What Is Washington Specialty 07D?

Washington WAC identifies Appliance Repair as specialty 07D. The scope is limited to servicing, maintaining, repairing, or replacing household appliances, small commercial or industrial appliances, and other small electrical utilization equipment.

The word small matters because Washington places clear electrical limits on the equipment. The appliance or utilization equipment must be self-contained, built to standardized sizes or types, and connected as one unit to a single electrical source within the specialty's voltage, current, and phase limits.

The Main Electrical Limit Is 250 Volts, 60 Amps, Single Phase

Washington limits qualifying 07D appliances and electrical utilization equipment to a single electrical power source with a maximum rating of 250 volts, 60 amperes, single phase.

Examples of Appliances and Equipment Inside the Scope

Washington's rule gives examples of equipment that can fit within the 07D specialty when the equipment also meets the electrical limits and other scope conditions.

• Ovens
• Office equipment
• Vehicle repair equipment
• Commercial kitchen equipment
• Self-contained hot tubs and spas
• Grinders
• Scales
• Household appliances that meet the electrical limits
• Other small self-contained utilization equipment within the 07D limits

The examples are helpful, but they are not a replacement for the actual scope test. Before deciding a machine is 07D work, check the voltage, amperage, phase, whether it is self-contained, and whether it belongs to one of the equipment categories Washington specifically excludes.

Several Systems and Equipment Types Are Explicitly Excluded

Washington's 07D rule says that appliances and utilization equipment do not include several systems and equipment types that belong to other electrical specialties.

• Alarm systems
• Energy-management systems and similar systems
• Luminaires
• Furnaces
• Heaters
• Air conditioners
• Heat pumps
• Sewage-disposal equipment
• Door, gate, and similar systems
• Individual components installed together to create a system, such as pumps, switches, and controllers

That last item is easy to miss. 07D is about appliances and small self-contained utilization equipment. It is not a license to assemble separate components into a new electrical system.

Like-in-Kind Appliance Replacement Is Included

Washington allows in-place like-in-kind replacement of the appliance or equipment when the same unmodified electrical circuit supplies the replacement.

The specialty also includes like-in-kind replacement of electrical components within the appliance or equipment. Depending on the appliance, that can include internal switches, relays, motors, controls, thermostatic components, internal conductors, or other electrical parts that are part of the appliance itself.

The rule is designed to let the 07D electrician repair or replace the appliance while leaving the premises electrical circuit essentially as it was.

The Six-Foot Whip Rule Applies to 07D

The specialty allows disconnection and reconnection of low-voltage control and line-voltage supply whips that are no more than six feet long, provided the characteristics of the branch circuit are not modified.

This is a useful field boundary and an easy exam target. The whip belongs to the appliance connection. It does not create permission to extend, redesign, or upgrade the branch circuit that serves the appliance.

07D Can Add an Outlet at an Existing Appliance Location in One Specific Situation

Washington gives 07D one useful branch-circuit-related allowance. The specialty may install an outlet box and outlet at an existing appliance or equipment location when converting that appliance from a permanent electrical connection to a plug-and-cord connection.

This allowance is narrow. Other than installing that outlet box and outlet, there can be no modification to the existing branch circuit supplying the appliance or equipment.

If the project needs new cable routing, a relocated circuit, a larger circuit, a new feeder, or broader premises wiring, the job has moved outside 07D.

What 07D Does Not Allow

Washington specifically excludes several types of work from the Appliance Repair specialty. These limits protect the line between appliance service and general electrical construction.

• Installation, repair, or modification of branch-circuit conductors
• Services
• Feeders
• Panelboards
• Disconnect switches
• Raceway and conductor systems interconnecting multiple appliances, equipment, or electrical components
• Classified-location work covered by the listed NEC Articles 500 through 516
• Plumbing work regulated under Washington plumbing law

A good 07D electrician knows the appliance well. A great 07D electrician also knows when to stop touching the building wiring.

07D Requires 720 Hours Before Exam Eligibility

Washington classifies Appliance Repair as a 2,000-hour specialty, but the current experience table allows a trainee to become exam-eligible after 720 hours of qualifying supervised 07D work.

Until the examination is passed, the trainee must work under 100 percent supervision by an electrician authorized to supervise the specialty.

What Happens After You Pass at 720 Hours?

After passing the 07D specialty examination, Washington can issue a nonrenewable zero-percent-supervision modified training certificate.

