Title 18 — Title 18 BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS

A person shall be qualified to receive a water well operator's license if the person:(1) Has submitted a completed application to the department on forms provided by the department and has paid to the department the application fee determined by rule adopted pursuant to this chap…

The examination for a license issued pursuant to this chapter shall be prepared to test knowledge and understanding of at least the following subjects:(1) Washington groundwater laws as they relate to well construction;(2) Sanitary standards for well drilling and construction of …

The department may issue a water well construction operator's training license if the person:(1) Has submitted a completed application to the department on forms provided by the department and has paid to the department the application fee required by rules adopted pursuant to th…

A person shall be qualified to receive a resource protection well operator's license if the person:(1) Has submitted a completed application to the department on forms provided by the department and has paid to the department the application fee required by rules adopted pursuant…

The department may issue a resource protection well operator's training license if the person:(1) Has submitted a completed application to the department on forms provided by the department and has paid to the department the application fee required by rules adopted pursuant to t…

(1) Licenses issued pursuant to this chapter shall be renewed every two years. A license shall be renewed upon payment of a renewal fee and completion of continuing education requirements and receipt of a completed license renewal application. If a licensee fails to submit an app…

(1) In cases other than those relating to the failure of a licensee to renew a license, the director may suspend or revoke a license issued pursuant to this chapter for any of the following reasons:(a) For fraud or deception in obtaining the license;(b) For fraud or deception in …

Any person who can demonstrate being materially harmed by the actions or inactions of a well contractor, operator, or trainee, or has knowledge of illegal activities engaged in by a well contractor, operator, or trainee may submit a complaint against the well contractor, operator…

Any person who feels aggrieved by an order of the department including the granting, denial, revocation, or suspension of a license issued by the department pursuant to this chapter shall be entitled to an appeal pursuant to RCW 43.21B.310.[ 1987 c 109 s 24; 1971 ex.s. c 212 s 13…

(1) All fees paid under this chapter shall be credited by the state treasurer to the reclamation account established by chapter 89.16 RCW. Subject to legislative appropriation, the fees collected under this chapter shall be allocated and expended by the director for the administr…

(1) Except as provided in RCW 43.05.060 through 43.05.080 and 43.03.150, the department of ecology may assess a civil penalty for a violation of this chapter or rules or orders of the department adopted or issued pursuant to it.(2) There shall be three categories of violations: M…

Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars, or imprisonment in a county jail for a term not to exceed thirty days, or both. Criminal prose…

The remedies provided for in this chapter shall be cumulative and nothing herein shall alter, abridge or foreclose alternative actions at common law or in equity or under statutory law, civil or criminal.[ 1971 ex.s. c 212 s 17.]

No license under this chapter shall be required of:(1) Any individual who personally constructs a well on land which is owned or leased by the individual or in which the individual has a beneficial interest as a contract purchaser and is used by the individual for farm or single-…

(1) For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter, the director shall appoint a technical advisory group, chaired by the department. The technical advisory group shall have twelve members: Two members shall represent the department of ecology, six members shall r…

(1) A person seeking a new license or to renew an existing license under this chapter must demonstrate a willingness to maintain a high level of professional competency by completing continuing education programs as required by the department by rule. The department shall not app…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Washington well construction act."[ 1993 c 387 s 26; 1971 ex.s. c 212 s 19.]

This act shall take effect on July 1, 1971.[ 1971 ex.s. c 212 s 20.]

This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1993.[ 1993 c 387 s 29.]

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…