License required — General or specialty licenses — Fees — Application — Bond or cash deposit.

RCW 19.28.041
in effect
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(1) It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of installing or maintaining wires or equipment to convey electric current, or installing or maintaining equipment to be operated by electric current as it pertains to the electrical industry, without having an unrevoked, unsuspended, and unexpired electrical contractor license, issued by the department in accordance with this chapter. All electrical contractor licenses expire twenty-four calendar months following the day of their issue. The department may issue an electrical contractor license for a period of less than twenty-four months only for the purpose of equalizing the number of electrical contractor licenses that expire each month. Application for an electrical contractor license shall be made in writing to the department, accompanied by the required fee. The application shall state: (a) The name and address of the applicant; in case of firms or partnerships, the names of the individuals composing the firm or partnership; in case of corporations, the names of the managing officials thereof; (b) The location of the place of business of the applicant and the name under which the business is conducted; (c) Employer social security number; (d) Evidence of workers' compensation coverage for the applicant's employees working in Washington, as follows: (i) The applicant's industrial insurance account number issued by the department; (ii) The applicant's self-insurer number issued by the department; or (iii) For applicants domiciled in a state or province of Canada subject to an agreement entered into under RCW 51.12.120 (7), as permitted by the agreement, filing a certificate of coverage issued by the agency that administers the workers' compensation law in the applicant's state or province of domicile certifying that the applicant has secured the payment of compensation under the other state's or province's workers' compensation law; (e) Employment security department number; (f) State excise tax registration number; (g) Unified business identifier (UBI) account number may be substituted for the information required by (d) of this subsection if the applicant will not employ employees in Washington, and by (e) and (f) of this subsection; and (h) Whether a general or specialty electrical contractor license is sought and, if the latter, the type of specialty. Electrical contractor specialties include, but are not limited to: Residential, pump and irrigation, limited energy system, signs, nonresidential maintenance, restricted nonresidential maintenance, appliance repair, and a combination specialty. A general electrical contractor license shall grant to the holder the right to engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of installing or maintaining wires or equipment to carry electric current, and installing or maintaining equipment, or installing or maintaining material to fasten or insulate such wires or equipment to be operated by electric current, in the state of Washington. A specialty electrical contractor license shall grant to the holder a limited right to engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of installing or maintaining wires or equipment to carry electrical current, and installing or maintaining equipment; or installing or maintaining material to fasten or insulate such wires or equipment to be operated by electric current in the state of Washington as expressly allowed by the license. (2) The department may verify the workers' compensation coverage information provided by the applicant under subsection (1)(d) of this section, including but not limited to information regarding the coverage of an individual employee of the applicant. If coverage is provided under the laws of another state, the department may notify the other state that the applicant is employing employees in Washington. (3) The application for an electrical contractor license shall be accompanied by a bond in the sum of four thousand dollars with the state of Washington named as obligee in the bond, with good and sufficient surety, to be approved by the department. The bond shall at all times be kept in full force and effect, and any cancellation or revocation thereof, or withdrawal of the surety therefrom, suspends the license issued to the principal until a new bond has been filed and approved as provided in this section. Upon approval of a bond, the department shall on the next business day deposit the fee accompanying the application in the electrical license fund and shall file the bond in the office. The department shall upon request furnish to any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity a certified copy of the bond upon the payment of a fee that the department shall set by rule. The fee shall cover but not exceed the cost of furnishing the certified copy. The bond shall be conditioned that in any installation or maintenance of wires or equipment to convey electrical current, and equipment to be operated by electrical current, the principal will comply with the provisions of this chapter and with any electrical ordinance, building code, or regulation of a city or town adopted pursuant to RCW 19.28.010 (3) that is in effect at the time of entering into a contract. The bond shall be conditioned further that the principal will pay for all labor, including employee benefits, and material furnished or used upon the work, taxes and contributions to the state of Washington, and all damages that may be sustained by any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity due to a failure of the principal to make the installation or maintenance in accordance with this chapter or any applicable ordinance, building code, or regulation of a city or town adopted pursuant to RCW 19.28.010 (3). In lieu of the surety bond required by this section, the license applicant may file with the department a cash deposit or other negotiable security acceptable to the department. If the license applicant has filed a cash deposit, the department shall deposit the funds in a special trust savings account in a commercial bank, mutual savings bank, or savings and loan association and shall pay annually to the depositor the interest derived from the account. (4) The department shall issue general or specialty electrical contractor licenses