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Register as a contractor
— or renew your registration
The Basics about being a contractor in Washington
In Washington State, general and specialty contractors must register with the Department of Labor & Industries.
- A general contractor can perform or supervise numerous building trades or crafts.
- A specialty contractor can perform one building trade or craft.
Contractor Specialty List (51 KB PDF)
Never registered as a contractor with L&I before?
For step-by-step instructions, go to the 'Register' tab above.
Important note: Before you try to register as a contractor with L&I, be sure to review the information on Access Washington's 'Doing Business in Washington' page to ensure you have met all the other business requirements for any new business.
Need to Renew? Plan ahead
Changes to your business or bond status can cause complications with your registration renewal or result in extra fees. This can also cause your registration to expire, making it illegal to work until your renewal is completed. To stay ahead of the process, review these Obstacles to renewing.
Click on the 'Renew' tab above for the whole renewal process.
Changes to the Contractor Registration Law (180 KB PDF) -
2007 changes to the Contractor Registration Law requires "property owner developers" to be registered and bonded, requires notification of legal actions and judgments, holds contractors liable for hiring unregistered subcontractors, requires a $200 bond to appeal an infraction, requires tree removal and cabinet installers to be registered and much more. (Spanish version - 179 KB PDF)
How do changes in the Contractor Registration laws affect residential landlords? (180 KB PDF)
For more information:
- Construction Contractors: Get the Facts, Get Registered.
- See WAC 296-200A and RCW 18.27.
- If you have any questions, please contact the Contractor Section in Tumwater or your local L&I office.
- Call the statewide contractor registration hotline: 1-800-647-0982.
- Get information about becoming an Electrical or Telecommunication Contractor.
- Most frequently asked questions about contractor registration.
