WA contractor license bonds.
From $135. E-filed with L&I.
Washington requires every general and specialty contractor to register with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) and post a continuous surety bond — $30,000 for general, $15,000 for specialty since July 1, 2024. Premiums are 0.9% of the bond amount — $270 for the $30,000 general bond, $135 for the $15,000 specialty bond. We run a quick soft credit check that never affects your score, and e-file the bond with L&I if you are already registered.
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Three steps to registered.
Your L&I registration is waiting on this bond. Here is the whole process — and if you are already registered, we e-file it for you:
Apply online
Business and owner details, your registration type, and the effective date. The only added step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull, which underwriting reviews for eligibility.
Reviewed & approved
Most contractor bonds clear quickly. A quick soft credit check may apply and never affects your score — premiums are set at 0.9% of the bond amount, $135 for the specialty bond and $270 for the general bond.
E-filed with L&I
If you are already registered, we electronically file the bond with L&I. New applicants get the executed bond (form F625-003-000) to submit with the registration application.
What it is and who needs it.
What the contractor bond actually guarantees
Washington licenses contractors through the Department of Labor & Industries under RCW 18.27. You cannot register, advertise, bid, or perform construction work in the state without a continuous surety bond on file — it is the first item on the registration checklist.
The bond is a public-protection guarantee. It stands behind your obligation to pay employees and suppliers and to perform work as contracted; a harmed party — a customer, employee, or supplier — can recover against it on the conditions and priority RCW 18.27.040 sets. It is filed on L&I form F625-003-000 (the continuous contractor’s surety bond).
The amounts changed on July 1, 2024: a general contractor now posts $30,000 and a specialty contractor $15,000 (up from $12,000 and $6,000). It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a valid claim, you repay the surety. Contractors who pay their crews and finish their jobs treat the bond as a registration formality.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including owner information a quick soft credit check may draw on. Submit once and we e-file with L&I if you are already registered.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
L&I registration is waiting on one document.
From $135, short application, e-filed with L&I. Free until issued.