Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Labor & Workplace Standards Committee
SSB 5265
Brief Description: Expanding minimum requirements for electrical inspectors to include certain out-of-state experience.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce (originally sponsored by Senators King, Boehnke, Chapman, Dozier and Harris).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Expands electrical inspector licensing requirements to allow for experience from certain other states.
Hearing Date: 3/19/25
Staff: Jim Morishima (786-7191).
Background:

Subject to certain exceptions, a person performing installation, alteration or maintenance of any electrical system or equipment must obtain an electrical work permit.  The completed work is subject to inspection by a qualified inspector.  The Department of Labor and Industries (Department) conducts electrical inspections, except within cities that have their own inspection programs.

 

All electrical inspectors must have:

  • four years of experience as journey-level electricians in the electrical construction trade installing and maintaining electrical wiring equipment; or
  • four years experience as a journey-level electrician performing the duties of an electrical inspector employed by the Department or a city or town with an approved inspection program.

 

Other requirements apply to work performed in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code.

 

Pursuant to legislation enacted in 2024, the Department and the Association of Washington Cities convened a work group to study alternate pathways to becoming an electrical inspector.  The work group recommended that out-of-state experience be accepted to qualify as an electrical inspector and for the rate of pay for local electrical inspectors to be increased.
Summary of Bill:

The qualifications for electrical inspectors are expanded to include individuals who have:

  • a journey-level electrician certificate issued by the Department of Labor and Industries (Department); and
  • eight years of experience in the electrical construction trade installing and maintaining electrical wiring and equipment, four years of which occurred after obtaining a journey-level electrician license or certificate by examination from another state electrical licensing or certification authority that has a reciprocal licensing agreement with the Department for journey-level electricians.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.