That modified certificate allows the trainee to work without supervision in 07D while completing the remaining experience needed for the 2,000-hour full certificate.

Washington allows only one zero-percent-supervision certificate in the specialty, and it is valid for no more than two years. If the required hours are still incomplete when it expires, the trainee must move to the applicable 75-percent-supervision modified training status until the experience requirement is finished.

Keep Your Experience Records Clean

Washington verifies specialty experience through trainee records and affidavits. Keep records showing your employer, dates, hours, 07D work performed, and supervising electrician.

The initial 720 supervised hours cannot simply be replaced by school credit. Washington also limits how much training-school credit can count toward the 2,000-hour specialty requirement.

Because 07D is a 2,000-hour specialty, the experience does not generally become a shortcut into the broader 4,000-hour specialties or the general journey-level electrician path.

For help organizing licensing paperwork, review 1ExamPrep application services.

The Current 07D Electrician Exam at a Glance

Current 07D Appliance Repair Electrician Exam Blueprint

Electrical Equipment and General Trade Knowledge & Theory are the largest technical areas at about four questions each. Several other categories contribute about two questions each.

Electrical Equipment Is the Largest Named NEC Category

NEC 400-427 and 455-480 contribute about four questions. That fits the specialty because appliance repair is built around actual equipment rather than broad premises wiring.

Review topics such as:

• Flexible cords and cables
• Appliance connections
• Equipment ratings
• Disconnecting concepts
• Internal equipment components
• Heating appliances within the allowed specialty scope
• Equipment nameplates
• Safe replacement of like-in-kind electrical components

Pay attention to the difference between an appliance component and the branch circuit that supplies it. The exam can test both.

General Trade Knowledge and Theory Are Also About Four Questions

Appliance troubleshooting depends on basic electrical theory. The current 07D outline assigns about four questions to General Trade Knowledge & Theory.

• Voltage
• Current
• Resistance
• Power
• Ohm's law
• Series and parallel concepts
• Basic AC theory
• Basic troubleshooting logic
• Equipment ratings
• Simple electrical calculations

A multimeter and a theory book are both useful. One tells you what the circuit is doing. The other helps you understand why it is doing that instead of behaving politely.

Overcurrent Protection Is About Two Questions

NEC 240 contributes about two questions. Review appliance circuit protection, conductor protection, overcurrent-device ratings, and the relationship between equipment nameplates and branch-circuit protection.

Remember that technical understanding does not automatically create licensing authority. A 07D electrician may need to understand the supplying overcurrent device without being allowed to redesign the premises branch circuit.

Grounding and Bonding Are About Two Questions

NEC 250 contributes about two questions. Appliance repair technicians should understand equipment-grounding conductors, bonding of metal equipment, fault-current paths, and safe reconnection.

A metal appliance cabinet is a terrible place for stray fault current to settle down. Good grounding and bonding help make protective devices operate when something goes wrong.

Wiring Methods Are About Two Questions

NEC 300-398 contributes about two questions. Even though 07D does not authorize general premises wiring, you still need enough wiring-method knowledge to recognize proper equipment connections and the point where the job leaves the specialty.

• Boxes and fittings
• Flexible connections
• Conductor protection
• Physical damage
• Wet and damp locations
• Basic raceway concepts

The narrow outlet-conversion allowance is another reason to understand box, receptacle, and connection rules.

Motors, Transformers, and Controls Are About Two Questions

NEC 430-450 contributes about two questions. Many appliances contain motors, overload devices, relays, contactors, or transformers.

Review motor ratings, overload basics, control transformers, relays, contactors, and equipment nameplates. Focus on practical troubleshooting and safe replacement within the appliance.

The Washington Codes Section Has 17 Questions

The Washington Codes section contains 17 questions and gives you one full hour. That is almost as many questions as the entire 20-question technical section.

Study:

• Chapter 19.28 RCW
• Chapter 296-46B WAC
• WAC 296-46B-920 Appliance Repair scope
• WAC 296-46B-945 experience and examination eligibility
• Trainee supervision
• Zero-percent and 75-percent modified training certificates
• Permits and inspections
• Electrical contractor requirements
• Electrician certification
• Renewal and continuing education

If you only study appliance circuits and ignore Washington law, almost half the exam will arrive like an uninvited repair call.

The Current Exam Is Open Book

Washington's current examination rules say electrical exams are open book. L&I's current exam page and PSI bulletin tell candidates to prepare with the 2020 National Electrical Code, current Chapter 19.28 RCW, and current Chapter 296-46B WAC.

