Who requires it
Washington Department of Labor & Industries — Contractor Registration
License & permit · Washington
Washington Contractor Registration Bond
Construction contractors who register with Labor & Industries must keep a Continuous Contractor Surety Bond on file. RCW 18.27.040 establishes the amounts—$30,000 for general contractors and $15,000 for specialty contractors—on one L&I-approved registration bond form.
Common bond amount
$30,000 general / $15,000 specialty
Current RCW 18.27.040 / L&I faces. $12,000 and $6,000 were the pre–July 2024 amounts.
How you file
File Continuous Contractor Surety Bond (F625-003-000), or assign savings
Renewal
Keep continuous; raise to current face before renewal if still on legacy amount
Who requires it
Businesses that construct, remodel, repair, or demolish buildings, roads, or other real property in Washington generally must register under chapter 18.27 RCW and post this bond (or an assignment of savings). General contractors may work across most construction scopes and hire subcontractors; specialty contractors are limited to their registered specialty and cannot hire subcontractors. Plumbing and electrical contracting still need their own license bonds when those chapters apply.
How much is required
RCW 18.27.040 establishes two registration faces on the same Continuous Contractor Surety Bond: $30,000 if you register as a general contractor and $15,000 if you register as a specialty contractor. L&I publishes those figures on the contractor registration page (increased July 1, 2024 from $12,000 / $6,000). Older sources that still show the pre-increase amounts are stale—match your classification to the current statute, not a legacy $12,000 / $6,000 figure.
How to get and file it
Purchase a Continuous Contractor Surety Bond (F625-003-000) from a surety that meets chapter 48.28 RCW requirements, or file an Assignment of Account on L&I form F625-008-000. Use the exact business name L&I will register. Submit the original bond (not a photocopy) with the notarized Application for Contractor Registration and liability insurance certificate. File with L&I Contractor Registration. The bond is continuous; surety cancellation or withdrawal automatically suspends registration until a new bond or reinstatement notice is approved. Keep the current face amount on file before renewal—registrations renewing on or after July 1, 2024 need the higher amounts. If you change bonding companies, the original sealed bond must reach L&I before the filing date printed on the bond.
Cost note
The $30,000 and $15,000 figures are required bond amounts (or assignment-of-savings amounts), not premiums. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- General contractor face
- $30,000 continuous surety or assignment of savings
- Specialty contractor face
- $15,000 continuous surety or assignment of savings
- Form
- L&I Continuous Contractor Surety Bond F625-003-000
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Can one registration bond cover plumbing contracting?
No. Plumbing contracting requires a Licensed Plumbing Contractor bond under RCW 18.106.410 in addition to any chapter 18.27 registration bond you keep for non-plumbing construction work.
Are $12,000 and $6,000 still the registration bond amounts?
No. Those were the registration faces before July 1, 2024. Current law uses $30,000 (general) and $15,000 (specialty).
Related Washington bond guides
Plumbing Contractor Bond
$6,000
Licensed plumbing contractors in Washington must keep a $6,000 continuous surety bond on file with Labor & Industries. RCW 18.106.410 establishes that face; L&I’s Continuous Plumbing Contractor Surety Bond is the instrument used for this license—not the chapter 18.27 registration bond.
Electrical / Telecom Contractor Bond
$4,000
Electrical and telecommunications contractors licensed under chapter 19.28 RCW must keep a $4,000 surety bond (or assignment of savings) on file with Labor & Industries. RCW 19.28.041 establishes that face; L&I form F500-019-000 is the official Electrical/Telecommunications Contractor’s Bond.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a Washington application
Washington will be preselected. Choose your bond type in the application—we confirm the correct product against your agency form before anything is issued.
Last verified 2026-08-10. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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