Last verified against the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries on 7 September 2026; handyman exemption detail verified 19 October 2026. Bond and insurance coverage content reviewed by Tyler Williamson, Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent, North Carolina.
Washington does not license contractors. It registers them — and there is no exam and no experience requirement. You need a business, a $30,000 bond for general or $15,000 for specialty, general liability insurance, and $150.20. That is the whole gate.
Washington is one of the easiest states in the country to get registered in. It is also one of the easiest to get wrong, for two reasons that have nothing to do with difficulty.
Comparing states? See how to become a general contractor, our side-by-side of the requirements in every state we cover.
First, a warning about the bond figures
Washington raised its contractor bond amounts on 1 July 2024. The current figures are $30,000 for a general contractor and $15,000 for a specialty contractor.
Two years on, a large amount of published guidance still shows the old amounts of $12,000 and $6,000 — including pages that rank on the first page of Google for this exact question, and Google’s own AI summary of it, which cites a bond seller rather than L&I.
If you buy on those numbers you will purchase a bond less than half the size L&I requires, and your registration will not go through. L&I states the rule plainly: contractor bond amounts increased on 1 July 2024, and if your renewal date is on or after that date you must provide the new, higher bond amount before renewing.
Check the figure against L&I on the day you buy. This page carries a verification date at the top for the same reason.
Who has to register
Washington State requires all construction contractors to register with L&I. L&I publishes no minimum dollar value of work below which registration is unnecessary.
This is a sharper rule than most states. Nevada exempts repair work under $1,000. California exempts minor work under $1,000 where no permit and no employees are involved. North Carolina lets you work up to $40,000 unlicensed. Washington publishes no such line — if you are contracting construction work in the state, you register.
Is there a Washington handyman licence?
No — and that is not the same as saying a handyman does not need one. L&I’s own guide, Hiring a Contractor, Remodeler, or Handyman, says a contractor must be registered if they do any work that “adds to or subtracts from real estate”, provide advice or consult on a construction project, or develop residential property or “flip” houses.
The work L&I lists as not requiring registration is narrow: gutter cleaning, pruning or lawn care, and window washing. Fixing a door, patching drywall, replacing a fence board or hanging shelves all alter the property, so all of them need a registered contractor, whatever the job is worth.
So a Washington handyman registers like anyone else: $150.20, the $30,000 or $15,000 bond, and general liability insurance. If you register as a specialty contractor to keep the bond at $15,000, remember the trade-off covered below: a specialty contractor cannot hire subcontractors. L&I is blunt about the alternative: it is not legal for anyone to perform work, advertise or submit bids without being registered.
No exam, no experience
There is no examination to become a registered general or specialty contractor in Washington, and no minimum years of experience.
That is genuinely unusual. California requires four years at journey level and two exams. Nevada requires four years and two exams. Washington asks you to form a business, buy a bond and a policy, and pay a fee.
The exception is the trades L&I licenses separately, which do carry education, examination and licensing requirements of their own:
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Elevators
- Mobile home installation
- Boilers
- Asbestos
If your work falls in one of those, contractor registration is the beginning of the process, not the end of it.
General or specialty — and the part that catches people
| General | Specialty | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Most construction types | Only the specialty registered in |
| Subcontractors | May hire subs in multiple specialties | Cannot hire subcontractors |
| Bond | $30,000 | $15,000 |
The bond difference is what people compare. The subcontractor rule is what actually decides it. A specialty registration is half the bond, but it cannot hire subcontractors at all — so the moment a job needs a trade you do not hold, you cannot legally bring anyone in to do it.
There is a second-order consequence worth knowing before you choose: if you register as a general contractor and later switch to specialty, your bond amount cannot be reduced for two years. The cheaper option is not immediately available to you on a change of mind.
The bond
You need a continuous contractor’s surety bond — $30,000 general, $15,000 specialty — or the alternative L&I accepts in its place.
That alternative is an assigned bank account, in the same amount: cash, a certificate of deposit, a time deposit, or a money market account held at a bank, savings and loan association or credit union with a branch in Washington.
