Checked against primary sources 2026-09-05

The whole site

Every Page on This Site, Grouped

Every California page here, in the order you meet it: what the state licenses, the exams and their format, the code edition in force, your city, and the free practice.

How this is organized

Each page below cites the rule, the statute section or the bulletin its numbers come from. Where sources disagree, the page says so instead of picking one.

The path

• California Electrician Questions - Answered and Cited

  Twenty California electrician questions answered in the words people search, each one tied to the state rule, the DIR page or the CSLB page behind it.

• California Electrician Trainee Registration - Step by Step

  The California electrician trainee registration costs $25, needs enrollment in a state approved school, and is how most people start the 8,000 hour clock.

• How to Become an Electrician in California - Step by Step

  How to become an electrician in California: get hired by a C-10 contractor, register as a trainee, build 8,000 hours, pass the certification exam.

• California Electrician License - Certification and C-10

  A California electrician license is really two things: a state certification card for the worker from DIR, and a C-10 contractor license from CSLB.

• California Electrician Hours - 8,000 for General Class

  California electrician hours by classification: 8,000 for General, 4,800 Residential, 4,000 for the two technician cards and 2,000 for lighting.

The licenses

• C-10 Contractor License California - Experience and Exams

  The C-10 electrical contractor license in California takes four years of experience, two exams, a $25,000 bond and workers compensation coverage.

• California Journeyman Electrician - The General Card

  California issues no journeyman electrician license. The General Electrician certification is the equivalent: 8,000 hours, a 100 question exam, 70 percent.

• California Electrician Certification Types - All Five

  The five California electrician certification types, what each one lets you work on, the hours behind it and the exam that goes with it.

Rules and money

• California Electrician Continuing Education - 32 Hours

  California electrician continuing education is 32 hours every three years, from an approved provider or apprenticeship program, plus 2,000 work hours.

• California Electrician Fees - Certification and Renewal

  Every California electrician fee in one place: $175 to apply and test, $25 for a trainee, $100 to renew every three years, and the C-10 figures.

• California Electrician License Reciprocity - What Counts

  California electrician license reciprocity does not exist for the state certification. CSLB has contractor agreements with five states, on conditions.

• California Electrician License Lookup - How to Verify

  How to run a California electrician license lookup: the DIR certification search for cards and trainees, and the CSLB check for contractor licenses.

The exam

• California Electrician Exam Questions - Answered, Cited

  Twenty questions about the California electrician exam and the code, each answered in a few sentences and cited to DIR, CSLB or the candidate bulletin.

• California Electrician Exam Book Rules - None Brought In

  California electrician exam book rules: the 2023 NEC is supplied on screen, you may not bring your own reference materials, and tabbing rules don't apply.

• California C-10 Electrical Contractor Exam - CSLB Rules

  The California C-10 exam is two closed book papers at CSLB, Law and Business plus the trade exam, each 3 hours 30 minutes, booked through PSI.

• California Electrician Exam Content - The Percentages

  California electrician exam content outlines for all five DIR certifications, with the published percentages and the code articles each area sits on.

• California Fire Life Safety Exam - 50 Questions, 70%

  The California Fire/Life Safety Technician exam is 50 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes at 70 percent, with NFPA 72 and NFPA 170 supplied on screen.

• California General Electrician Exam - 100 Questions, 70%

  The California General Electrician exam is 100 questions in 4 hours 30 minutes with a 70 percent pass mark, and the code book is supplied on screen.

• California Nonresidential Lighting Exam - 50 Questions

  The California Nonresidential Lighting Technician exam is 50 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes at 70 percent, built on 2,000 hours of lighting work.

• California Residential Electrician Exam - 80 Questions

  The California Residential Electrician exam runs 80 questions in 3 hours 30 minutes at a 70 percent pass mark, on 4,800 hours of dwelling work.

• Failed the California Electrician Exam - Retakes and Wait

  Failed the California electrician exam? Wait 60 days from the day you sat it, file the retest application and pay $100. The one year window keeps running.

• California Electrician Exam Day - What to Bring and Do

  What to bring to the California electrician exam: two original IDs, names matching your registration, thirty minutes early, and no books of your own.

• California Voice Data Video Exam - 50 Questions, 70%

  The California Voice Data Video Technician exam is 50 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes at 70 percent, with the BICSI installation manual supplied on screen.

• Which NEC Edition Is on the California Exam - 2023 NEC

  The California electrician certification exam supplies the 2023 NEC on screen. Here's what that means and which section numbers differ in the 2026 book.

The code

• California 2028 Electrical Code - The 2026 NEC Cycle

  California's 2027 Triennial Cycle will adopt the 2026 NEC into the 2028 Title 24, effective January 1, 2029. Here's the timeline and what moves.

