Washington Electrical Contractor License: The Administrator Rule, the $4,000 Bond and 2026 L&I Fees

A Washington electrical contractor license is the company credential the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) issues under Chapter 19.28 RCW, and no business may advertise, bid or carry on electrical work without one. To get it, the company files a $4,000 bond, holds a UBI number, and designates a certified administrator or master electrician who is a member of the firm or a full time supervisory employee.

At a glance

• Issued by: L&I's Electrical Program, as a general (01) or specialty license.
• Qualifier: a designated master electrician or electrical administrator, on staff, for one company only.
• Bond: $4,000, or a cash deposit in the same amount (RCW 19.28.041).
• Fees: $353.90 for the license plus $53.00 to assign the administrator, $406.90 with the application.
• Timing: L&I acts within 8 to 10 weeks; the license runs 24 months.

This guide covers the business license. The individual path from trainee to journey level and master sits in our Washington electrician license guide. For the wider picture, see the Washington contractor license requirements and how to get a contractor license in each state.

What the License Covers

Under RCW 19.28.041(1), it is unlawful to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, or carry on the business of installing or maintaining electrical wires and equipment without an unrevoked, unsuspended and unexpired electrical contractor license from L&I. The license belongs to the company. The people who do the work still need their own certificates.

L&I issues it in two forms. A general (01) license covers all types of electrical and telecommunications installations. A specialty license is limited to one scope defined in WAC 296-46B-920(2), such as residential, limited energy or HVAC/refrigeration.

The license is statewide. RCW 19.28.041(4) says no city, county or other political subdivision may require or issue a license or bond for the same purpose. Cities that run their own electrical inspections may still enforce the state license and certificate rules inside their limits (RCW 19.28.010(4)).

Specialty Codes, Including 06A and 06B

Application form F500-018-000 lists 16 license types: the general 01 and 15 specialty codes. The table shows the ones contractors ask about most, with the experience an electrician in that specialty needs before the exam, per L&I's electrician page.

Notes on the table:

• 06A: WAC 296-46B-920(2)(f)(iii) says the 06A specialty is not limited by voltage, phase or amperage, but its work stays within the HVAC/refrigeration system.
• 06B: WAC 296-46B-920(2)(f)(iv) bars any work where the primary power connection exceeds 250 volts single phase or 120 amps.
• What neither may do: install line voltage disconnects or controllers outside the equipment, service, feeder or branch circuit conductors (apart from a narrow supplementary overcurrent exception), or panelboards. A second exception allows a like in kind replacement of a surface mounted disconnect up to 20 amps and 120 volts when the equipment is replaced.
• Telecommunications: a specialty contractor other than 06 may do telecommunications work only within its own specialty; other telecom work needs a telecommunications license (WAC 296-46B-920(3)).

Other specialties on the form are 03A domestic well, 07A lighting maintenance and retrofit, 07B residential maintenance, 07C restricted nonresidential maintenance, 07D appliance repair, 07E equipment repair and 10 door, gate and similar systems. Each carries its own scope in WAC 296-46B-920(2). HVAC companies weighing 06A or 06B should also read our Washington HVAC license guide.

What L&I Requires Before It Issues the License

L&I's electrical contractor page and the application form list the same core items. Business names must match exactly on every document.

Notes on the table:

• Insurance: general liability insurance is encouraged but not required, and L&I keeps no record of it for electrical contractors.
• Telecommunications contractors: the form also requires a certificate of insurance with at least $20,000 property damage, $50,000 for one person and $100,000 for more than one person, with L&I's Electrical Program as certificate holder.
• Non electrical work: a company that also does other construction work may need to register as a contractor under Chapter 18.27 RCW. The electrical license covers only the electrical trade.
• Bond history: the July 2024 registration bond increases to $30,000 general and $15,000 specialty did not apply to electrical contractor licenses, per L&I's 2024 bond FAQ.

A company holding more than one specialty license posts one $4,000 bond and pays one annual fee, not one per license (RCW 19.28.041(4)). Our contractor bond requirements by state guide compares Washington with other states.

The Designated Administrator or Master Electrician

This is the requirement that decides whether a company can hold the license. RCW 19.28.041(5) accepts four certificates for the designated person:

• A master journey level electrician certificate.
• A master specialty electrician certificate in the specialty applied for.
• A general electrical administrator certificate (AD01).
• A specialty electrical administrator certificate in the specialty applied for.

L&I's administrator page adds that a general (AD01) administrator may be assigned to a single general contractor or to any specialty contractor, while a specialty administrator may be assigned only to a contractor in the same specialty.