This is worth a moment’s thought rather than a reflex purchase. A bond costs an annual premium forever and the money is gone. An assignment of savings ties up $15,000 or $30,000 of your own capital but costs no premium. Which is better depends entirely on whether you have the cash and what else it would be doing — but most guidance never mentions the option exists.
Either way, remember what a bond is: it pays your client and then bills you. It is not coverage for you. We track amounts across states in contractor license bonds by state.
The insurance requirement
Unlike several states, Washington makes general liability insurance a condition of registration, not merely a commercial necessity. L&I accepts either of two structures:
- $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or
- $250,000 combined single limit
L&I must be listed as the certificate holder, so tell your broker that when you buy — a certificate issued without it will come back.
These are minimums for registration, not a judgment about what is adequate. A general contractor working on commercial projects will be asked for far more by the people hiring them.
Fees and renewal
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Registration application | $150.20 |
| Renewal | $150.20 |
| Registration term | Two years |
Washington is inexpensive by national standards. California charges $450 to apply and $200 to $350 to issue; Washington charges $150.20 and asks for no exam fee, because there is no exam.
Keep the bond and the policy current, because both are checked at renewal. And do not let it lapse: if a registration has been expired for more than 90 days it cannot be renewed online at all, and working with an expired, suspended, inactive or revoked registration exposes you to citation and fines.
For how these fees compare with other states, and the costs that usually outweigh them (bond premiums, insurance and working capital), see how much a contractor license costs.
Step by step
- Decide your business structure and name, and register the business with the Department of Revenue. That is where your UBI — Uniform Business Identifier — comes from.
- Decide general or specialty, weighing the subcontractor restriction rather than only the bond price.
- Buy the surety bond at the current amount — $30,000 or $15,000 — or arrange an assignment of savings for the same figure.
- Buy general liability insurance at $200,000/$50,000 or $250,000 combined single limit, with L&I as certificate holder.
- Complete the Application for Contractor Registration.
- Visit a local L&I office with your documents, or use the mail-in route.
- Pay $150.20.
- Check whether your trade is separately licensed — plumbing, electrical, elevators, mobile home installation, boilers or asbestos — and start that process if so.
- Diary the renewal two years out, and the bond and policy renewal dates alongside it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a contractor’s license in Washington state?
Washington registers contractors rather than licensing them. Register your business with the Department of Revenue, buy a surety bond of $30,000 for general or $15,000 for specialty, buy general liability insurance meeting L&I’s minimums, complete the Application for Contractor Registration, and pay $150.20. There is no examination.
Do you need a license to be a contractor in Washington?
You need a registration, and L&I publishes no minimum job value below which it is unnecessary. All construction contractors must be registered. Certain trades — plumbing, electrical, elevators, mobile home installation, boilers and asbestos — require separate licensing on top.
How much is a contractor bond in Washington state?
$30,000 for a general contractor and $15,000 for a specialty contractor, following the increase on 1 July 2024. You pay an annual premium against that amount rather than the amount itself. An assigned bank account for the same sum is accepted instead of a bond.
Do I need an exam to register as a contractor in Washington?
No. L&I publishes no examination or experience requirement for general or specialty contractor registration. Separately licensed trades do have education and examination requirements.
What is the difference between a general and specialty contractor in Washington?
A general contractor can perform most construction types and hire subcontractors across multiple specialties. A specialty contractor can only perform work in the specialty registered, and cannot hire subcontractors at all. The bonds are $30,000 and $15,000 respectively.
How long does Washington contractor registration last?
Two years from issuance, renewal or reregistration, renewed at $150.20. If it has been expired more than 90 days you cannot renew online and must contact L&I.
Sources
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries — Register as a Contractor, including bond amounts, insurance minimums, contractor specialties and fees
- L&I contractor registration renewal material
Figures on this page were verified against the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries on 7 September 2026. Bond amounts, insurance minimums and fees change; confirm with L&I before you apply or buy. This page is research, not legal advice.
