Electrical Permit in Long Beach, CA
Permit Summary
Who Can Do the Electrical Work?
Homeowner Eligibility Rules
Long Beach may issue a permit to the owner of a one- or two-family dwelling and related accessory building or structure when the owner complies with California Business and Professions Code Section 7044 and the City's conditions. For this pathway, the improvements may not be intended or offered for sale; the owner must occupy or intend to occupy one of the units for the 12 months prior to completion of the work; and the owner may not have performed work on more than two buildings or structures during any three-year period. Other owner-builder provisions apply when the owner personally performs the work or uses employees for wages, or uses properly licensed subcontractors under the conditions stated in LBMC Section 18.04.070.
Contractor Rules
A contractor obtaining the permit must be duly licensed under California contractor-licensing law and comply with Long Beach business-license requirements. The City requires a signed statement identifying the contractor's license and confirming that it is in force. Eligible owners, owner-builders, and persons with a valid exemption from contractor licensing may also obtain permits under LBMC Section 18.04.070. Workers' compensation coverage or an applicable exemption must be declared before permit issuance.
Permit & Plan Review
Electrical Work Covered
Under LBMC Section 18.04.010.C, a permit is required for a new electrical installation, an alteration or addition to existing wiring, or wiring for electric lighting, power, heating, or apparatus that generates, transmits, transforms, or uses electricity when it operates above 25 volts between conductors or is capable of supplying more than 50 watts, unless an exemption applies. A separate electrical permit is generally required for the wiring or installation in each separate building or structure.
Plan Review Rules
Construction permit applications that do not qualify for the City's Express Permit Service must be accompanied by construction documents and related technical information for plan review. Electrical plan-review submittals generally include complete electrical plans, responsible-party signatures or stamps where required, and applicable California Title 24 documents. The City routes projects according to scope through the applicable plan-review process, and comments or corrections must be resolved before permit issuance.
Quick / No-Plan Permit Rules
The Express Permit Service is available for qualifying simple electrical work that the Building and Safety Bureau determines does not require construction documents for plan review. Listed electrical examples include certain existing service work, like-for-like wiring and fixture work, qualifying low-voltage wiring, meter reconnection or reset, temporary power, certain subpanel replacement, qualifying EV charging installations, and qualifying rooftop solar work. Express Permits are not available for projects in a Coastal Zone, Historic District, or qualified historical building. If work does not qualify for Express service, construction documents must be submitted for the applicable plan-review process.
Service, Panel & Utility Requirements
Service / Panel Rules
Electrical service and panel work generally requires a permit unless a specific exemption applies. Under the City's Express Permit Service, qualifying residential existing-service work may include alteration, upgrade, repair, or replacement up to 200 amperes with the same number of wires, phase, and location and no change in connected load; like-for-like service replacement may be allowed up to 400 amperes, and service load calculations are required at inspection. Qualifying Express subpanel replacement is limited to same-rating, same-wiring, same-phase, same-location work, with up to four panels and a maximum 225-ampere bus rating per panel, with no connected-load change. Other service or panel work may require plan review.
Service Reconnect Rules
Meter reconnection or reset is listed as a qualifying Express Electrical Permit scope. Electrical wiring that requires a permit must be inspected and approved before it is energized or used, and the serving agency may not supply electric energy until City inspection and approval. Temporary electric service or utility release requests follow the City's temporary-utilities process and applicable release fee.
Low-Voltage Rules
Some low-voltage work is permit-exempt under LBMC Section 18.04.020.D.6, including non-required signaling circuits supplied by an approved Class 2 limited-power source not exceeding 30 volts and 100 volt-amperes, qualifying non-required communications circuits power-limited under California Electrical Code Article 725, and qualifying non-required amplifier-output circuits using Class 2 or Class 3 wiring. Those exemptions do not apply in listed hazardous locations, to wiring appurtenant to a required fire-alarm system, where wiring penetrates a fire-resistive wall or floor, or in plenums, ducts, or other environmental-air spaces. For low-voltage work that requires a permit, the Express Permit Service lists qualifying low-voltage wiring up to 120 volts with no penetration of a fire-rated assembly.
Utility Coordination Rules
Utility coordination depends on the work. The City states that service equipment and meter locations are subject to direction by the serving agency, and plan-review guidance identifies Southern California Edison as a separate entity that may require its own submittal for affected projects. The serving agency may not energize wiring that requires a permit until the City has inspected and approved it. New or changed service, meter work, reconnection, or temporary service can therefore require both City approval and serving-utility coordination.
Inspections & Permit Life
Electrical Inspection Stages
Permitted electrical wiring must be inspected and approved before energization or use. For new work, wiring must remain accessible and may not be concealed in a way that prevents inspection. Fixtures and appliances generally may not be connected until rough wiring has been inspected and approved. A final inspection follows completion; when compliant, the City can issue the inspection approval or service authorization needed for connection and energization. Additional inspections may be required by project scope.
Permit Expiration / Inspection Interval
Under current LBMC Section 18.04.060, a permit is valid for two years from issuance but expires on the 90th day after issuance if authorized work has not commenced or has not been inspected as required. After work begins, the permit also expires if the work is suspended, discontinued, or abandoned, or is not inspected as required, for a continuous 90-day period. The Building Official may grant written extensions for qualifying unusual construction difficulties, subject to the limits and conditions in the ordinance.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Obtain an Electrical Permit before making a new electrical installation, altering or adding to existing wiring, or installing covered electrical equipment unless a specific exemption applies. Work submitted on or after January 1, 2026 must comply with the 2025 California Electrical Code and Long Beach local amendments. The permit must be obtained by a qualified licensed contractor, an eligible owner or owner-builder, or another person who satisfies the City's permittee rules. Submit required plans when plan review applies, pay applicable fees, keep work accessible for inspection, and obtain City approval before covered wiring is concealed or energized.
Exemptions
Long Beach Municipal Code Section 18.04.020.D exempts specified electrical work. Examples include qualifying cord-and-plug portable motors or appliances; temporary decorative lighting in dwelling occupancies for no more than 90 days; certain same-size sign or marquee electrode or transformer repairs; specified non-required Class 2 signaling, communications, and amplifier-output circuits; reinstallation of certain receptacles or switches without replacing the outlet; and specified minor repairs or replacements. The low-voltage exemptions do not apply under listed hazardous-location, required-fire-alarm, fire-resistive-penetration, or environmental-air-space conditions, and the exemption provisions do not legalize work that was originally installed without a required permit.
Required Documents
Principal materials depend on the permit path. Plan-review projects use the APP-001 Development Permit Application and require applicable electrical construction documents and technical information; the City's electrical plan-review guidance calls for complete electrical plans and applicable California Title 24 documents. Qualifying Express electrical work can use APP-012. Permit issuance also uses FORM-005 California Licensed Contractors Declaration and Owner-Builder's Declaration, and FORM-006 when an authorized proxy acts. Service work may require load calculations, and project-specific forms or checklists may apply.