How much experience do you need for an electrician license in California?

8,000 hours of on-the-job experience with 720 hours of related classroom instruction.

Who administers the California electrician exam?

The exam is administered by PSI (electrician certification), based on the California Electrical Code (based on the NEC).

Electrician License Requirements in California

Q: Who issues electrician licenses in California?

The California Dept. of Industrial Relations (DIR) — Electrician Certification Unit (individual electricians); Contractors State License Board (CSLB) for the C-10 contractor license. See https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/elecat.html.

Last reviewed July 2026

To work as a licensed electrician in California, you'll apply through the licensing authority, meet an experience requirement, and pass a licensing exam based on the National Electrical Code. Here's how it breaks down.

California splits electrician licensing between two agencies: individual electricians are state-certified by the DIR, while electrical contracting businesses are licensed by the CSLB (the C-10 license).

Licensing authority

California Dept. of Industrial Relations (DIR) — Electrician Certification Unit (individual electricians); Contractors State License Board (CSLB) for the C-10 contractor license
Website: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ecu/elecat.html

License types & experience

License	Experience required	Exam
Certified General Electrician Individual electrician certification (DIR)	8,000 hours of on-the-job experience with 720 hours of related classroom instruction	100 questions, 4 hours, 70% to pass (PSI)
C-10 Electrical Contractor license (CSLB)	4 years of journey-level experience	C-10 Trade exam + Law & Business exam (115 questions each, 70% to pass)

The exam & fees

Testing vendor

PSI (electrician certification)

Code edition

California Electrical Code (based on the NEC)

Fees

DIR certification about $75 application + $100 exam; the CSLB C-10 has separate fees and requires a $25,000 bond

Renewal & continuing education

DIR electrician certification renews every 3 years (continuing education required); the C-10 contractor license renews every 2 years with the CSLB.

Studying for the California electrician exam?

The exam is NEC-based — practice with 1,394 questions and worked solutions in the Electrical Exam Prep app.

⚠ Licensing requirements and fees change. This page is a summary, not legal advice — always confirm current requirements directly with California Dept. of Industrial Relations (DIR) — Electrician Certification Unit (individual electricians); Contractors State License Board (CSLB) for the C-10 contractor license before applying.

Sources: California DIR — Electrician Certification (official) · CSLB — Contractors State License Board (official)