Original copyrighted references are allowed under the testing rules. Printed Washington laws and rules may be used when prepared in the permitted binder format. Permanent index tabs, highlighting, and underlining are allowed before the exam.

Handwritten notes, sticky notes, removable tabs, and writing in the references during testing are not allowed. A silent nonprinting nonprogrammable calculator is permitted.

Exam Code Edition vs. Current Field Code Edition

Washington currently inspects electrical installations using the 2023 NEC. At the same time, L&I's current electrical-examination instructions still tell exam candidates to bring the 2020 NEC, and the current PSI bulletin is built around the 2020 NEC exam reference.

That means you need to keep two ideas separate:

• Exam preparation: follow the current L&I and PSI exam instructions for the testing-center reference edition.
• Field work: follow the code edition and Washington rules currently adopted for installations and inspections.

Open-Book Strategy for a Fast Two-Hour Exam

The 07D Electrician exam is short and fast. You get one hour for 20 NEC/Theory questions and one hour for 17 Washington Codes questions.

1. Memorize the core scope limits. Know 250 volts, 60 amperes, single phase, six-foot whips, and the branch-circuit exclusions.
2. Tab NEC equipment, grounding, bonding, overcurrent, motor, and wiring-method areas.
3. Know WAC 296-46B-920. It is the center of 07D scope.
4. Know WAC 296-46B-945. It contains the current 720-hour and 2,000-hour pathway.
5. Answer basic theory questions without opening a book whenever possible.
6. Flag long lookups and return later.
7. Practice the two sections separately because each has its own clock.

Apply Through Labor & Industries Before Scheduling With PSI

07D electrician candidates need Labor & Industries approval before scheduling the examination. L&I verifies the required experience and training and then sends an approval letter with the Exam Unique ID used for PSI registration.

Approved candidates currently have one year from the approval date to pass all required exam sections.

If you fail a section, the current rules require at least a 14-day wait before retesting. After three failures, later attempts require a 90-day wait until the examination is successfully completed.

Current PSI Exam Fee

PSI currently charges electrician examinations by time. A two-hour electrical examination is currently listed at $55.

The 07D Electrician exam totals two section-hours: one hour for NEC & Theory and one hour for Washington Codes.

Confirm the live amount shown when scheduling because testing fees can change.

Current Washington Application and Certificate Fees

Washington's current fee schedule lists $102.20 for the zero-percent-supervision modified training certificate pathway.

The current specialty electrician application fee, including the original certificate and processing fee, is $114.60.

Washington updated its fee schedule effective July 1, 2026, so older forms may show different amounts. Check the current WAC 296-46B-909 fee schedule before payment.

Renewal Is Every Three Years

Washington specialty electrician certificates renew every three years and expire on the certificate holder's birthdate.

Current renewal is $92.60 online or $106.40 by mail, fax, or in person. Late renewal costs more, and a certificate more than 90 days expired generally requires retesting.

Continuing Education Requires 24 Hours

Washington specialty electricians currently need 24 hours of approved continuing education during the normal three-year renewal period.

• At least 8 hours of code update
• At least 4 hours of RCW/WAC education
• 12 additional hours of approved continuing education

Keep renewal and initial trainee education separate in your mind. The 24 hours of basic trainee classroom instruction used in the 2,000-hour specialty pathway is not the same thing as the 24 hours of continuing education required for active certificate renewal.

A Practical 07D Study Plan

1. Learn the 07D scope first. Memorize what appliances are included and which systems are excluded.
2. Memorize 250 volts, 60 amperes, and single phase.
3. Memorize the six-foot whip limit and narrow outlet-conversion allowance.
4. Study NEC Electrical Equipment topics. This is the largest named technical category.
5. Practice General Trade Knowledge & Theory. It is another four questions.
6. Review grounding, bonding, overcurrent protection, and wiring methods.
7. Review appliance motors, relays, controls, and transformers.
8. Study WAC 296-46B-920 and 296-46B-945 carefully.
9. Take 20-question technical practice sections in one hour.
10. Take 17-question Washington Codes practice sections in one hour.

Study the Appliance and the Licensing Boundary Together

A good way to study is to trace the appliance from the premises connection through the cord or whip, internal disconnecting or switching devices, controls, motors, heating elements, relays, sensors, grounding, bonding, and final load.