to applicants meeting all of the requirements of this chapter. The provisions of this chapter relating to the licensing of any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity including the requirement of a bond with the state of Washington named as obligee therein and the collection of a fee therefor, are exclusive, and no political subdivision of the state of Washington may require or issue any licenses or bonds or charge any fee for the same or a similar purpose. No person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity holding more than one specialty contractor license under this chapter may be required to pay an annual fee for more than one such license or to post more than one four thousand dollar bond, equivalent cash deposit, or other negotiable security. (5) To obtain a general or specialty electrical contractor license, the applicant must designate an individual who currently possesses a valid master journey level electrician's certificate of competency, master specialty electrician's certificate of competency in the specialty for which application has been made, or administrator's certificate as a general electrical contractor administrator or as a specialty electrical contractor administrator in the specialty for which application has been made. (6) Administrator certificate specialties include, but are not limited to: Residential, pump and irrigation or domestic pump, limited energy system, signs, nonresidential maintenance, restricted nonresidential maintenance, appliance repair, and combination specialty. To obtain an administrator's certificate, an individual must pass an examination as set forth in RCW 19.28.051 unless the applicant was a licensed electrical contractor at any time during 1974. Applicants who were electrical contractors licensed by the state of Washington at any time during 1974 are entitled to receive a general electrical contractor administrator's certificate without examination if the applicants apply prior to January 1, 1984. The board of electrical examiners shall certify to the department the names of all persons who are entitled to either a general or specialty electrical contractor administrator's certificate. (7) For a contractor doing domestic water pumping system work as defined by RCW 18.106.010 (14)(c), the department shall consider the requirements of subsections (1)(a) through (h), (2), and (3) of this section to have been met to be a pump and irrigation or domestic pump licensed electrical contractor if: (a) The contractor has met the plumbing contractor licensing requirements of chapter 18.106 RCW. The department shall establish a single licensing document for those who qualify for both a plumbing contractor license as defined in chapter 18.106 RCW and a pump and irrigation or domestic pump electrical contractor license as defined by this chapter; or (b) Until January 1, 2021, the contractor has met the contractor registration requirements of chapter 18.27 RCW. The department shall establish a single registration/licensing document for those who qualify for both a general contractor registration as defined in chapter 18.27 RCW and a pump and irrigation or domestic pump electrical contractor license as defined by this chapter. (1) It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of installing or maintaining wires or equipment to convey electric current, or installing or maintaining equipment to be operated by electric current as it pertains to the electrical industry, without having an unrevoked, unsuspended, and unexpired electrical contractor license, issued by the department in accordance with this chapter. All electrical contractor licenses expire twenty-four calendar months following the day of their issue. The department may issue an electrical contractor license for a period of less than twenty-four months only for the purpose of equalizing the number of electrical contractor licenses that expire each month. Application for an electrical contractor license shall be made in writing to the department, accompanied by the required fee. The application shall state: (a) The name and address of the applicant; in case of firms or partnerships, the names of the individuals composing the firm or partnership; in case of corporations, the names of the managing officials thereof; (b) The location of the place of business of the applicant and the name under which the business is conducted; (c) Employer social security number; (d) Evidence of workers' compensation coverage for the applicant's employees working in Washington, as follows: (i) The applicant's industrial insurance account number issued by the department; (ii) The applicant's self-insurer number issued by the department; or (iii) For applicants domiciled in a state or province of Canada subject to an agreement entered into under RCW 51.12.120 (7), as permitted by the agreement, filing a certificate of coverage issued by the agency that administers the workers' compensation law in the applicant's state or province of domicile certifying that the applicant has secured the payment of compensation under the other state's or province's workers' compensation law; (e) Employment security department number; (f) State excise tax registration number; (g) Unified business identifier (UBI) account number may be substituted for the information required by (d) of this subsection if the applicant will not employ employees in Washington, and by (e) and (f) of this subsection; and (h) Whether a general or specialty electrical contractor license is sought and, if the latter, the type of specialty. Electrical contractor specialties include, but are not limited to: Residential, pump and irrigation, limited energy system, signs, nonresidential maintenance, restricted nonresidential maintenance, appliance repair, and a combination specialty. A general electrical contractor license shall grant to the holder the right to engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of installing or maintaining wires or equipment to carry electric current, and installing or maintaining equipment, or installing or maintaining material to fasten or insulate such wires or equipment to be operated by electric current, in the state of Washington. A specialty electrical contractor license shall grant to the holder a limited right to engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of installing or maintaining wires or equipment to carry electrical current, and installing or