• California Electrical Code Amendments - Title 24 Part 3

  California electrical code amendments live in Title 24 Part 3, on top of the 2023 NEC. Here's what the amendment layer is and where local rules add more.

• California Electrical Code - Which NEC Edition Applies

  The 2025 California Electrical Code took effect January 1, 2026 and is built on the 2023 NEC. Title 24 Part 3 is the document, and here's the history.

Your city

• Fresno CA Electrician License - Classes and Exam Center

  A Fresno electrician license is the state certification card. Here are the IBEW 100 training institute, WECA, the college, the test center and local pay.

• Long Beach CA Electrician License - Classes and Exams

  A Long Beach electrician license is the state certification card. Here are Long Beach City College, the county rules, the exam sites and local pay.

• Los Angeles CA Electrician License - Classes and Exams

  A Los Angeles electrician license is a state certification card, plus a C-10 for contractors. Here are the training programs, exam sites and local pay.

• Oakland CA Electrician License - Classes and Exam Center

  An Oakland electrician license is the state certification card. Here are the Alameda County JATC, Laney College, ABC NorCal, exam sites and East Bay pay.

• Sacramento CA Electrician License - Classes and Exams

  A Sacramento electrician license is the state certification card. Here are the IBEW 340 training center, WECA, American River College and local pay.

• San Diego CA Electrician License - Classes and Exam Site

  A San Diego electrician license means a state certification card, and a C-10 for contractors. Here are the local programs, test center and local pay.

• San Francisco CA Electrician License - Classes and Exam

  A San Francisco electrician license is the state card, plus city contractor registration to file permits. Here are the programs, the exams and local pay.

• San Jose CA Electrician License - Classes and Exam Site

  A San Jose electrician license is the state certification card. Here are the IBEW 332 apprenticeship, the approved schools, the test center and local pay.

Study

• California Electrician Exam Study Plan - Eight Weeks

  An eight week California electrician exam study plan built on the published outline weights, the on screen 2023 NEC and free timed practice.

• California Electrician Practice Questions - Free by Topic

  Free California electrician practice questions by topic, with the working and the section shown on every miss, plus a timed practice test and the labs.

• California Electrician Exam Tools - Calculators and Labs

  Free California electrician exam tools: eight calculators, six games, four labs and five drills, each showing the working and naming the code section.

Practice

• California Electrician Practice Test, Free and Timed

  Thirty free practice questions, timed and scored by content area, with the arithmetic worked out on every miss and the code section named.

• California Electrician Practice Questions by Topic

  Fifty four free question sets, twenty five questions each, every answer opening with the code section it comes from.

• Diagnostic - California Electrician Prep

  24 questions, then the two areas to work on. Free, no account, and every answer names the section it comes from.

• Where does it live? - California Electrician Prep

  Name the article, against the clock. Free, no account, and every answer names the section it comes from.

• Question of the day - California Electrician Prep

  One a day, with a streak. Free, no account, and every answer names the section it comes from.

• Spot the violation - California Electrician Prep

  A drawn scene, find what is wrong. Free, no account, and every answer names the section it comes from.

• Calculation ladder - California Electrician Prep

  Eight rungs, ten problems each. Free, no account, and every answer names the section it comes from.

• Method calculators - California Electrician Prep

  You type the table values in. Free, no account, and every answer names the section it comes from.

• Agricultural buildings questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on agricultural buildings, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Ampacity derating questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on ampacity derating, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Appliances and water heaters questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on appliances and water heaters, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Box fill questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on box fill, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Boxes and conduit bodies questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on boxes and conduit bodies, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Branch circuit ratings questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on branch circuit ratings, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Branch circuits questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on branch circuits, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Cable types questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on cable types, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Conduit fill questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on conduit fill, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Continuous loads questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on continuous loads, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Disconnecting means questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on disconnecting means, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Enclosure types questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on enclosure types, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Equipment grounding conductor questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on equipment grounding conductor, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Expansion fittings questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on expansion fittings, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Feeders questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on feeders, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Gfci afci locations questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on gfci afci locations, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Grounding electrode conductor questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on grounding electrode conductor, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Grounding electrodes questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on grounding electrodes, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Grounding vs bonding questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on grounding vs bonding, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Hazardous locations questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on hazardous locations, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Health care questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on health care, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Hvac circuits questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on hvac circuits, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Location types questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on location types, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Luminaires and closets questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on luminaires and closets, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Marinas questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on marinas, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Motor calculations questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on motor calculations, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Motor feeder sizing questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on motor feeder sizing, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Motor overload protection questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on motor overload protection, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Multiwire branch circuits questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on multiwire branch circuits, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Neutral current carrying questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on neutral current carrying, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Neutral ground bond questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on neutral ground bond, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Ohms law questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on ohms law, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Overcurrent small conductors questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on overcurrent small conductors, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Panelboards questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on panelboards, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Parallel conductors questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on parallel conductors, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Photovoltaic systems questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on photovoltaic systems, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Physical damage questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on physical damage, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Pools and spas questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on pools and spas, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Power calculations questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on power calculations, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Receptacle spacing questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on receptacle spacing, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Receptacle types questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on receptacle types, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Separately derived systems questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on separately derived systems, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Series parallel questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on series parallel, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Services questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on services, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Support and securing questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on support and securing, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Switches questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on switches, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Tap rules questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on tap rules, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Temporary installations questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on temporary installations, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Termination temperature questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on termination temperature, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Transformer calculations questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on transformer calculations, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Underground burial questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on underground burial, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Voltage drop questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on voltage drop, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Wiring methods questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on wiring methods, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