Then draw a legal boundary around the appliance. Ask whether the next step requires modification of branch-circuit conductors, a feeder, panelboard, disconnect, raceway system, or an excluded building system. If it does, 07D may no longer be the correct license.

Review the Washington Appliance Repair Electrician 07D collection for specialty-focused preparation.

For broader Washington electrical study options, review the Washington Electrician collection. For licensing support, review 1ExamPrep application services. For books, exam costs, licensing expenses, and related professional costs, review 1ExamPrep financing options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Washington's 07D Appliance Repair Electrician certificate is a focused specialty for technicians who service household appliances, small commercial or industrial appliances, and other small electrical utilization equipment. It is designed to let trained people work legally inside a defined appliance-repair scope without turning every repair technician into a general electrician.

The first thing to understand is the equipment limit. Qualifying 07D appliances and utilization equipment must be self-contained, built to standardized sizes or types, and connected as one unit to one electrical power source not exceeding 250 volts, 60 amperes, single phase.

Washington gives practical examples such as ovens, office equipment, vehicle repair equipment, commercial kitchen equipment, self-contained hot tubs and spas, grinders, and scales. The examples help show the kinds of equipment the specialty can cover, but the voltage, amperage, phase, and self-contained-equipment requirements still apply.

Washington also names several exclusions. Alarm and energy-management systems, luminaires, furnaces, heaters, air conditioners, heat pumps, sewage-disposal equipment, door and gate systems, and individual components assembled to create a system are not treated as ordinary 07D appliances.

The specialty permits in-place like-in-kind replacement of a qualifying appliance when the same unmodified circuit is used. It also permits like-in-kind replacement of electrical components within the appliance. That allows a technician to repair the equipment itself without turning the repair into premises rewiring.

The six-foot whip rule is another important piece of the scope. 07D allows disconnection and reconnection of qualifying low-voltage control and line-voltage supply whips no longer than six feet when the branch-circuit characteristics are not modified.

Washington also gives 07D a narrow outlet-installation allowance. At an existing appliance location, the electrician may install an outlet box and outlet when converting the appliance from a permanent electrical connection to a plug-and-cord connection. Other than that outlet conversion, the existing branch circuit cannot be modified.

The exclusions remain firm. 07D does not include general branch-circuit conductor installation or repair, services, feeders, panelboards, disconnect switches, or raceway/conductor systems interconnecting multiple appliances or electrical components. Classified-location work identified by the rule and plumbing work are outside the specialty too.

The experience pathway lets trainees test before completing all 2,000 hours. Current Washington rules require 720 supervised hours before examination eligibility and 2,000 total hours for full certification.

Until the specialty exam is passed, the trainee works under 100 percent supervision. After passing, Washington can issue a nonrenewable zero-percent-supervision modified training certificate, allowing unsupervised 07D work while the remaining experience is completed.

A 2,000-hour specialty also requires 24 hours of approved basic trainee classroom instruction. If the zero-percent certificate expires before all required work experience is complete, Washington's rules require the applicable 75-percent-supervision modified training status while the remaining hours are earned.

The current 07D Electrician exam has two sections. NEC and Theory contains about 20 scored questions and allows one hour. Washington Codes contains 17 scored questions and allows one hour. The published total is 37 scored questions across two hours.

Electrical Equipment and General Trade Knowledge & Theory are the largest technical categories at about four questions each. Overcurrent Protection, Grounding & Bonding, Wiring Methods, General Requirements, and Motors/HVAC/Generators/Transformers contribute about two questions each, with a few smaller categories making up the rest.

The Washington Codes section deserves serious attention because 17 of the 37 published questions come from state law and rules. Learn 07D scope, trainee supervision, experience requirements, modified training certificates, permits, inspections, contractor requirements, electrician certification, and renewal.

The exam is open book. Current L&I exam instructions tell candidates to bring the 2020 National Electrical Code, along with printed current RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B. This is different from current field inspection, where Washington is using the 2023 NEC. Follow the current exam instructions for exam day and the currently adopted field code for actual installations.

Approved electrician candidates currently have one year to pass all required sections. Failed sections require a waiting period before retesting, and repeated failures increase that wait. PSI currently lists $55 for a two-hour examination.

Washington's current fee schedule lists $102.20 for the zero-percent-supervision modified training pathway and $114.60 for the specialty electrician application that includes the original certificate and processing fee.

