Transfer Your Electrician License to Washington: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my electrician license transfer to Washington?
Washington grants journeyman reciprocity to electricians licensed by examination in 1 named partner state (Oregon). Come from one of them and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program waives its journeyman exam once you show a license held at least a year and can document 8000 hours of experience; come from anywhere else and you apply and sit the exam. Washington waives its (01) general journey level exam only for eligible Oregon licensees; applicants from every other state must meet Washington's 8,000-hour experience and classroom requirements and pass the Washington (01) examination. Fee: $114.60 ($114.60 reciprocal application fee ($44.20 non-refundable after submission); paid by check or money order (no online payment)).
Moving to Washington from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Reciprocity with 1 state
Washington's reciprocity is a bilateral list, and the list governs — not your years on the tools. If your license comes from a state Washington names below and you earned it by exam, the journeyman exam is waived; if it does not, no amount of experience substitutes for sitting the test. Two cautions specific to electrical reciprocity: the list is directional (it names who Washington accepts, which says nothing about the reverse), and a license you were grandfathered into rather than examined for is generally not eligible.
Washington's only electrician reciprocity is a bilateral agreement with Oregon, and only for exam-based Oregon General Journeyman (J) or Supervising Electrician licenses - it does not run NERA-style multistate journeyman reciprocity. Washington's canonical trade credential is the (01) General Journey Level Electrician certificate; it does not issue a standalone statewide 'master electrician' license (electrical contractors instead designate an electrical administrator/master electrician), and reciprocity cannot be used to obtain any master-level certificate.
Washington requirements at a glance
| Experience hours | 8,000 hours of documented experience for the journeyman license |
|---|---|
| Fees | $114.60 ($114.60 reciprocal application fee ($44.20 non-refundable after submission); paid by check or money order (no online payment)) |
| Processing time | L&I does not publish a decision timeframe for reciprocal certificates |
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current Oregon General Journeyman (J) license earned through an Oregon 8,000-hour apprenticeship, or an Oregon Supervising Electrician License, obtained by Oregon examination.
- The Oregon license must be current and active with no violations or conditions within the past 3 years.
- Must never have held a Washington (01) certificate and must not have failed a Washington (01) exam in the last 2 years.
- License verification (Part C) must be completed by the Oregon Building Codes Division.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Washington:
Nearby states
Electrician license transfer into the states bordering Washington:
Washington for other professions
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Frequently asked questions
Which states does Washington have electrician reciprocity with?
Oregon (1 state, verified 2026-07-21 against the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) - Electrical Program). The list is bilateral, so a state Washington recognizes does not necessarily recognize Washington in return.
How many experience hours does Washington require?
8000 hours of documented on-the-job experience for the journeyman license; out-of-state hours generally count toward this minimum.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- WA L&I - Electrician (licensing, exams, education) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WA L&I - Application for a Reciprocal 01 General Journey Level Electrician Certificate (F500-148-000) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com