RCW 19.28.061(1) sets two limits. The person must be a member of the firm or a full time supervisory employee. No one may qualify more than one contractor at a time. WAC 296-46B-930 explains how L&I judges full time: it looks at whether the person is on the full time payroll, receives a regular salary or wage like other employees, and actually supervises the company's electrical work.

The statute also sets the clock when the relationship ends. The license is void within 90 days unless the electrical board qualifies another master electrician or administrator; if the person dies or is incapacitated, the window is 180 days. The designated person must notify L&I in writing within 10 days of ending the relationship (RCW 19.28.061(5)(f)).

The duties are written into RCW 19.28.061(5). The designated person must be available during working hours, make sure all electrical work complies with state law and rules, see that proper safety procedures, labels, permits and licenses are used, and see that corrective notices from an inspector are complied with.

How to Get a Washington Electrical Administrator License

The administrator certificate is the faster of the two routes. L&I's administrator page states there are no prerequisites for the administrator exam, and candidates schedule directly with PSI without L&I approval. The master journey level exam, by contrast, requires a journey level certificate held for four years (RCW 19.28.191(1)(a)).

1. Pick the certificate. A general (AD01) administrator can serve a general or any specialty contractor; a specialty administrator serves only that specialty.
2. Schedule with PSI. All exams are open book and each section must be passed with 70 percent (WAC 296-46B-960).
3. Pass every section within one year. The general administrator exam has three sections: NEC and theory (4 hours), Washington codes (1 hour) and major load calculations (2 hours). The 06A and 06B administrator exams each run NEC and theory (2 hours) and Washington codes (1 hour).
4. Apply within 90 days. Send the passing score reports and the fee to L&I within 90 days of the last passing score, or retest. L&I issues the certificate within 8 to 10 weeks.
5. Assign to the company. File the Change Assignment of Administrator/Master Certificate form (F503-009-000) with its fee.

If you fail a section, wait at least 14 days before retesting; after three failures in a one year exam period, the wait between attempts is 90 days. An administrator certificate alone does not allow the holder to do electrical work with tools; that takes an electrician certificate as well.

L&I Fees in Effect Since July 1, 2026

L&I raised its electrical fees 6.51 percent on July 1, 2026 (WSR 26-10-060). The figures below are the amended WAC 296-46B-909 schedule and match form F500-018-000, revision 09-2026.

Notes on the table:

• Due with the application: $406.90, the license fee plus the assignment fee, nonrefundable.
• PSI: administrator and master exams are billed at one flat rate that the bulletin does not print; retests within a year and electrician exams are billed by the hour, from $45.00 for 1 hour. PSI fees are paid to PSI, on top of L&I's fees.
• 09 telecommunications administrators: the same rule sets lower original and renewal certificate fees for them.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Register the business. Get a UBI number through the Department of Revenue, or file with the Secretary of State, depending on your structure.
2. Choose the license type. General 01 or one specialty from WAC 296-46B-920(2).
3. Secure the qualifier. Designate a master electrician or an administrator certified in that specialty, working full time for your firm.
4. Get the bond. File the Electrical/Telecommunication Contractors Bond (F500-019-000) for $4,000, or an Assignment of Savings Account (F500-020-000).
5. Open workers' compensation. Needed if the company will have employees.
6. Complete F503-009-000. The assignment form ties the administrator or master to your license.
7. Submit F500-018-000 with $406.90. Mail it to L&I's Electrical Program or take it to a local L&I office.
8. Wait for L&I's decision. L&I notifies you within 8 to 10 weeks; do not bid electrical work until the license issues.

Keeping the License Active

Every electrical contractor license expires 24 calendar months after issue (RCW 19.28.041(1)). To renew online, L&I requires a current bond or assignment of savings, a current assigned administrator, and no outstanding unpaid citations. If the license has been expired for more than 90 days, it cannot be renewed online.

L&I suspends a license that no longer meets the minimums, including a current unimpaired bond and an active administrator or master electrician. A bond cancellation suspends the license until a new bond is approved (RCW 19.28.041(3)).

Watch the administrator's own renewal. The certificate renews every three years on the holder's birthday with 24 hours of approved continuing education, including 8 hours of code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC. If the administrator renews late or misses the education, L&I's administrator page says the certificate is automatically separated from the contractor, and a certificate more than 90 days past expiration requires passing the exam again.

L&I's contractor page says a change of business name, business structure or UBI, or ownership (other than corporate members) may require relicensing: a new license, a new notarized F503-009-000 and a new bond. Changes to principals or members are filed on F500-124-000.

