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Take a sample certification test
WECA 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
Who Is Required To Be Certified?
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.
Qualifications to Apply For Certification
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.
Deadline to Be Certified
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.
How to Apply
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.
How to Renew your Certification
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.
Click here to download a renewal form.
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.
Does WECA offer continuing education (CE) courses?
Yes, WECA 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.
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’s CE courses are relevant to both the general and residential categories.
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?
The renewal form includes instructions to attach
Certificate(s) of Completion
for your required 32 hours of continuing education.
WECA will 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.
What
happens if I submit an old version of the
certification renewal form?
DAS will accept older versions of the renewal
form as long as the applicant submits the form with
the required Certificate(s) of Completion for the
required 32 hours of continuing education.
When will DAS stop accepting renewals that do not
have Certificates of Completion attached?
DAS currently requires proof of completion of 32
hours of continuing education even if the applicant
uses an older version of the form that does not
indicate proof of completion must be attached. The
renewal application will be rejected by DAS if no
proof is attached.
What do I need to do if my card has expired??
If your
card has expired, you must complete and submit
a new application for
certification and examination with
the associated fees to the state and re-take the
exam. After your certification has expired you
will not be recognized as a certified journeyman
electrician and must
register as an electrician trainee with the
state in order to legally work as an electrician in
California during the gap between your expiration
date and the date you re-take and pass the exam.
What date does DAS use to
process renewals to ensure that a certified
electrician’s renewal is not expired?
The certification expiration date is the date the
card expires.
If the renewal application is
submitted on or before the expiration date, what
date will be use to determine if the application is
accepted or rejected?
DAS considers the postmarked date on the envelope
for renewal applications mailed to their office.
Renewal applications submitted prior to or on the
date of expiration will be accepted.
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 to Request a Replacement Certification Card
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.
How to
File a Complaint with DAS
As of July 1, 2009 the Contractors State License
Board (CSLB) is responsible for enforcing the
Electrician Certification law (Labor Code 3099.2).
Any complaints about violations should be sent to
the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS);
complaints received by the DAS regarding the
violation(s) of this Labor Code will be forwarded to
the CSLB.
How to Search for Registered
Apprentices, Trainees and Certified Journeymen
If you need to verify if an individual is
not a registered apprentice or a certified
electrician or an electrician trainee, visit one
of the DAS sites below:
How to File a Complaint
If you would like to file a complaint after
checking on one of the above sites, complete and
submit the complaint form below with as much
information as you have about the complaint.
Once completed, print out and send the signed
form along with any corroborating documentation
in support of your complaint to the DAS at the
contact information given at the bottom of this
article.
Send complaint form to the:
Department of Industrial Relations
Division of Apprenticeship Standards
Electrician Certification Unit
Attn: Luisa Martinez
P.O. Box 420603
San Francisco, CA 94142
Exam Locations
There are currently 24
Exam sites located throughout the State. Click here to get directions to the exam locations >>
Exam Content
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.
The 1999 and 2002 NEC Code Books are currently available at the testing sites for use by those taking the test.
Testing using the 1999 NEC Code Book will be available until June 2007, at which time testing will begin using the
2002 code book. For more details on exam content, those scheduled to take the exam should review the Candidate
Information Bulletin attached to their exam letter for the Exam content outline in the beginning pages.
PSI Services, LLC is the proctor administering the electrician certification exam for the state of California.
Visit their website to learn more about
the specifics of the exam, or contact them by phone at
(800) 733-9267.
Journeyman Certification Exam Prep
Classes
WECA 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 >>
Journeyman Instructors Needed
Would you like to earn extra money working part-time and
help out your fellow Journeymen at the same time?
WECA is seeking Journeymen who have passed the State Certification Exam to teach evening and weekend classes.
WECA will provide training.
Get more information here >>
Additional Information
For more
information on Electrician State Certification review the State of California
Web Site Question & Answers.
Current California Certified Electricians
Current List of California State Certified Electricians
Electrician Certification Program Statistics
Electrician Certification Program Statistics from the DAS.
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