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How many continuing education hours does a Washington electrician need?

If you work in Washington as an electrician or electrical administrator, the rule asks for eight hours of approved continuing education (CE) for each year of your prior certification period. Over a full 3 years that is 24 hours, with at least 8 on code changes and 4 on electrical laws and rules.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
24 hours of approved CE in the 3 years between renewalsL&I names electricians and electrical administrators.
Verified. lni.wa.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Valid for
The certificate is renewed every 3 years and expires on your birthdateL&I's electrician page gives this renewal cycle for the certificate.
Verified. lni.wa.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Rule
8 hours on current NEC changes, 4 on RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B, 12 on other coursesThe other 12 hours can come from any course on L&I's CE tab.
Same source and date as above
Hours per year
Eight hours of approved CE for each year of the prior certification periodYou do not have to spread the classes across separate years.
Verified. app.leg.wa.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check that you hold an electrician or electrical administrator certificate. Both need eight hours of approved CE for each year of the prior certification period, or 24 hours over a full 3 years between renewals. An electrician certificate is renewed every 3 years and expires on your birthdate.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course from L&I's CE list. Courses are good for 3 years from approval, so check that a course will not expire before you finish it.

  3. Step 3. Take 8 hours on currently adopted National Electrical Code changes and 4 hours on electrical laws and rules, RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B. In a full 3-year period, the remaining 12 hours can be any other course on the CE list. The rule gives no credit for the same approved class taken more than once.

  4. Step 4. Check that your credit posted. Providers must send L&I a finalized roster within 7 days of the course completion date. Use L&I's Verify tool to see your approved credit, and contact your provider if credit is missing.

Before you pay

We haven’t confirmed any course price. Before you pay, check the course's expiry date on L&I's list and ask which hours count as NEC changes or laws and rules. Ask when the provider will send the roster.

Questions

Do wellness classes count?

Some do. No more than 4 hours of industry related CE credit is allowed for behavioral health and wellness training. That training does not count toward trainee BCI requirements.

Can an NEC course expire early?

Yes. L&I approves courses for 3 years, but NEC code update courses can expire in less than 3 years if a later edition of the NEC becomes effective.

What if my last certificate period was shorter than 3 years?

The rule counts any portion of a year of a prior certificate period as one full year toward the eight hours a year it requires.

I hold both an electrician and an administrator certificate. Do I take the classes twice?

No. A person with both certificates may use the same class to fulfill the continuing education requirements for each.

What if I am an electrician not working in Washington?

You can pay your renewal fee without completing the education. That places your electrician certificate into inactive status until you meet the education requirements or it expires.

What if my electrician certificate has expired?

If it expired more than 90 days ago, it cannot be renewed, and retesting is your only option.

What to do next

Start with the L&I continuing education page. Check your certificate type there before you pay for a course.

lni.wa.gov

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