Journeyman Certification

• Sample Certification Exams
• Who is Required to be Certified?
• Qualifications to Apply For Certification
• Deadline to be Certified
• How to Apply
• How to Renew your Certification
• How to Request a Replacement Certification Card
• Exam Locations
• Exam Content
• Journeyman Certification Exam Prep Classes
• Journeyman Instructors Needed
• Additional Information
• Current California Certified Electricians

WECA-IEC has developed the following Sample Journeymen Certification Exams for use by Contractor Members and their Journeymen to help prepare for the State Certification Exams. These samples are to be used to help evaluate each individual's current need for additional training before taking the State Exam.  

Click here to try a General (Commercial) Certification Sample Exam

Click here to try a Residential Certification Sample Exam

One who performs work for an electrical contractor installing, constructing or maintaining any electrical system that is covered by the National Electric Code, is required to be certified as a General Electrician.

One who performs work for an electrical contractor installing, constructing, or maintaining any electrical system that is covered by the National Electrical Code in single family homes and multi-family units, including hotels and motels, where the primary occupancy of the building is considered residential and the maximum voltage received from a utility company is a 3 phase, 4 wire, 120/208 or 120/240 volts, is required to be certified as a Residential Electrician.

One who performs work installing the required panel boards and feeders for commercial tenant space in a multi-family/multi-use occupancies falling under subsection (1), where less than 50 percent of the first floor level is used for commercial tenant space, but not performing any tenant improvement for these spaces, is required to be certified as a Residential Electrician.

One who performs work for an electrical contractor involving the installation, construction or maintenance of systems as covered in Article 760 of the National Electrical Code, is required to be certified as a Fire/Life Safety Technician.

If you are the holder of a valid C-10 license and are working under that license, certification is not required. However, if you are performing covered electrical work not under your own valid license - for example, if your license is not in effect for some reason, or you are working under someone else's C-10 license - certification is required.

In order to apply for certification an applicant must show proof of the required experience as referenced in Title 8 section 291.1 Eligibility for Certification.

The certification deadline for general electricians (with the exception of apprentices enrolled in state-approved apprenticeship programs or enrolled as electrician trainees with a state-approved educational provider) and fire/life/safety certification was January 1st, 2006.
The deadline for residential electrician certification (with the exception of apprentices enrolled in state-approved apprenticeship programs or enrolled as electrician trainees with a state-approved educational provider) was January 1, 2007.
The deadline for voice-data-video (VDV) and non-residential lighting certification (with the exception of apprentices enrolled in state-approved apprenticeship programs or enrolled as electrician trainees with a state-approved educational provider) is January 1, 2009.

For detailed instructions on how to apply for California State Certification first print a copy of the Certification Application, then follow the instructions listed on the State of California Web Site.

When do I have to renew?
A certified electrician must renew his or her certification prior to the expiration date of his or her certification. In most cases, certification expires three years from the effective date.
However, if you became certified before it was mandatory, then the certification is treated as having become valid on the first anniversary of the certification date that falls after the certification deadline. For example, for those who were certified prior to the Dec. 31, 2005 deadline for general and fire/life/safety electricians, such as on November 1, 2005, his or her certification became valid on November 1, 2006 and the deadline to renew is November 1, 2009. The deadline for residential certification was December 31, 2006.
To find out what your expiration date is, click here to enter the Certification Number from your card in the Search field at the DAS website and click through to print the Verification statement to show the extended expiration date.

What are the requirements to renew?
To be eligible to apply for renewal of your certification, you must work 2,000 hours in the industry and take 32 hours of continuing education relevant to your category of certification that is being requested in order to renew. Those 2,000 hours in the industry and 32 hours of continuing education must have been completed within three years of the valid date of your certification.

Where can I take my 32 hours of continuing education?
A certified electrician can earn hours toward his or her 32-hour requirement by taking courses from an approved educational provider such as WECA-IEC.

Does WECA-IEC offer continuing education (CE) courses?
Yes, WECA-IEC offers a wide variety of CE courses, including class-room based and online classes, as well as courses available on CD-ROM. Click here to see a full catalog of the CE courses offered by WECA-IEC.

What courses qualify for my continuing education requirement?
Courses that are relevant to the category of electrician certification that is being requested to be renewed qualify for your CE requirement. Current certification categories include general, residential and fire/life/safety. Non-residential lighting and voice-data-video (VDV) categories will soon be available through the state.
Currently, all of WECA-IEC’s CE courses are relevant to both the general and residential categories.

How do I apply for renewal?
To renew your certification, complete and return a renewal application, with payment, to the DAS. On the application, you must show under penalty of perjury that you have worked 2,000 hours in the industry and taken 32 hours of continuing education relevant to the category of certification (general, residential or VDV). The DAS accepts payment only by check or money order payable to: DIR - Electrician Certification Fund. Payment must be included with your renewal form in order for you certification to be renewed.
Renewal applications will not be available from the DAS until Fall 2008. A link to the application form will be posted here as soon as it is available.

What kind of proof do I need to show I met the requirement of working 2,000 hours in the industry?
On the application form there will be a box to check stating you acquired 2,000 hours in the industry that you must sign under penalty of perjury.

What kind of proof do I need to show that I met the requirement of completing 32 hours of continuing education?
On the application form there will be a box to check stating you acquired 32 hours of continuing education that you must sign under penalty of perjury. WECA-IEC will also provide you with a certificate of completion for each CE course you take through our training program showing the hours you attended class, regardless of whether you pass or fail.

Who can I call if I have additional questions about renewing my certification?
If you have additional questions, please call us toll-free at (877) 444-9322, Monday – Thursday from 7AM to 6PM, or on Friday from 7AM to 5PM.

How do I request a replacement certification card if mine was lost or stolen?
A certified electrician who loses his or her card needs to fill out a request for a replacement card form and mail it to the address printed on the form. The cost is $30.00. Click here to download a request form.

There are currently 24 Exam sites located throughout the State. Click here to get directions to the exam locations >>

There are 100 questions on the General Electrician Exam and you have 4 hours to complete the exam. There are 75 questions on the Residential Electrician exam and you have 3 hours to complete the exam. There are 50 questions on the Fire/Life Safety Technician Exam and you have 2 hours to complete the exam. View a break down of the type of questions contained on each exam.

WECA-IEC offers a variety of classes to help Journeymen prepare to take and pass the State Certification Exam.  Results indicate that the vast majority of Journeymen who took the State Certification Exam after attending one of our classes, passed!  All Instructors have passed the Exam and are State Certified!

View current class offerings >>

Would you like to earn extra money working part-time and help out your fellow Journeymen at the same time?

WECA-IEC is seeking Journeymen who have passed the State Certification Exam to teach evening and weekend classes. WECA-IEC will provide training.

Get more information here >>

For more information on Electrician State Certification review the State of California Web Site Question & Answers.

Current List of California State Certified Electricians

The Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view some of the documents on this page. If you experience difficulty viewing these documents you may download the Adobe Acrobat Reader for free from the Adobe web site.