CALIFORNIA · electrician
C-10 Electrical Contractor
California Contractors State License Board →Scope of Work
A C-10 Electrical Contractor places, installs, erects, or connects electrical wires, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduits, solar photovoltaic cells, or any part that generates, transmits, transforms, or utilizes electrical energy. Source: CSLB Licensing Classifications Detail, C-10 (https://www.cslb.ca.gov/about_us/library/licensing_classifications/Licensing_Classifications_Detail.aspx?Class=C10).
Experience and Training
4 years (at least 8,000 hours) of full-time, journey-level experience in the electrical trade within the last 10 years, documented on CSLB Form 13A-11 by a qualified verifier (supervisor, employer, or tradesperson familiar with the work). CSLB accepts a mix of direct journey-level work and documented apprenticeship or technical training toward the 4-year total, with apprenticeship or schooling counting up to 3 years (6,000 hours) depending on the credential. Verify current substitution rules on the CSLB Application for Original Contractor License.
Military Crosswalk
CSLB participates in the California military waiver for spouses, and credits verified military service for applicable experience under Business and Professions Code § 115.4 and § 115.5. Military applicants upload a DD Form 214 (or equivalent) and the CSLB Military Service and Waiver of Application Fee form.
Exam
2 exams: (1) Law and Business, and (2) C-10 Trade. Both are administered by CSLB at testing centers. The Trade exam covers grounding and bonding, branch circuits and feeders, services and service equipment, motors and controls, transformers, raceways and boxes, conductor sizing and installation, and the California Electrical Code (CEC) based on the current NFPA 70 NEC adoption. The passing score and item count are posted on the current C-10 exam bulletin. Verify current exam and application fee on the CSLB fee schedule.
Reciprocity
CSLB has written reciprocity agreements with Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and North Carolina. Qualifiers from these states may apply for reciprocal classification without taking the Trade exam if they have held the equivalent classification in the reciprocal state for at least 5 of the past 7 years. Source: CSLB Reciprocity (https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Applicants/Reciprocity/).
Renewal and CE
Active licenses renew every 2 years. Sole-owner active renewal is $450 (2026). Non-sole-owner active renewal is $700. Delinquent renewal fees ($675 sole, $1,050 non-sole) apply after expiration, with a 90-day reinstatement window for retroactive renewal under SB 1474. CSLB does not require continuing education for license renewal; asbestos open-book certification is required after initial licensure. Source: CSLB General Renewal Information (https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Maintain_License/Renew_License/General_Renewal_Information.aspx).
Scope Limitations
A C-10 credential is issued to a business or qualifying individual, not a worker. It authorizes the licensee to contract for, bid, and pull permits for electrical work in California. Employees of a C-10 firm must be registered as Electrician Trainees or hold the appropriate Electrician Certification (General, Residential, Fire/Life Safety, Non-Residential Lighting, or Voice-Data-Video) under the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement program; the C-10 firm does not authorize individuals to work unsupervised outside that certification framework. Any work performed while the license is expired is considered unlicensed.
Reciprocity
Accepts from: AZ, LA, MS, NV, NC