Transfer Your Contractor License to Washington: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Washington issues no general contractor license: it requires only a state registration, so there is no license to transfer by reciprocity or endorsement. Register with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Washington does not license general or specialty contractors by examination — L&I registers them under RCW 18.27, so there is no contractor exam and no contractor-level reciprocity; every firm files a fresh registration with a surety bond and liability insurance. Trade certification is separate and narrow: the 01 General Journey Level electrician certificate can be obtained by reciprocity from Oregon only, and Washington master (01) certificates cannot be obtained by reciprocity at all. Journey-level plumber certification can be obtained by reciprocity from Idaho only, which waives the Washington plumber exam. HVAC is not separately licensed statewide. Electrical and plumbing work is licensed statewide and handled separately — check your trade in the checker.
Moving to Washington from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
No state license — registration only
The structural fact first: Washington issues no general contractor license — contractors only register, so a general contractor moving here has no state license to transfer; what it needs is the state registration. The work is to identify the registration the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) requires and meet its rules. Trade licenses are a separate question: check your trade and class in the checker before you assume anything carries over.
All three facts were read live on 2026-08-07 from L&I's own pages and its current application form (revision 07-2026). Contractor registration under RCW 18.27 is not an exam-based license, so there is nothing to reciprocate at the general/specialty contractor level — the $150.20 fee buys a registration, not a licence transfer. Electrical reciprocity is Oregon-only and journey-level-only; aggregator claims that Washington reciprocates electrical licences with Idaho, Montana, Utah or Wyoming are wrong and are rejected here. Plumbing reciprocity is Idaho-only. No separate statewide HVAC licence exists, so no HVAC trade entry is asserted.
Washington requirements at a glance
| Exam | Washington does not license general or specialty contractors by examination — L&I registers them under RCW 18.27, so there is no contractor exam and no contractor-level reciprocity; every firm files a fresh registration with a surety bond and liability insurance. Trade certification is separate and narrow: the 01 General Journey Level electrician certificate can be obtained by reciprocity from Oregon only, and Washington master (01) certificates cannot be obtained by reciprocity at all. Journey-level plumber certification can be obtained by reciprocity from Idaho only, which waives the Washington plumber exam. HVAC is not separately licensed statewide. |
|---|---|
| General contractor registration |
|
| Registration fee | On file: Contractor registration, which is a separate non-reciprocal filing, is $150.20 |
| Registration processing | Not on file — check with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) |
| Trade licenses (not general contracting) |
|
| Trade-license fees | $114.60–$242.70 (Electrical reciprocal 01 General Journey Level application $114.60, of which $44.20 is non-refundable after submission; online payment is not available, checks only. Plumber journey-level certification $242.70 on the Idaho reciprocal path (the $202.10 exam fee is avoided). Contractor registration, which is a separate non-reciprocal filing, is $150.20.) |
Step by step
- Register with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I): Washington issues no general contractor license, so there is no license to transfer by reciprocity.
- Check the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) (linked on this page) for its current registration requirements and fee — rules change.
- Contractors must register with L&I and post a $30,000 (general) or $15,000 (specialty) surety bond plus liability insurance.
- Registration fee on file: Contractor registration, which is a separate non-reciprocal filing, is $150.20.
- Electrical and plumbing work is licensed statewide in Washington and handled separately: use the checker with your trade selected.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Washington:
Nearby states
Contractor license transfer into the states bordering Washington:
Washington for other professions
- Nursing in Washington
- Cosmetology / Barber in Washington
- Real Estate in Washington
- Teaching in Washington
- CPA / Accounting in Washington
- Electrician in Washington
- Plumber in Washington
- Engineering in Washington
- Pharmacy in Washington
- Physical Therapy in Washington
- Psychology in Washington
- Counseling in Washington
- Social Work in Washington
- Occupational Therapy in Washington
Frequently asked questions
Does my contractor license transfer to Washington?
Washington issues no general contractor license: contractors register with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) instead, so there is no license to transfer by reciprocity. Washington does not license general or specialty contractors by examination — L&I registers them under RCW 18.27, so there is no contractor exam and no contractor-level reciprocity; every firm files a fresh registration with a surety bond and liability insurance. Trade certification is separate and narrow: the 01 General Journey Level electrician certificate can be obtained by reciprocity from Oregon only, and Washington master (01) certificates cannot be obtained by reciprocity at all. Journey-level plumber certification can be obtained by reciprocity from Idaho only, which waives the Washington plumber exam. HVAC is not separately licensed statewide. Its electrical, plumbing licenses do have reciprocity — select your trade in the checker.
Which states does Washington have electrical contractor reciprocity with?
Oregon (verified 2026-08-07 against the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) — Electrical Licensing & Certification, Plumber Certification, and Contractor Registration). L&I reciprocal 01 General Journey Level electrician certificate — Oregon only. Master (01) certificates cannot be obtained through reciprocity. Licenses not obtained through an Oregon examination cannot be reciprocated.
Which states does Washington have plumbing contractor reciprocity with?
Idaho (verified 2026-08-07 against the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) — Electrical Licensing & Certification, Plumber Certification, and Contractor Registration). L&I states 'Washington State reciprocates with the state of Idaho.' The applicant submits the active Idaho journey-level card and photo ID and pays the certification fee; the $202.10 Washington plumber exam is not required.
Does reciprocity waive all of Washington's requirements?
There is no state general contractor license in Washington for reciprocity to apply to; any trade license that does reciprocate waives the trade exam only, not the business/law exam, bond, or insurance.
What fees apply in Washington, and how long does processing take?
Registration fee on file: Contractor registration, which is a separate non-reciprocal filing, is $150.20. Registration processing: not on file — check with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). The fee figures on file are for Washington's trade licenses, not general contractor registration: $114.60–$242.70 (Electrical reciprocal 01 General Journey Level application $114.60, of which $44.20 is non-refundable after submission; online payment is not available, checks only. Plumber journey-level certification $242.70 on the Idaho reciprocal path (the $202.10 exam fee is avoided). Contractor registration, which is a separate non-reciprocal filing, is $150.20.)
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- WA L&I — Application for a Reciprocal 01 General Journey Level Electrician Certificate, form F500-148-000 rev. 07-2026 (Oregon only; $114.60; master cannot be reciprocated) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WA L&I — Plumber Certification: Get or Renew Your Certification (reciprocates with Idaho; certification $242.70, exam $202.10) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WA L&I — Register as a Contractor (RCW 18.27 registration, $150.20, $30,000/$15,000 bonds) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]