Title 18 — Title 18 BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Advisory board" means the state advisory board of plumbers.(2) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.(3) "Director" means the director of departmen…

(1) No person may engage in or offer to engage in the trade of plumbing without having a journey level certificate, specialty certificate, residential service certificate, temporary permit, or trainee certificate and photo identification in his or her possession. The department m…

(1) Any person desiring to be issued a certificate of competency as provided in this chapter shall deliver evidence in a form prescribed by the department affirming that said person has had sufficient experience in as well as demonstrated general competency in the trade of plumbi…

(1) Upon receipt of the application and evidence set forth in RCW 18.106.030, the director shall review the same and make a determination as to whether the applicant is eligible to take an examination for the certificate of competency. To be eligible to take the examination:(a) E…

(1) The department, with the advice of the advisory board, shall prepare a written examination to be administered to applicants for certificates of competency for journey level plumber, specialty plumber, and residential service plumber. The examination shall be constructed to de…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2492-S.SL) ***(1) The department shall issue a certificate of competency to all applicants who have passed the examination and have paid the fee for the certificate. The certificate may include a photograph of the holder. The certificate shall bear the…

The department shall adopt requirements that qualify a journey level plumber to be issued a medical gas piping installer endorsement.[ 2013 c 23 s 20; 1997 c 326 s 1.]Notes:Effective date—1997 c 326: See note following RCW 18.106.010.

No examination shall be required of any applicant for a certificate of competency who, on July 16, 1973, was engaged in a bona fide business or trade of plumbing, or on said date held a valid journey level plumber's license issued by a political subdivision of the state of Washin…

The department is authorized to grant and issue temporary permits in lieu of certificates of competency whenever a plumber coming into the state of Washington from another state requests the department for a temporary permit to engage in the trade of plumbing as a journey level p…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6039-S.SL) ***(1) The department may revoke or suspend a certificate of competency, license, or endorsement for any of the following reasons:(a) The certificate, license, or endorsement was obtained through error or fraud;(b) The certificate, license, …

(1) There is created a state advisory board of plumbers, to be composed of nine members appointed by the director. Two members shall be journey level plumbers, one member shall be a specialty plumber, three members shall be persons conducting a plumbing business, at least one of …

The department shall charge fees for issuance, renewal, and reinstatement of all certificates, endorsements, licenses, and permits and for examinations required by this chapter. The department shall set the fees by rule.The fees shall cover the full cost of issuing the certificat…

All moneys received from certificates, permits, or other sources, shall be paid to the state treasurer as ex officio custodian thereof and by him or her placed in a special fund designated as the "plumbing certificate fund." He or she shall pay out upon vouchers duly and regularl…

The director may promulgate rules, make specific decisions, orders, and rulings, including therein demands and findings, and take other necessary action for the implementation and enforcement of his or her duties under this chapter: PROVIDED, That in the administration of this ch…

(1) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require that a person obtain a license in order to do plumbing work at his or her residence or farm or place of business or on other property owned by him or her.(2) A current certificate of competency or apprentice permit is not …

The director may, upon payment of the appropriate fees, grant a certificate of competency without examination to any applicant who is a registered journey level plumber or specialty plumber in any other state whose requirements for registration are at least substantially equivale…

An authorized representative of the department may investigate alleged or apparent violations of this chapter. An authorized representative of the department upon presentation of credentials may inspect sites at which a person is doing plumbing work for the purpose of determining…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6039-S.SL) ***(1) An authorized representative of the department may issue a notice of infraction as specified in RCW 18.106.020 if:(a) A person who is doing plumbing work or who is offering to do plumbing work fails to produce evidence of:(i) Having a…

The form of the notice of infraction issued under this chapter shall include the following:(1) A statement that the notice represents a determination that the infraction has been committed by the person named in the notice and that the determination shall be final unless conteste…

A violation designated as an infraction under this chapter shall be heard and determined by an administrative law judge of the office of administrative hearings. If a party desires to contest the notice of infraction, the party shall file a notice of appeal with the department sp…

Unless contested in accordance with this chapter, the notice of infraction represents a determination that the person to whom the notice was issued committed the infraction.[ 1983 c 124 s 10.]Notes:Effective date—1983 c 124: See note following RCW 18.106.020.

(1) If the person or contractor named in the notice of infraction does not wish to contest the notice of infraction, the person or contractor shall pay to the department, by check or money order, the amount of the penalty prescribed for the infraction. When a response which does …

It is a misdemeanor for any person who has been personally served with a notice of infraction:(1) To refuse to sign a written promise to respond to the notice; or(2) To wilfully violate the written promise to respond to a notice of infraction as provided in this chapter, regardle…

A person subject to proceedings under this chapter may appear or be represented by counsel. The department shall be represented by the attorney general in any proceeding under this chapter.[ 1983 c 124 s 12.]Notes:Effective date—1983 c 124: See note following RCW 18.106.020.

(1) The administrative law judge shall conduct notice of infraction cases under this chapter pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW.(2) The burden of proof is on the department to establish the commission of the infraction by a preponderance of the evidence. The notice of infraction shall…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6197-S.SL) ***(1) A person found to have committed an infraction under RCW 18.106.020 shall be assessed a minimum monetary penalty of one hundred dollars for the first infraction. A contractor found to have committed an infraction under RCW 18.106.020 …

The department of labor and industries may establish one pilot project in which the department will enter into an agreement with a city and the county within which the city is located regarding compliance inspections by the city or county to enforce this chapter. Under the terms …

The department shall immediately suspend any certificate of competency issued under this chapter if the holder of the certificate has been certified pursuant to RCW 74.20A.320 by the department of social and health services as a person who is not in compliance with a support orde…

(1) Those actively certified by the department of health on or before July 1, 2001, as backflow assembly testers and registered as a contractor under chapter 18.27 RCW or employed by a registered contractor, may perform maintenance and repair of backflow prevention assemblies, wi…

(1)(a) The plumbing contractor shall:(i) Accurately report all plumbing hours worked by plumbing trainees and, effective June 30, 2021, report all plumbing trainee hours worked on a quarterly basis on a form prescribed by the department;(ii) Attest that trainee hours were under t…

(1) Except as provided in this chapter, as of July 1, 2021, it is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, or perform any work under this chapter without being licensed as a plumbing contractor under th…

(1) Each applicant for a plumbing contractor license shall file with the department a surety bond issued by a surety insurer who meets the requirements of chapter 48.28 RCW in the sum of six thousand dollars. If no valid bond is already on file with the department at the time the…

(1) At the time of plumbing contractor licensing and subsequent license renewal, the applicant shall furnish insurance or financial responsibility in the form of an assigned account in the amount of fifty thousand dollars for injury or damages to property, and one hundred thousan…

(1) A certificate, license, or endorsement issued under this chapter may be suspended, revoked, or subject to civil penalty by the department upon determination that any one or more of the following exist:(a) A false statement as to a material matter in the application for a cert…

(1) No city, town, or county shall issue a plumbing permit for work which is to be done by any contractor required to be licensed under this chapter without verification that such contractor is currently licensed as required by law. When such verification is made, nothing contain…