The quick version
In Washington, contractors do not get an old-style "license" so much as they register with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). That registration is what carries a surety bond and liability insurance, and it is required by law. Hiring an unregistered contractor is illegal here and strips away your consumer protections, so this check is non-negotiable.
Step by step
- Go to lni.wa.gov and open the "Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business" tool.
- Search by the company name, or better, by their L&I registration number to avoid mixing up similar names.
- Open the record and confirm the details below.
What "good standing" looks like
- Registration status is Active (not expired or inactive).
- The surety bond is current. General contractors carry a $12,000 bond and specialty contractors a $6,000 bond; confirm current amounts on the site.
- Liability insurance is in force.
- No pattern of lawsuits or bond violations on the record.
If any of those are expired, lapsed or missing, do not let work begin. For a deeper walkthrough of every field on the record, see how to verify a contractor's license, and to understand the bond's limits, read what a contractor bond covers.
One more habit
Match the registration to the actual business. The name on the L&I record should match the name on the contract, the card and the truck. A mismatch is worth a direct question before you go further. If anything feels evasive, review the red flags in how to avoid contractor scams.
Once you have a couple of contractors confirmed and in good standing, the next step is easy: get free quotes and compare bids from pros who have already passed the check.