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Electrician License Path Finder

Pick a state to see its license path, with a source link on every fact.

FREE TOOL · 10 PILOT STATES · LAST VERIFIED 2026-10-16

Electrician license path in California

Reference only. Compiled from public state board pages and possibly out of date. Always confirm with your state licensing board. Not legal advice and not a substitute for training, the NEC and local codes, or your employer's procedures. Where we could not confirm a value on an official page, we show Check with board and a link instead of guessing.

Licensing board: Dept. of Industrial Relations, Electrician Certification Unit

License levels

  • General Electrician (certified): 8,000 hours working for an electrical contractor on NEC-covered systems, in 2+ categories with per-category caps; pass exam source
  • Residential Electrician: 4,800 hours; pass exam source
  • Fire/Life/Safety Technician: 4,000 hours; pass exam source
  • Voice Data Video Technician: 4,000 hours; pass exam source
  • Non-Residential Lighting Technician: 2,000 hours; pass exam source

Exam

Certification exam required (DIR application) source

Last checked 2026-10-16. Code edition by state: NFPA NEC enforcement maps.

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