• Working space questions - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty five free practice questions on working space, each answer opening with the section it comes from.

Tools

• California Electrician Hours Calculator - 8,000 Hours

  California electrician hours calculator. Put in the hours you have worked for a C-10 contractor and it gives the day each certification opens.

• Which California Electrician License Do You Need? Free Router

  Answer two questions and see which California electrician credential your situation points at, with the hours, the exam, the fees and the trap on that route.

• Voltage drop calculator - California Electrician Prep

  Table 8 built in, both methods. Free, with the method written out and the section named.

• Conduit fill calculator - California Electrician Prep

  Tables 1, 4 and 5 built in. Free, with the method written out and the section named.

• Box fill calculator - California Electrician Prep

  Every box in Table 314.16(A). Free, with the method written out and the section named.

• Wire size calculator - California Electrician Prep

  Load to conductor, with the steps. Free, with the method written out and the section named.

• Ampacity calculator - California Electrician Prep

  Correction, adjustment, termination cap. Free, with the method written out and the section named.

• Motor calculator - California Electrician Prep

  FLC, conductors, overload, device. Free, with the method written out and the section named.

• Transformer calculator - California Electrician Prep

  kVA to amps and the device. Free, with the method written out and the section named.

• Ohm's law calculator - California Electrician Prep

  Any two values give the other two. Free, with the method written out and the section named.

• Ampacity sprint - California Electrician Prep

  Table 310.16 against the clock. Free, against the clock, with the section behind every prompt.

• Wire size sprint - California Electrician Prep

  Table 310.16 in reverse. Free, against the clock, with the section behind every prompt.

• Code navigation race - California Electrician Prep

  Name the chapter, article or section. Free, against the clock, with the section behind every prompt.

• Definitions flashcards - California Electrician Prep

  Article 100 terms, spaced out. Free, against the clock, with the section behind every prompt.

• Which table? - California Electrician Prep

  A job, four tables, one right book page. Free, against the clock, with the section behind every prompt.

• Grounding, bonding, or both - California Electrician Prep

  Twenty-four items, three buckets. Free, against the clock, with the section behind every prompt.

Labs

• California Electrician Labs, Bend, Wire and Build

  Four free hands-on labs: bend EMT, wire a three way, fill a box and build a grounding electrode system, with the section named on every line.

• Conduit bending simulator - California Electrician Prep

  Offsets, saddles and 90s, worked live. Free, and the rule is named on every move you make.

• Switch wiring lab - California Electrician Prep

  3-way and 4-way, drag the wires. Free, and the rule is named on every move you make.

• Box fill lab - California Electrician Prep

  Drop conductors in and watch it fill. Free, and the rule is named on every move you make.

• Grounding electrode lab - California Electrician Prep

  Build it, bond it, size the GEC. Free, and the rule is named on every move you make.

• Conduit bending math - California Electrician Prep

  The multipliers, worked in prose. The method in prose, with the section behind each step.

• 3-way switch wiring - California Electrician Prep

  What each conductor is doing. The method in prose, with the section behind each step.

• 4-way switch wiring - California Electrician Prep

  The switch in the middle. The method in prose, with the section behind each step.

Study

• Ampacity derating - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on ampacity derating, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Box fill - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on box fill, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Conduit fill - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on conduit fill, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Grounding electrode conductor - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on grounding electrode conductor, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Grounding vs bonding - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on grounding vs bonding, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Motor feeder sizing - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on motor feeder sizing, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Motor overload protection - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on motor overload protection, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Neutral ground bond - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on neutral ground bond, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Power calculations - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on power calculations, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Termination temperature - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on termination temperature, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.

• Voltage drop - California Electrician Prep

  The study page on voltage drop, written to the 2026 numbering with the edition California tests on named at the top.