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United States · Licensing exam

What to bring to the electrician exam

Bring a valid government photo ID with your signature, in exactly the name your state has on file. California also wants a second ID. What else you can bring depends on the state. In Texas you bring your own NEC and calculator. In California you bring nothing else, because the code books and a calculator are on screen.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

ID rules in three states

StateWhat you need
Texas (PSI)1 valid government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID or passport, with your name, photo, signature or fingerprint, date of birth and expiration date. It must match what TDLR sent to PSI.
California (Pearson VUE)2 original IDs. One government-issued with your photo and signature. The second can be a signed bank card, employee ID or school ID. No photocopies or digital IDs.
Washington (PSI)1 valid, unexpired ID with your photo and signature, such as a driver’s license, state ID, passport or military ID, in your legal name.

If your ID doesn’t meet the rules, you won’t be let in and you’ll usually lose your exam fee. In California you’d also have to apply to the state again.

Your code book

  • Texas: bring a soft-bound copy of the NEC. Loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies aren’t allowed, and neither is the NEC Handbook.
  • Texas: you can highlight, underline and make notes before the exam, and use permanent tabs made by the publisher. Homemade tabs aren’t allowed, and you can’t mark the book during the exam.
  • California: don’t bring any books. The 2023 NEC, NFPA 70E and the Cal/OSHA pocket guide open on screen, and you can search them.
  • Washington: you can bring original published books, including ones with questions and answers, with permanent tabs. State law printouts are allowed in a binder.

Calculators

Texas allows only silent, battery-powered, non-programmable calculators with no paper tape and no letter keys. Washington allows a silent, non-printing, non-programmable calculator, and may hand you one of theirs if yours is in doubt.

California doesn’t allow your own calculator. You use the one built into the exam screen.

Leave at home

Phones, smart watches, bags, notes and food all go in a locker or back to your car. Friends and family can’t wait inside the test center. Arrive 30 minutes early in all three states, because if you’re late you can be turned away and lose your fee.

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Everything else, in one place

OverviewElectrician examCostHow much does it cost to get an electrician license?OnlineCan you become an electrician online?Study guideElectrician exam study guide: the NEC and your state bulletinPractice testElectrician practice testWhere to learnWhere to learn for the electrician exam
Sources: TDLR, PSI, Pearson VUE / CPS HR and 1 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.