maintaining equipment; or installing or maintaining material to fasten or insulate such wires or equipment to be operated by electric current in the state of Washington as expressly allowed by the license. (2) The department may verify the workers' compensation coverage information provided by the applicant under subsection (1)(d) of this section, including but not limited to information regarding the coverage of an individual employee of the applicant. If coverage is provided under the laws of another state, the department may notify the other state that the applicant is employing employees in Washington. (3) The application for an electrical contractor license shall be accompanied by a bond in the sum of four thousand dollars with the state of Washington named as obligee in the bond, with good and sufficient surety, to be approved by the department. The bond shall at all times be kept in full force and effect, and any cancellation or revocation thereof, or withdrawal of the surety therefrom, suspends the license issued to the principal until a new bond has been filed and approved as provided in this section. Upon approval of a bond, the department shall on the next business day deposit the fee accompanying the application in the electrical license fund and shall file the bond in the office. The department shall upon request furnish to any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity a certified copy of the bond upon the payment of a fee that the department shall set by rule. The fee shall cover but not exceed the cost of furnishing the certified copy. The bond shall be conditioned that in any installation or maintenance of wires or equipment to convey electrical current, and equipment to be operated by electrical current, the principal will comply with the provisions of this chapter and with any electrical ordinance, building code, or regulation of a city or town adopted pursuant to RCW 19.28.010 (3) that is in effect at the time of entering into a contract. The bond shall be conditioned further that the principal will pay for all labor, including employee benefits, and material furnished or used upon the work, taxes and contributions to the state of Washington, and all damages that may be sustained by any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity due to a failure of the principal to make the installation or maintenance in accordance with this chapter or any applicable ordinance, building code, or regulation of a city or town adopted pursuant to RCW 19.28.010 (3). In lieu of the surety bond required by this section, the license applicant may file with the department a cash deposit or other negotiable security acceptable to the department. If the license applicant has filed a cash deposit, the department shall deposit the funds in a special trust savings account in a commercial bank, mutual savings bank, or savings and loan association and shall pay annually to the depositor the interest derived from the account. (4) The department shall issue general or specialty electrical contractor licenses to applicants meeting all of the requirements of this chapter. The provisions of this chapter relating to the licensing of any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity including the requirement of a bond with the state of Washington named as obligee therein and the collection of a fee therefor, are exclusive, and no political subdivision of the state of Washington may require or issue any licenses or bonds or charge any fee for the same or a similar purpose. No person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity holding more than one specialty contractor license under this chapter may be required to pay an annual fee for more than one such license or to post more than one four thousand dollar bond, equivalent cash deposit, or other negotiable security. (5) To obtain a general or specialty electrical contractor license, the applicant must designate an individual who currently possesses a valid master journey level electrician's certificate of competency, master specialty electrician's certificate of competency in the specialty for which application has been made, or administrator's certificate as a general electrical contractor administrator or as a specialty electrical contractor administrator in the specialty for which application has been made. (6) Administrator certificate specialties include, but are not limited to: Residential, pump and irrigation or domestic pump, limited energy system, signs, nonresidential maintenance, restricted nonresidential maintenance, appliance repair, and combination specialty. To obtain an administrator's certificate, an individual must pass an examination as set forth in RCW 19.28.051 unless the applicant was a licensed electrical contractor at any time during 1974. Applicants who were electrical contractors licensed by the state of Washington at any time during 1974 are entitled to receive a general electrical contractor administrator's certificate without examination if the applicants apply prior to January 1, 1984. The board of electrical examiners shall certify to the department the names of all persons who are entitled to either a general or specialty electrical contractor administrator's certificate. (7) For a contractor doing domestic water pumping system work as defined by RCW 18.106.010 (14)(c), the department shall consider the requirements of subsections (1)(a) through (h), (2), and (3) of this section to have been met to be a pump and irrigation or domestic pump licensed electrical contractor if: (a) The contractor has met the plumbing contractor licensing requirements of chapter 18.106 RCW. The department shall establish a single licensing document for those who qualify for both a plumbing contractor license as defined in chapter 18.106 RCW and a pump and irrigation or domestic pump electrical contractor license as defined by this chapter; or (b) Until January 1, 2021, the contractor has met the contractor registration requirements of chapter 18.27 RCW. The department shall establish a single registration/licensing document for those who qualify for both a general contractor registration as defined in chapter 18.27 RCW and a pump and irrigation or domestic pump electrical contractor license as defined by this chapter.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.28&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026

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