Transferring hours from CHI to WA

[dreasak]

Hi all, I've been in a trade for the last 4 years, I worked in Chicago so I didn't have to have any kind of licence because i did my work for a licensed company, now as I am moving to Seattle in a month or so I obviously will need them. All those years I've been working as an independent contractor (I had and still have my dba type company, work comp, liability insurance and everything). So my question now is if it will be possible to transfer my hours to Washington? My boss agreed to write me notarized letter stating number of hours worked, copy of his license and everything, but one of the requirements is to provide a payroll information. I always got checks written to my company name (which is pretty much my name plus word 'services'), I paid taxes based on that but I have never been on actual payroll. So do you think it will be possible to get my hours transferred with this type of previous work experience? Or should I get my license here first and try to transfer it later?

 

[bullheimer]

good luck. might work, might not. i think it will. i think they mainly go by the hours you worked.

best get giggy widdit home fries. WA passed a law that says in something like 2020 you will no longer be able to count ANY HOURS that were not done while working in an actual apprenticeship program!!!!

 

[PaulMmn]

If you have time before your move, get your license now. That locks in any hours requirement, that may or may not be honored in Washington.

 

[tom baker]

good luck. might work, might not. i think it will. i think they mainly go by the hours you worked.

best get giggy widdit home fries. WA passed a law that says in something like 2020 you will no longer be able to count ANY HOURS that were not done while working in an actual apprenticeship program!!!!

Not Quite!!!!
Since 2007, electrical trainees are required to have Basic Classroom Electrical training to be eligible to take the electrical exam, for Journeylevel, its 96 hours. A few years later a change was made to require the same for anyone coming from out of state. About 200 electricians want to get certified from out of state each year, and they need those 96 hours of BCET.
If you are a graduate of an apprenticeship program, that's accepted and you need to apply to test.
If you can get a license in Chicago that would help a lot. WA has restarted reciprocal licensing, but not all states are equal. WA looks over the documentation very carefully on becoming eligible to test as there is a lot to gain with the license and tends to be fraud.
Starting July 2023 anyone wanting to take the Journeylevel exam will be need to be a graduate of a recognized apprenticeship program.
I support this due to the poor first time pass rate of on the job trainees (55% for journeylevel, 22% for residential). The basic classroom training requirements have not made much difference.

So, if you need 96 hours, there are many training providers who do classes weekly, you should be able to get the 96 hours in two weeks, if your brain and bottom can take that.

 

[tom baker]

Here is the link to the classroom education providers, there are 37 pages, and like I send there are many providers who do classes during the week.
http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Electrical/files/edclass/BasicTraineeClassroomEducation.pdf