Become an Electrician

Steps to Become an Electrician in California

Here’s the usual way people become certified General Electricians in California, one step at a time, with the official forms and fees.

By Innovative Electrical Services (IES), licensed C‑10 electrical contractor #1081222, Auburn, CA · Facts checked against official sources October 2026

Step 1: Get ready to learn

You don’t need a college degree. What helps most is being willing to learn, being careful, and showing up. Classes for electricians cover electrical theory, blueprint reading, math, the electrical code, and safety and first aid, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you’re in high school, math and any shop or technical classes are a good start.

It’s also physical work. You’ll stand, kneel, climb and work in tight spaces, and you need to be able to tell wires apart by color. What the work is really like

Step 2: Choose your path in

In California, you can do electrical work for a C-10 contractor while you learn in one of two ways:

  • A state-approved apprenticeship. You’re hired, paid for your hours on the job, and take related classes. Programs are registered with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS). Search DAS programs
  • A registered electrician trainee. You enroll in an approved electrical curriculum (offered by community colleges, adult schools and approved private schools) and register with the Labor Commissioner. Registration is $25 and is renewed every year. DIR trainee page · Approved schools

Not sure which fits? Apprenticeship vs. trainee, side by side

Step 3: Get your 8,000 hours

The General Electrician certification takes 8,000 hours of experience working for a C-10 contractor, which is about four years of full-time work. Those hours have to be spread across at least two kinds of work, and the state caps how many hours count from each kind (for example, up to 3,000 hours of residential work and up to 6,000 of commercial or industrial). Title 8, §291.1

While you’re uncertified, you work under the direct supervision of a certified electrician, and that electrician can’t supervise more than one uncertified person at a time. Registered trainees going for the General Electrician certification also complete 720 hours of classroom instruction. DIR trainee page · Curriculum hours

Keep your own records: pay stubs, the contractors you worked for, and what kind of work you did. The application asks for a Social Security Administration earnings report (form SSA-7050) to show your work history, and the SSA may charge a fee for it. DIR FAQ

Step 4: Apply and pass the state exam

When you’re eligible, you apply to the Electrician Certification Unit. The application fee is $75 and the exam fee is $100 (neither is refundable). DIR fees

  • The exam is on a computer, all multiple choice, and open book; the reference materials are provided at the test site.
  • The General Electrician exam is 100 questions in 4 hours. You need 70% to pass.
  • It’s offered in English and Spanish at test centers throughout California (and a few in Oregon, Washington and Nevada).
  • If you don’t pass, you can retest after 60 days ($100).

The details are in the Candidate Information Bulletin. Once you pass, your card comes in the mail.

Step 5: Renew every three years

Certification is good for three years. To renew, you need 32 hours of continuing education from an approved provider, 2,000 hours of electrical work in the past three years, and the $100 renewal fee. DIR FAQ · DIR fees

Step 6: Keep growing

Certified electricians can grow into lead, foreman or project roles, specialize (solar, controls, fire alarm and more), or go on to their own C-10 contractor license after at least four years of journey-level experience. How the C-10 license works

The steps in short

  1. Get ready to learn. Brush up on basic math, learn about safety, and look at what electricians actually do day to day. No college degree is needed.
  2. Choose apprenticeship or trainee. Apply to a state-approved electrical apprenticeship, or register with the Labor Commissioner as an electrician trainee and enroll in an approved electrical curriculum.
  3. Work under supervision for 8,000 hours. Work for a C-10 electrical contractor under the direct supervision of a certified electrician. The General Electrician certification takes 8,000 hours of experience; registered trainees also complete 720 hours of classroom instruction.
  4. Apply for and pass the state exam. Apply to the Electrician Certification Unit ($75 application and $100 exam fee), then schedule and pass the General Electrician exam with a score of 70% or higher.
  5. Keep your certification current. Renew every three years: 32 hours of approved continuing education, 2,000 hours of electrical work in the past three years, and a $100 renewal fee.
  6. Grow from there. With at least four years of journey-level experience, you can apply to the CSLB for your own C-10 electrical contractor license.

Common questions

Can I count hours I already worked?

Experience counts when it was electrical work for a C-10 contractor, and it has to be documented. The application asks for a Social Security Administration earnings report (form SSA-7050) to back up your work history. Completing a state- or federally-approved apprenticeship, comparable out-of-state licensing, and some military experience can also qualify; the Electrician Certification Unit reviews each application.

Can I take the exam before I finish my hours?

Apprentices within one year of finishing an approved apprenticeship may take the exam, and are certified when they complete the program. A registered trainee who has finished the approved classes may also test, but the certification card is held until the hours are met.

What happens if I fail the exam?

You can retake it after a 60-day wait. The retest fee is $100.

Start with IES

Thinking about the trade? We’d be glad to talk.

We’re Innovative Electrical Services, a family-run C‑10 electrical contractor in Auburn, working on homes, businesses and industrial sites from the Oregon border down to Southern California, and everywhere in between, including San Francisco and the Bay Area. Part of our mission is to help change how the world thinks about construction, construction workers and the trades.

We’re always interested in hearing from people who take pride in their work and put safety first, including apprentices. Tell us where you are: just curious, in school, an apprentice or trainee, or already certified.

Send us your info → Call (530) 401-7419 Careers at IES

Official sources

General information, checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Requirements and fees can change; the Labor Commissioner (DIR), the CSLB and each apprenticeship program have the final word.