How to look up a license in Washington

Official license searches in Washington

7 official searches from 5 boards cover the Washington licenses on this site. 5 of the rows also link a complaint page.

What each search covers

A board's search lists only its own licenses:

• Washington State Department of Licensing: the 2 credentials it issues for cosmetologists, including Cosmetologist and Instructor.
• Washington State Department of Licensing: the 7 credentials it issues for notaries and security guards, including Notary Public, Electronic records notary public endorsement, Remote notary endorsement, Private security guard license (unarmed), Armed private security guard license (endorsement) and Private security guard certified trainer endorsement and others.
• Washington State Board of Nursing: the 5 credentials it issues for registered nurses and nursing assistants, including Registered Nurse (RN) license – single-state (practice in Washington only), Registered Nurse – Washington multistate license (MSL) under the Nurse Licensure Compact, Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C / NAC), Medication Assistant Certification Endorsement (MACE) on a Nursing Assistant-Certified credential and Nursing Assistant-Registered (NA-R / NAR).
• Office of the Insurance Commissioner: the 4 credentials it issues for insurance agents, including Insurance producer license (resident; full lines: life, disability, property, casualty, personal lines), Insurance producer license - limited lines (surety, credit, travel), Nonresident insurance producer license and Business-entity insurance producer license.
• Washington State Department of Labor & Industries: the 32 credentials it issues for plumbers, electricians and general contractors, including Journey level plumber (PL01), Plumber trainee (PT00; backflow trainee PT31), Temporary permit (out-of-state plumbers), Backflow specialty plumber (PL30), Limited volume domestic pump specialty plumber (PL03A) and Medical gas piping installer endorsement (MG01) and others.
• Washington State Board of Massage: the Massage Therapist (licensed massage therapist, L.M.T.).
• Washington State Department of Licensing: the 3 credentials it issues for real estate agents, including Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Managing Broker and Real Estate Firm.

How to check a license

Search the board for the work you are hiring for, then check the status, the license type and the expiration date (what to check in the result).

The occupation pages explain what each license level allows: cosmetologists, notaries, security guards, registered nurses, nursing assistants, insurance agents, plumbers, electricians, general contractors, massage therapists, real estate agents.