Licensed jobs in Washington

Washington: 11 occupations, 5 licensing agencies. For each one: the board, the main credential, its training, application fee and renewal cycle, from the boards' own pages.

Last checked November 8, 2026 · 34 official sources

On this page

Occupations we cover in Washington
Licensing boards
Moving to Washington with a license
Check a license
Sources

Occupations we cover in Washington

Washington licenses 10 of the 11 occupations below at the state level; for general contractors the state credential we show is a registration, not a license. Electricians have the most levels here (20 credentials); each occupation page covers every level.

Occupation	Main license	Board	Training or experience	Application fee	Renewal
Cosmetologist	Cosmetologist 2 credentials in all	DOL	Training 1,600 clock hours¹	$35²	Every 2 years³
Notary public	Notary Public 3 credentials in all	DOL	–	$40⁵	Every 4 years⁶
Registered nurse (RN)	Registered Nurse (RN) license – single-state (practice in Washington only) 2 credentials in all	WABON	–	$114⁸	Every year⁸
Insurance agent	Insurance producer license (resident; full lines: life, disability, property, casualty, personal lines) 4 credentials in all	OIC	–	$55¹⁰	Every 2 years¹¹
Plumber	Journey level plumber (PL01) 10 credentials in all	L&I	Training 16 clock hours¹³ Experience 8,000 hours¹³	$202.10¹⁴	Every 3 years¹³
Certified nursing assistant (CNA)	Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C / NAC) 3 credentials in all	WABON	Training 108 clock hours¹⁶	$85¹⁷	Every year¹⁸
Electrician	General journey level electrician (01) 20 credentials in all	L&I	Training 96 clock hours²⁰ Experience 8,000 hours²⁰	$114.60²¹	Every 3 years²⁰
Security guard	Private security guard license (unarmed) 4 credentials in all	DOL	Training 8 clock hours²⁴	$101²⁵	Every year²⁵
Massage therapist	Massage Therapist (licensed massage therapist, L.M.T.)	Washington State Board of Massage	Training 625 classroom hours²⁶	$210²⁶	Every year²⁶
Real estate agent	Real Estate Broker 3 credentials in all	DOL	Training 90 clock hours²⁸	$233²⁹	Every 2 years³⁰
General contractor	General Contractor (Construction Contractor Registration) 2 credentials in all	L&I	–	$150.20³³	Every 2 years³⁴

Licensing boards

5 agencies issue the Washington licenses we cover:

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I): plumbers, electricians and general contractors
Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL): cosmetologists, notaries, security guards and real estate agents
Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON): registered nurses and nursing assistants
Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC): insurance agents
Washington State Board of Massage: massage therapists

Moving to Washington with a license

For plumbers and electricians, the Washington board names the states whose licenses it accepts. The boards for notaries and general contractors publish no transfer route, so you apply as a new applicant. Conditions, fees and forms are on each occupation page.

Occupation	Routes the board publishes
Cosmetologist	License by endorsement, Multistate license (interstate compact) and Military service members and spouses²¹⁴
Notary public	No reciprocity route⁷
Registered nurse (RN)	Interstate compact privilege, License by endorsement and Military service members and spouses⁹⁸
Insurance agent	Exam waiver¹²
Plumber	Reciprocity agreements, Temporary license or permit and Exam waiver¹⁵¹⁴
Certified nursing assistant (CNA)	License by endorsement¹⁹
Electrician	Reciprocity agreements, Exam waiver and Temporary license or permit²⁰²²²³
Security guard	License by endorsement, Temporary license or permit and Reciprocity agreements²⁵²⁴
Massage therapist	License by endorsement and Military service members and spouses²⁶²⁷
Real estate agent	License by endorsement, Military service members and spouses and Temporary license or permit³¹³²²⁸
General contractor	No reciprocity route³⁴

Check a license

Every board above runs its own license search. The Washington license lookup page lists them in one place, with the links to report an unlicensed or problem provider.

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

Chapter 18.16 RCW (full chapter)Washington State Legislature, Code ReviserChecked November 7, 2026
Chapter 308-20 WAC (full chapter)Washington State Legislature, Office of the Code Reviser (WAC)Checked November 7, 2026
Renew or reinstate your license: cosmetologistsWashington State Department of LicensingChecked November 7, 2026
Get your license: cosmetologyWashington State Department of LicensingChecked November 7, 2026
Notaries public: feesWashington State Department of LicensingChecked November 7, 2026
RCW 42.45 Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (full chapter)Washington State LegislatureChecked November 7, 2026
WAC 308-30 Notaries public (full chapter)Washington State LegislatureChecked November 7, 2026
WAC 246-840 Practical and registered nursingWashington State Legislature (Washington Administrative Code)Checked November 8, 2026
Registered Nurse (RN) LicenseWashington State Board of NursingChecked November 8, 2026
Producer and adjuster licensing feesWashington State Office of the Insurance CommissionerChecked November 8, 2026
RCW 48.14.010Washington State LegislatureChecked November 7, 2026
RCW 48.17.175Washington State LegislatureChecked November 7, 2026
Chapter 296-400A WAC Plumber Certification RulesWashington State LegislatureDated July 1, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
Plumber ExaminationWashington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Plumber Certification ProgramChecked November 7, 2026
Plumber Certification (Becoming a Plumber)Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Plumber Certification ProgramChecked November 7, 2026
WAC 246-841A Nursing assistantsWashington State Legislature (Code Reviser)Dated July 1, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
WABON NAC Exam and Application Process Presentation 2026Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON)Dated July 2026Checked November 7, 2026
Renew or Reactivate a LicenseWashington State Board of Nursing (WABON)Checked November 7, 2026
Nursing Assistant (NA) LicenseWashington State Board of Nursing (WABON)Checked November 7, 2026
ElectricianWashington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Electrical ProgramChecked November 7, 2026
In-State Application for Electrical Examination F626-001-000Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Electrical ProgramDated September 1, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
WAC 296-46B-945 Supervision of electrical traineesWashington State LegislatureDated July 3, 2023Checked November 7, 2026
RCW 19.28 Electricians and electrical installationsWashington State LegislatureChecked November 7, 2026
RCW 18.170 Security guardsWashington State LegislatureChecked November 7, 2026
WAC 308-18 Private security guardsWashington State LegislatureChecked November 7, 2026
Chapter 246-830 WAC Massage therapistsWashington State Legislature (Washington Administrative Code)Checked November 8, 2026
Massage Therapist Portability of Professional Licenses of Members of the Uniformed Services and Their…Washington State Department of HealthDated March 1, 2026Checked November 8, 2026
Chapter 18.85 RCW: Real estate brokers and managing brokersWashington State LegislatureChecked November 6, 2026
Real estate feesWashington State Department of LicensingChecked November 6, 2026
Renew or reinstate your license: real estate brokersWashington State Department of LicensingChecked November 6, 2026
Get your broker license by reciprocityWashington State Department of LicensingChecked November 6, 2026
Get your real estate broker or managing broker licenseWashington State Department of LicensingChecked November 6, 2026
WAC 296-200A Contractor certificate of registration renewals—Security—Insurance (full chapter)Washington State Legislature (Washington Administrative Code)Checked November 6, 2026
RCW 18.27 Registration of contractors (full chapter)Washington State Legislature (Revised Code of Washington)Checked November 6, 2026