Checked against primary sources 2026-09-05

What you pay, and when

California Electrician Fees: Certification and Renewal

There are two fee schedules in California, one for the certification card and one for the contractor license. This page prints both, with the rule or the page that sets each figure.

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Certification fees, set by rule

CCR Title 8 section 292.0 sets the base figures: $75 for the initial application, $100 for taking or retaking the examination, $100 to renew a certification, and $25 to register as an Electrician Trainee Registrant.

The unit's fee page adds two more: $200 to renew a lapsed or expired certification card, and $30 for a lost, stolen or replacement card.

What you actually mail

The application instructions print the packaged amounts, which is what most people need: $175 for a single exam, $275 for two exams, $375 for three, $100 for a re-test, $100 if you fail to appear, and $30 per card for a lost or stolen replacement.

The FAQ breaks the $175 down as the $100 exam fee plus $75 administration, and calls it non refundable. Checks are payable to the DIR Electrician Certification Fund, and no application is accepted for processing without all required fees.

The three year renewal cycle

Section 291.5 says certification is renewed every three years. Two things go with the $100: 32 hours of further electrical education from an Educational Provider or from a state or federally approved apprenticeship program, and a declaration under penalty of perjury that you worked in the industry 2,000 hours within the previous three years.

Renewal applications must be postmarked or received 30 days before the certification period ends. The unit answers within 30 days, and a timely renewal card arrives in about two weeks.

Letting the card lapse

The rule is blunt. An individual who allows certification to lapse is required to retake the certification examination.

The renewal form prices that path at a $200 exam fee to retake after a lapse or after failing to meet the renewal requirements, and the fee page lists the lapsed or expired renewal at $200. Money aside, you are back in a testing seat.

Replacement cards and address changes

A replacement card is $30. Section 291.5 sets it as 30 percent of the renewal fee in section 292.0(c), which is the same $30 by arithmetic, so the rule and the fee page agree.

The form for a replacement card or an address change is on the unit's forms page, alongside the application, the retest application and the renewal form.

Trainee fees

$25 once, by check payable to DIR - Electrician Certification Fund, mailed with proof of enrollment in a state approved school.

Annual renewal of the trainee registration asks for current enrollment verification and an unofficial transcript, and the state FAQ says there is no trainee renewal fee.

C-10 contractor fees

The Contractors State License Board fee list sets an original application in one classification at $450, and an initial license fee of $200 for a sole owner or $350 for anyone else. An additional classification is $150 during the original application or $230 later, and replacing the qualifier is $230.

• Active timely renewal, sole owner: $450, and $470 for C-10.
• Active timely renewal, other than sole owner: $700, and $720 for C-10.
• Active delinquent, sole owner: $675, and $695 for C-10.
• Active delinquent, other than sole owner: $1,050, and $1,070 for C-10.
• Inactive timely: $300 sole owner, $500 otherwise. Inactive delinquent: $450 and $750.

License reactivation is $450 for a sole owner and $700 otherwise. A certified license history is $67 per name, a business name change $100, a duplicate certificate $25 and a status letter $8.

The contractor renewal clock

Active licenses expire every two years and inactive licenses every four. A contractor gets 90 days after expiration, under Senate Bill 1474, to file a completed renewal application with fees and be reinstated retroactively.

The Board's renewal page names no continuing education requirement, so the contractor renewal is a fee and a form rather than a class.

Questions people ask

How much is the California electrician certification application?

$175 for a single exam, made up of a $100 exam fee and a $75 application fee. Two exams cost $275 and three cost $375. Checks go to the DIR Electrician Certification Fund and the fees are not refundable.

How much does it cost to renew a California electrician certification?

$100 every three years, with 32 hours of further electrical education and a declaration that you worked 2,000 hours in the industry over the previous three years. A lapsed or expired card costs $200 to renew.

What happens if my electrician certification expires?

CCR Title 8 section 291.5 requires anyone who allows certification to lapse to retake the certification examination. The renewal form prices the retake at a $200 exam fee, so the cost is both money and time.

When is the renewal due?

The renewal application must be postmarked or received 30 days before your certification period ends. The unit responds within 30 days and a timely renewal card arrives in about two weeks.

How much is a replacement electrician card in California?

$30. Section 291.5 sets the replacement fee at 30 percent of the renewal fee, and the unit's fee page prints $30 for a lost, stolen or replacement card.

Why is the C-10 renewal higher than other classifications?

The Board's fee list shows C-10 renewals $20 above the same renewals in other classifications, which is where the electrician certification surcharge appears. Active timely renewal is $470 for a sole owner and $720 for anyone else.

What this page cites

• CCR Title 8 section 292.0 Sets the application, examination, renewal and trainee registration fees. source
• ECU fee page Adds the lapsed renewal fee and the replacement card fee to the figures in the rule. source
• ECU application instructions Prints the packaged amounts for one, two and three exams and names the payee for checks. source
• CCR Title 8 section 291.5 Sets the three year renewal, the education and work requirements and the rule for a lapsed card. source
• CSLB fee list Prints the contractor application, initial license and renewal fees, including the C-10 figures. source
• CSLB renewal information States the two year active cycle and the 90 day retroactive reinstatement window. source