Top 10 Best Electricians in Marin County, California (Updated 2026)

What a C-10 electrical license covers

An electrical contractor in California holds a C-10 license from the Contractors State License Board. In CSLB's license classifications, a C-10 contractor places, installs, erects or connects electrical wires, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduits and solar photovoltaic cells, meaning anything that generates, transmits, transforms or uses electrical energy.

CSLB's guide to what kind of contractor you need sets out when a license is required. Anyone who contracts for work valued at $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials needs one. So does anyone who works on a project that requires a building permit, or who uses employee labor.

A bigger remodel calls for a different license. CSLB's example is a kitchen remodel with plumbing, electrical and carpentry work under one contract, a job for a "B" General Building contractor who may perform all of the work or subcontract parts of it to specialty licensees. The general contractors page covers that license, and California's rules on home improvement contracts and payments.

Electrician certification is separate from the contractor license

California certifies the person as well as the business. The Department of Industrial Relations runs the Electrician Certification Program through the Labor Commissioner's Office, and state law requires people who perform work as electricians under a C-10 contractor to be certified. The department's short answer on who needs it: all electricians who make connections of greater than 100 volt amps and work for C-10 contractors.

The qualifying person on a C-10 license, meaning the person who took the contractor's license exam, may do electrical work under that license without a certificate. Partners and officers of the company who did not take the exam must be certified.

A person without enough experience to take the exam can still work legally for a C-10 contractor in two ways. One is as a registered apprentice in a state approved program. The other is as a registered electrician trainee, enrolled in a state approved school and supervised by a certified electrician.

Certification expires three years from its effective date, and renewal takes 32 hours of continuing education. The department notes that CSLB enforces the certification law, and that a contractor who does not comply can face administrative action.

California electrician certification categories

The state issues five certifications, each with its own exam. Certification allows a person to do the work that falls inside their category.

The hours and scopes come from the department's certification pages and regulations.

Solar and low voltage contractors hold different licenses

Two other CSLB classes get confused with C-10. Each has a narrower description than the one above.

CSLB's C-7 description states that low voltage fire alarm systems are specifically not included. People who work for a C-7 contractor do not need electrician certification, the department says, as long as the work stays inside the scope of the C-7 license.

How to check an electrician's license and certification

There are two lookups, one for the company and one for the worker.

1. Ask the contractor for the CSLB license number. It has up to eight digits and no letters.
2. Enter it in CSLB's Check a License tool, which shows license status and complaint disclosure. Confirm the license carries the C-10 classification.
3. Ask the electrician on the job for the number on their state certification card.
4. Enter the six digit number in the department's electrician certification status search. The same tool accepts electrician trainee numbers.

By phone, CSLB is at (800) 321-CSLB (2752) and the Electrician Certification Unit is at (510) 286-3900. CSLB accepts construction complaints against licensed and unlicensed contractors for up to four years from the date of the act.

Electrical work and permits in Marin County

Warm-air heating systems have their own license class, C-20, which is held by HVAC contractors. The C-10 description covers the wires and conduits, and any appliance or apparatus that uses electrical energy.

Building permits in Marin County come from the city or town where the property sits, or from the County of Marin for unincorporated areas. Those offices are listed on the government and services page.

Electricians are one of the trades listed in the home services section of this directory.

Who licenses electricians in Marin County?

Two state agencies share the job, and there is no separate county license. The Contractors State License Board licenses electrical contractors under the C-10 classification. The Department of Industrial Relations, through its Electrician Certification Unit, certifies the individual electricians who work for C-10 contractors.

Does an electrician need a license in California?

An electrical contractor needs a C-10 license from the Contractors State License Board. CSLB requires a current, valid license for work valued at $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials, for any project that requires a building permit, and for anyone who uses employee labor.

What is the difference between a C-10 license and electrician certification?

The C-10 license belongs to the contracting business and comes from the Contractors State License Board. Certification belongs to the individual worker and comes from the Department of Industrial Relations. The department says electricians who work for a C-10 contractor must be certified, while a sole owner licensed in their own name does not need certification.

How do I check an electrician's license in California?

Check the contractor on the Contractors State License Board's Check a License tool, by license number, business name or personal name. To check an individual electrician, use the Department of Industrial Relations certification status search, which takes the six digit number from the electrician's certification card.

How do I file a complaint against an electrician in California?

File a construction complaint with the Contractors State License Board, which handles complaints about licensed and unlicensed contractors for up to four years from the date of the act. According to the Department of Industrial Relations, CSLB also enforces the electrician certification law against C-10 contractors.

Can a low voltage or solar contractor do electrical work?

Only inside the limits of their own license class. CSLB says a C-7 Low Voltage Systems contractor works on energy limited systems that do not exceed 91 volts, and low voltage fire alarm systems are not included. A C-46 Solar contractor may not perform other building trades except as required to install a solar energy system.