2023 Revised Code of Washington › Title 18 - Businesses and Professions › Chapter 18.27 - Registration of Contractors. › 18.27.030 - Application for registration—Grounds for denial and suspension.

RCW 18.27.030
Application for registration—Grounds for denial and suspension.
(1) An applicant for registration as a contractor shall submit an application under oath upon a form to be prescribed by the director and which shall include the following information pertaining to the applicant:
(a) Employer social security number or individual taxpayer identification number.
(b) Unified business identifier number.
(c) Evidence of workers' compensation coverage for the applicant's employees working in Washington, as follows:
(i) The applicant's industrial insurance account number issued by the department;
(ii) The applicant's self-insurer number issued by the department; or
(iii) For applicants domiciled in a state or province of Canada subject to an agreement entered into under RCW 51.12.120(7), as permitted by the agreement, filing a certificate of coverage issued by the agency that administers the workers' compensation law in the applicant's state or province of domicile certifying that the applicant has secured the payment of compensation under the other state's or province's workers' compensation law.
(d) Employment security department number.
(e) Unified business identifier (UBI) account number may be substituted for the information required by (c) and (d) of this subsection if the applicant will not employ employees in Washington.
(f) Type of contracting activity, whether a general or a specialty contractor and if the latter, the type of specialty.
(g) The name and address of each partner if the applicant is a firm or partnership, or the name and address of the owner if the applicant is an individual proprietorship, or the name and address of the corporate officers and statutory agent, if any, if the applicant is a corporation or the name and address of all members of other business entities. The information contained in such application is a matter of public record and open to public inspection.
(2) The department may verify the workers' compensation coverage information provided by the applicant under subsection (1)(c) of this section, including but not limited to information regarding the coverage of an individual employee of the applicant. If coverage is provided under the laws of another state, the department may notify the other state that the applicant is employing employees in Washington.
(3)(a) The department shall deny an application for registration if: (i) The applicant has been previously performing work subject to this chapter as a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, or other entity and the department has notice that the applicant has an unsatisfied final judgment against him or her in an action based on work performed subject to this chapter or the applicant owes the department money for penalties assessed or fees due under this chapter as a result of a final judgment; (ii) the applicant was an owner, principal, or officer of a partnership, corporation, or other entity that either has an unsatisfied final judgment against it in an action that was incurred for work performed subject to this chapter or owes the department money for penalties assessed or fees due under this chapter as a result of a final judgment; (iii) the applicant is a successor to an entity with an unsatisfied final judgment against it in an action that was incurred for work performed subject to this chapter or owes the department money for penalties assessed or fees due under this chapter as a result of a final judgment, except as provided under (d) of this subsection (3); (iv) the applicant does not have a valid unified business identifier number; (v) the department determines that the applicant has falsified information on the application, unless the error was inadvertent; (vi) the applicant does not have an active and valid certificate of registration with the department of revenue; or (vii) the applicant is under 18 years old at the time of application.
(b) The department shall suspend an active registration if (i) the department has determined that the registrant has an unsatisfied final judgment against it for work within the scope of this chapter; (ii) the department has determined that the registrant is a sole proprietor or an owner, principal, or officer of a registered contractor that has an unsatisfied final judgment against it for work within the scope of this chapter; (iii) the registrant does not maintain a valid unified business identifier number; (iv) the department has determined that the registrant falsified information on the application, unless the error was inadvertent; or (v) the registrant does not have an active and valid certificate of registration with the department of revenue.
(c) The department may suspend an active registration if the department has determined that an owner, principal, partner, or officer of the registrant was an owner, principal, or officer of a previous partnership, corporation, or other entity that has an unsatisfied final judgment against it.
(d) For the purposes of (a)(iii) of this subsection (3), it is presumed that an applicant knew or should have known of the relevant unsatisfied final judgment. If an applicant demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that the applicant did not know of the unsatisfied final judgment, by having exercised due diligence and timely verifying with the department that the other contractor was in good standing, then the department may grant the application for registration under this section, provided that the applicant meets applicable requirements under this chapter. The department shall adopt rules for the purposes of implementing this subsection (3)(d).
(4) The department shall not deny an application or suspend a registration because of an unsatisfied final judgment if the applicant's or registrant's unsatisfied final judgment was determined by the director to be the result of the fraud or negligence of another party, unless the applicant or registrant is a successor to said party under subsection (3)(a)(iii) of this section.
[ 2023 c 213 § 2; 2008 c 120 § 1; 2007 c 436 § 3; 2001 c 159 § 2; 1998 c 279 § 3; 1997 c 314 § 4; 1996 c 147 § 1; 1992 c 217 § 1; 1988 c 285 § 1. Prior: 1987 c 362 § 2; 1987 c 111 § 9; 1973 1st ex.s. c 153 § 3; 1963 c 77 § 3.]
NOTES:
Conflict with federal requirements—2008 c 120: "If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act in its application to the agencies concerned. Rules adopted under this act must meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state." [ 2008 c 120 § 15.]
Severability—2008 c 120: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 2008 c 120 § 16.]
Finding—Intent—1998 c 279: See note following RCW 51.12.120.
Conflict with federal requirements—Severability—Effective date—1987 c 111: See notes following RCW 50.12.220.