Washington electrician licenses and bonds, explained

The company: electrical contractor license

• No business may advertise, bid or do electrical work without an L&I electrical contractor license. (RCW 19.28.041)
• The license runs 24 months. Specialty licenses include residential, pump and irrigation, limited energy, signs and appliance repair. (RCW 19.28.041)
• The contractor must designate a master electrician or an administrator. (RCW 19.28.041)

The bond

An electrical contractor posts a $4,000 bond. (RCW 19.28.041) That figure comes from the electrical licensing law, and it sits below the $15,000 specialty and $30,000 general contractor bonds under the registration law. (RCW 18.27.040, read Oct 17, 2026) The bond names the state as obligee and covers code compliance, labor, materials, taxes, and damages from failing to install or maintain work to code. (L&I) L&I runs a separate process for suits against an electrical contractor's bond. (L&I) Instead of a bond, a contractor can assign a savings account. (L&I)

The bond is the only financial requirement. Washington sets no liability insurance minimum for electrical contractors. L&I encourages them to carry general liability insurance but keeps no records of it. (L&I) (RCW 19.28.041) A firm with employees must show workers' comp. (L&I)

The person: certificate of competency

Anyone doing electrical construction work needs an L&I certificate: master journey level, journey level, master specialty or specialty. Trainees carry a training certificate and work with on-site supervision, one trainee per certified journey-level electrician. (RCW 19.28.161)

This is the credential that speaks to skill. L&I tests and licenses electricians, which it does not do for general contractors. (L&I F625-084-000)

What these leave out

• Liability insurance. No state minimum, and Verify will not show it. Ask for the certificate and check the business name, dates and limits.
• Workers' comp. Washington employers buy it from L&I or self-insure. (L&I)
• The permit. A license lets the company do the work; the permit gets it inspected. Seattle and Bellevue issue their own electrical permits, Tacoma Power covers its service area, and L&I covers the rest. (L&I) (L&I permits)

How to check

1. Look up the company's electrical contractor license on L&I Verify.
2. Ask the electrician at your door which certificate they hold, and look up the name on Verify too.
3. Ask which office will issue the permit at your address, and get the permit number when it is filed.

Next: electrician red flags or how to hire an emergency electrician in Seattle.