(1) A plumbing contractor may license/renew/relicense/reinstate if it:

(a) Completes an application for plumbing contractor licensing, have it notarized, and submit it to the department as required by RCW 18.106.400;

(i) Each applicant for a plumbing contractor's license shall identify the full-time employee or member of the firm, who currently possesses a valid journey level plumber's certificate of competency or specialty plumber's certificate of competency, as the plumbing contractor's designated certified plumber.

(ii) The designated plumber's certificate will define the journey level (general) or specialty scope of work allowed to be performed by the plumbing contractor per RCW 18.106.400 and 18.106.430;

(b) Satisfies one of the following:

(i) Obtains a continuous surety bond in the total amount specified in WAC 296-400A-012 and submits the original bond to the department or submits the bond information through the department of labor and industries' electronic bond and insurance policy system (EBIPS) (see RCW 18.106.410); or

(ii) Assigns, to the department, a security deposit in the form of a savings account held in a Washington state bank on a department issued form in the amounts specified in WAC 296-400A-012;

(c) Obtains public liability and property damage insurance and submits the original insurance certificate to the department or submits the insurance information through the department of labor and industries' electronic bond and insurance policy system (EBIPS) (see RCW 18.106.420); and

(d) Pays the issuance/renewal/relicensing/reinstatement fee shown in WAC 296-400A-045.

(2) A plumbing contractor may renew its license if it submits, to the department, a completed plumbing contractor license renewal notice and the material required in subsection (1)(b) and (c) of this section and pays the renewal fee shown in WAC 296-400A-045. No more than forty-five days before the plumbing contractor's license expires, the department must send a renewal notice to the plumbing contractor's last recorded address with the plumbing contractor licensing program. It is the responsibility of the plumbing contractor to notify the department within ten days and in writing of a change in address.

(3) The plumbing contractor must submit all required documents to the department in a manner approved by the department as set forth in this subsection:

(a) Include, on each document, the name exactly as it appears on the plumbing contractor license application or renewal notice;

(b) Include, if renewing a license, the plumbing contractor's license number on each of the documents;

(c) Include a copy of the certificate or document (when required) by the secretary of state for the contractor to do business in the state of Washington; and

(d) Have and maintain an active and valid unified business identifier (certificate of registration) with the department of revenue.

(4) The department will not license, renew, or reinstate the license of a plumbing contractor if:

(a) Any of the required documents are missing, false, or are incomplete;

(b) The documents do not have the legal name of the plumbing contractor as documented on official governmental issued photo identification;

(c) In the case of a renewal, the documents do not include the license number or UBI number; or

(d) The applicant or person pursuant to RCW 18.106.400 has an unsatisfied final judgment based on work which is subject to chapter 18.106 RCW and this chapter.

(5) The plumbing contractor may request, in a letter filed with the application or renewal materials, that the license period end on a particular day. However, the license period cannot exceed two years.

(6) Plumbing contractor license implementation and transition for registered contractors under chapter 18.27 RCW. Any existing registered general contractor or registered plumbing specialty contractor under chapter 18.27 RCW who submit completed applications for plumbing contractor licenses to the department by September 1, 2021, are considered to be in compliance with this chapter until the department reviews the application. Upon review, department decisions on applications under WAC 296-400A-014 are applicable.