Step 1: Register Yourself As An Electrical Trainee (ET)

If you are a beginner in the electrical career, start by registering yourself as an Electrician Trainee (ET) or join an approved apprenticeship program. California Law (Labor Code 108) requires anyone working as an electrician under a C-10 contractor to either be certified, in a state-approved apprenticeship, or a registered ET. To become an ET, you have to submit a $25 registration form and proof of enrollment in a state-approved trade school program to DIR. As an ET, you must work under the supervision of a certified electrician, and you are also required to take approved classroom courses. 

Alternatively, you can enter a state-registered apprenticeship through the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) or NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association) union program or other DAS-approved electrical trade school paths. Apprenticeship programs typically combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. You can find approved apprenticeship programs via the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) website. Usually, an electrician apprenticeship lasts about 4-5 years, during which you gradually build the hours of work needed for certification.

Step 2: Accumulate The Required Hours For Certification

While you are an apprentice electrician or ET, you have to accumulate “on-the-job” hours in the relevant categories. California typically requires 8,000 hours for a general electrician and 4,800 hours for a residential journeyman license. You must also complete any required classroom instruction. Most electrical training programs include 576 hours of technical classroom training per 4-year apprenticeship. The on-the-job work must be done under a licensed C-10 electrical contractor or a certified electrician. You must keep detailed records like time slips, pay stubs, etc., to verify your hours for each category.

Step 3: Apply And Pass The Certification Exam

Once you have the required hours and electrical schooling, you apply to the DIR’s Electrician Certification Unit to take the state exam for your category, but you must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. You have to submit the application via DIR, and after approval, you can schedule the exam. The application fee is typically $75 plus a $100 certification exam fee, and you need to score at least 70% to pass the exam. For example, if you are a Residential Electrician candidate, you must prove 4,800 hours of experience and then pass the Residential Electrician exam, that have 80 questions and the duration is 3.5 hours. Once you pass the exam, it grants you the certification card for that category within two weeks, and it will be valid for the next three years. After that, you can legally perform electrician work for a C-10 contractor under that certification. However, you need to renew your license after 3 years for $100, and you are required to have 2,000 hours of work experience in the past three years, with 32 hours of continuing education from an approved provider. 

It is important to note that if you lack the full hours, you have to continue working as an electrician apprentice/ET and gain more experience, as there are no exemptions from the hour requirement.

Step 4: Meet The Additional Requirements If You Want To Start Your Electrical Business 

As mentioned earlier, there is nothing like a licensed master electrician in California. You have to obtain a C-10 Electrical Contractor license to run your own electrical contracting business.

In order to get this license, you must have at least 4 years of journey-level or higher electrical experience. This experience can include your years as a certified electrical technician. An out-of-state or out-of-class license can also count as contractor-level experience. You also have to go through an 8-hour pre-licensing course on California business and law. 

Along with this, you must pass two licensing exams, i.e, the CSLB Law and Business exam and the C-10 Electrical Contractor trade exam. The application fee is $450. The law and business exam typically covers contractor licensing law, business management, and safety. The C-10 exam covers electrical trade (electrical theory, installation practices, safety regulations, including OSHA and National Electrical Code (NEC)) knowledge. However, if you have reciprocity from a state like Arizona, you may skip the trade exam, but you must still pass the law and business exam. After you pass the exam, you have to pay $200 for the license.

It is important to note that you must post a $25,000 contractor license bond and an additional $7,500 bond if you are hiring employees and provide workers’ compensation proof to the CSLB. Once all these requirements are met and you pay the fees, CSLB issues the Class C-10 license that covers all electrical work.