Your Crews Still Need Their Own Certificates

The contractor license does not let anyone work without a certificate. RCW 19.28.161(1) requires a master, journey level, master specialty or specialty certificate for anyone in the electrical construction trade, and trainees must hold a training certificate. On a jobsite, the limit is two noncertified individuals per certified electrician on specialty work and one on journey level work (RCW 19.28.161(4)).

The contractor must accurately verify and attest the trainee hours worked on its behalf (RCW 19.28.161(6)). Employing someone without a certificate, permit or training certificate is unlawful, with a penalty of not less than $50 or more than $500 under RCW 19.28.271.

Where a Qualifying Agent Fits

Washington writes the qualifier into the statute. A company whose owner holds no master or administrator certificate cannot get the license until a certified person joins the firm in that role, and a company that loses its administrator has 90 days before the license is void.

The Licensing Company places certified administrators and master electricians as W-2, full time employees who are genuinely assigned to your business, supervise its electrical work, and carry the duties in RCW 19.28.061(5). That is the relationship WAC 296-46B-930 describes: full time payroll, a regular wage, real supervisory responsibility. Learn what a qualifying agent is, read about the electrical contractor qualifying agent role, or see emergency qualifier replacement if your administrator just gave notice. When you are ready, hire a qualifying agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a license to run an electrical business in Washington? Yes. RCW 19.28.041(1) makes it unlawful to advertise, bid or carry on electrical work as a business without an electrical contractor license from L&I. It is separate from the personal certificate an electrician holds.

What is the difference between a general (01) and a specialty license? A general (01) license covers all types of electrical and telecommunications installations. A specialty license limits the company to one scope in WAC 296-46B-920(2), such as 02 residential or 06A HVAC/refrigeration.

Do I need a master electrician to get the license? You need one of four: a master journey level electrician, a master specialty electrician in your specialty, or a general or specialty administrator (RCW 19.28.041(5)). The administrator exam has no prerequisites, but the person must be a member of the firm or a full time supervisory employee.

How much is the bond? $4,000 with the state of Washington as obligee, or a cash deposit or assignment of savings in the same amount (RCW 19.28.041(3)). One bond covers a company holding several specialty licenses.

What happens if my electrical administrator quits? Under RCW 19.28.061(1), the license is void within 90 days unless another master electrician or administrator is qualified, or 180 days if the person died or is incapacitated. The administrator must notify L&I in writing within 10 days (RCW 19.28.061(5)(f)), and the company should file a new assignment as soon as a replacement is in place.

Can one administrator qualify two companies? No. RCW 19.28.061(1) says no person may qualify as master electrician or administrator for more than one contractor at the same time.

Is there a separate city electrical contractor license? No. RCW 19.28.041(4) bars cities and counties from requiring or issuing a license or bond for the same purpose. Cities that run their own electrical inspections can still enforce the state license and certificate rules locally (RCW 19.28.010(4)).

Related Washington Guides

• Washington electrician license: trainee, journey level, specialty and master certificates.
• Washington general contractor registration: registration under Chapter 18.27 RCW.
• Washington plumbing contractor license: the plumbing side of L&I.
• Washington HVAC license: 06A and 06B in an HVAC company.
• Washington contractor license requirements: the state overview.

Talk to Our Team

If Washington's administrator rule is what stands between your company and an electrical contractor license, call 615-219-2110 or tell us about your company. Our founders, Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, have spent their careers inside contractor licensing, and they built our placements around the relationship the statute describes. Licensed master electricians and administrators who want to put their certificate to work can become a qualifying agent.

Sources

All retrieved 2026-09-29.

• L&I, Electrical Contractor
• L&I, Electrical Administrator
• L&I, Electrician
• L&I, Electrical Examination
• L&I, Application for Electrical or Telecommunications Contractor License, F500-018-000 (09-2026)
• PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, Washington electrical (10/30/2025)
• L&I, 2024 Contractor Bond FAQs
• RCW 19.28.010, electrical wiring requirements
• RCW 19.28.041, license, bond and designated individual
• RCW 19.28.051, examinations
• RCW 19.28.061, master electrician or administrator
• RCW 19.28.161, certificates, trainees and ratios
• RCW 19.28.191, examination eligibility
• RCW 19.28.271, penalties
• WAC 296-46B-909, fees
• WAC 296-46B-920, scopes of work
• WAC 296-46B-960, examinations
• WAC 296-46B-930, assignment of administrator or master
• WSR 26-10-060, fee increase effective July 1, 2026