NEC 2026 on December 31, 2026. Check the L&I/PSI bulletin when you schedule and study the edition the exam will actually cite.
4. Learn the chapter map and the index. Know where every exam topic lives — wiring methods in Chapter 3, grounding in Article 250, services in 230, overcurrent protection in 240 — before you open a single practice question. Navigation speed is what open-book exams reward.
5. Study RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B for the Codes section. The 17-question Washington Codes section tests licensing law, scope of work, permits and inspections, and the electrical rules — read the actual statutes and rules, not summaries.
6. Simulate both sections under exam conditions. Full-length, timed, open-book runs — 60 questions in 180 minutes and 17 questions in 60 minutes — at least once a week in the final month build the pacing discipline you need to pass both sections in one sitting.

Journeyman Practice covers the Washington exam with code-referenced questions, adaptive difficulty, and timed simulations. Start with free NEC practice questions to see the format.

Retaking the Exam

If you fail one section of the Washington exam, you only retake the section you failed. Each section must be passed at 70% or better independently, so a failure on NEC &amp; Theory does not require repeating Washington Codes, and vice versa. Retaking a section costs that section’s PSI exam fee. The L&I exam application fee is $114.60, of which $44.20 is non-refundable, and the PSI exam fees are charged per time block — $65 for the 3-hour NEC &amp; Theory section and $45 for the 1-hour Washington Codes section.

After Licensure: The Path to Master

Certified journey level electricians work on residential, commercial, and industrial electrical installations across Washington. The 01 certificate is the day-to-day field credential for journey level electricians, and it is also the stepping stone to L&I’s master journey level certification and, for those who go into business, the licensed electrical contractor credential under chapter 19.28 RCW. All electrician certificates renew <strong>every 3 years on the certificate holder’s birthday</strong> through L&I’s online renewal system. Each 3-year cycle requires 24 hours of continuing education: at least 8 hours on NEC code changes, at least 4 hours on RCW 19.28/WAC 296-46B, and 12 hours of elective topics. If your certificate has been expired for more than 90 days, you must retest before it can be renewed. Renewal costs $106.40.

Ready to Start?

Learn to navigate the NEC, drill code-referenced free practice questions, and take a timed Washington simulation before you walk into the PSI testing center.