To be able to renew your certificate (also known as your license), you must have at least 8 hours of approved continuing education classes for each year of the prior certification period. The classes can be taken in separate years or all in one year. What does this mean?
For example, Joe got his EL01 certificate in November 2020. His certificate expires in June 2023. From 2020 to 2023, it counts as 3 years, so he has to complete 24 hours (8 hours per year x 3 years) of continuing education units (CEUs) before he can renew his certificate.
Now, there are some restrictions on what types of classes are absolutely required in those 24 hours of CEUs:
- 8 hours must be on the currently adopted National Electrical Code (NEC)
- 4 hours must be on the currently adopted Chapter 19.28 RCW and/or its related WAC 296-46B
That leaves 12 hours of any other approved classes that Joe can take. Joe can complete all 24 hours of CEUs in 2022, or he can complete some of the hours in 2021, some in 2022, and some before June 2023.