Once fully certified, 07D renews every three years on the certificate holder's birthdate. Current active renewal requires 24 hours of continuing education, including 8 hours of code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC education. Current specialty renewal is $92.60 online or $106.40 by mail, fax, or in person.

Strong 07D preparation combines appliance troubleshooting with licensing discipline. Learn the equipment, learn the code rules that affect the equipment, and learn exactly where the appliance ends and premises wiring begins. That boundary is the center of the certificate and one of the most important things to carry from exam day into real service work.

Key Takeaways

• Washington 07D Appliance Repair is a 2,000-hour specialty, with exam eligibility after 720 qualifying supervised hours.
• The specialty is limited to qualifying self-contained appliance/equipment supplied at no more than 250 volts, 60 amperes, single phase, with important exclusions for other electrical systems.
• The current 07D Electrician exam has 20 NEC/Theory questions in 1 hour plus 17 Washington Codes questions in 1 hour, for 37 published scored questions.
• The current exam is open book and L&I currently tells candidates to use the 2020 NEC, even though Washington field inspections currently use the 2023 NEC.
• The full 07D certificate renews every 3 years with 24 hours of continuing education, and current specialty application and renewal fees should be checked against the current WAC fee schedule.

Plain-Language Summary

Washington's 07D Appliance Repair Electrician certificate is for people who repair household appliances, small commercial or industrial appliances, and other small electrical utilization equipment.

It is a limited specialty. It does not let you perform all electrical work. The appliance or equipment has to be self-contained, built to standardized sizes or types, and connected as one unit to one electrical power source.

The electrical limit is 250 volts, 60 amperes, single phase. If the equipment is beyond those limits, 07D may not be the correct certificate.

Washington gives examples such as ovens, office equipment, vehicle repair equipment, commercial kitchen equipment, self-contained hot tubs and spas, grinders, and scales.

Some systems are specifically excluded. Alarm systems, energy-management systems, luminaires, furnaces, heaters, air conditioners, heat pumps, sewage equipment, door and gate systems, and separate components assembled into a system are not ordinary 07D work.

The specialty allows in-place like-in-kind replacement of qualifying appliances when the same unmodified circuit is used. It also allows like-in-kind replacement of electrical components inside the appliance.

07D can disconnect and reconnect qualifying low-voltage control and line-voltage supply whips up to six feet long, as long as the branch-circuit characteristics are not changed.

There is also one narrow outlet allowance. At an existing appliance location, 07D can install an outlet box and outlet when converting the appliance from a permanent electrical connection to a plug-and-cord connection. The rest of the branch circuit cannot be modified.

07D does not let you install or repair general branch-circuit conductors, services, feeders, panelboards, disconnect switches, or interconnecting raceway/conductor systems.

The current experience path requires 720 qualifying supervised hours before you can take the 07D exam. Full certification requires 2,000 hours.

Until you pass the exam, you work under 100 percent supervision. After you pass, Washington can issue a nonrenewable zero-percent-supervision modified training certificate so you can work unsupervised in 07D while finishing the remaining hours.

Because 07D is a 2,000-hour specialty, you also need 24 hours of approved basic trainee classroom instruction for the certification pathway.

The current 07D Electrician exam has 20 NEC and Theory questions and gives you one hour. The Washington Codes section has 17 questions and gives you another hour. That is 37 published scored questions across two hours.

The exam is open book and requires at least 70 percent. Current L&I exam instructions tell candidates to use the 2020 National Electrical Code, current RCW 19.28, and current WAC 296-46B.

Washington field inspections currently use the 2023 NEC, so do not confuse the current field code with the current exam-book instruction. Check L&I and PSI shortly before test day in case the exam reference changes.

Electrical Equipment and General Trade Knowledge & Theory are the biggest technical exam categories at about four questions each. The Washington Codes section is also large, so scope and licensing rules deserve real study time.

PSI currently lists $55 for a two-hour exam. Washington currently lists $102.20 for the zero-percent-supervision modified training certificate pathway and $114.60 for the specialty electrician application including the original certificate and processing fee.

The full 07D certificate renews every three years on your birthdate. Active renewal currently requires 24 hours of continuing education, including 8 hours of code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC education.

Use the Washington Appliance Repair Electrician 07D collection from 1ExamPrep to organize your study around appliance scope, electrical equipment, theory, grounding and bonding, overcurrent protection, Washington laws and rules, and open-book reference navigation.