How to Check a Garage Door Company's L&I Registration in Washington
Search for garage door help in Seattle, Washington and you will see plenty of ads that say "licensed and insured." Here is the catch: Washington does not issue a garage door license. What it has instead is contractor registration through the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), and that registration is something you can check in about two minutes on your phone before anyone opens your garage.
This guide explains what registration covers, the bond and insurance amounts, how to use L&I's Verify a Contractor tool, and what paperwork Washington requires on a larger job. It is general information from the statutes and L&I's pages, not legal advice.
Registered, not licensed: what the words mean in Washington
Under RCW 18.27.010, a contractor is anyone who, as an independent business, offers to construct, alter, repair or improve a building or anything attached to it. A garage door is attached to the structure, so a company that advertises garage door repair falls under the contractor registration law. RCW 18.27.020 makes it a gross misdemeanor to advertise, bid or perform contractor work without being registered.
Registration is not a skills test. L&I does not examine a garage door technician the way it examines an electrician. What registration does is put a bond, liability insurance and a public record on file, so that a homeowner has somewhere to turn if a job goes wrong.
Washington's specialty list names the trade directly. WAC 296-200A-016 lists "Overhead/garage doors" as a specialty for a contractor that "installs wood, wood panel, steel panel or steel roll-up doors and the rails and support systems common to the industries," and it adds that installing "power or hand operated opening/closing motors and devices is included." The same entry notes that work in this specialty may also require an electrical license under chapter 19.28 RCW, which matters once an opener needs new 120-volt wiring.
So when a Seattle ad says "licensed," the honest version is "registered with L&I." A company that claims a state garage door license is describing something that does not exist.
Bond and insurance amounts
| Requirement | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bond, specialty contractor (most garage door companies) | $15,000 | RCW 18.27.040 |
| Bond, general contractor | $30,000 | RCW 18.27.040 |
| Liability insurance, property damage | $50,000 | RCW 18.27.050 |
| Liability insurance, injury to one person | $100,000 | RCW 18.27.050 |
| Liability insurance, injury to more than one person | $200,000 | RCW 18.27.050 |
The current bond amounts took effect July 1, 2024, after a 2023 amendment. Contractors registered before that date could stay on their old bond until their next renewal, so a bond listing in the Verify tool may show either figure for a while. A $15,000 bond is a backstop for a dispute, not a guarantee that a job will be covered; the state's own Notice to Customer says so in capital letters.
How to use L&I's Verify a Contractor tool
L&I's lookup is at secure.lni.wa.gov/verify. It searches contractors, tradespeople and businesses by name, registration or license number, workers' comp account or UBI number. Here is a practical order of operations when a company replies to your quote request.
Get the registration number
Washington requires it in any ad that shows the company's name or address (RCW 18.27.100). If it is not on the website, ask for it.
Search the number, then the name
Searching the number avoids look-alike business names. Then search the name to confirm it is the same record.
Check "active"
Expired, suspended and inactive registrations show up here. An active status means the bond and insurance were on file at last check.
Read the bond and insurance lines
Confirm both are current. L&I's hiring guidance says to make sure the contractor is bonded and insured for damages that may occur.
Scan the history
The record shows lawsuits against the bond and infractions. One old item is a question to ask; a pattern is a reason to move on.
L&I's hiring page also recommends getting at least three written bids and a written contract. For a garage door that fits a quote service well: describe the door once, let independent companies reply, then run each one through the Verify tool before anyone comes out. Here is how that process works on this site.
Know your rights in Washington
Washington's Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.86.020) bans unfair or deceptive practices, and consumers can recover actual damages, up to triple damages capped at $25,000, and attorney fees (RCW 19.86.090). Ask for a written estimate and an itemized invoice that lists the parts replaced, and ask for your old parts back. Complaints go to the Washington Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division; unregistered contractors can be reported to L&I at 1-888-811-5974. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Notice to Customer on jobs of $1,000 or more
RCW 18.27.114 requires a contractor doing residential repair, alteration or construction to hand the customer a written disclosure before starting work whenever the bid or contract price totals $1,000 or more. The statute calls it the "Notice to Customer." It lists the contractor's registration number, bond amount and expiration date, and it carries a blunt warning: the bond or deposit "might not be sufficient to cover a claim that might arise from the work done under your contract." It also tells you that your property may be liened and that you can ask for lien-release documents from suppliers and subcontractors.
Where does a garage door job land? Published national guides put a typical spring replacement between $120 and $540 (Fixr, January 2025; This Old House, March 2026), so a single spring call usually stays under the line. A new door installed runs $700 to $2,000 for a single and $1,175 to $4,075 for a double (Fixr, January 2025), so a replacement door should come with the notice. Failing to give the notice is an infraction, and a contractor cannot enforce a lien without proving the notice was given.
The electrical line
A garage door company doesn't need an electrical license for an opener's low-voltage sensor and wall-button wiring (WAC 296-46B-901). A new outlet or circuit for an opener is electrical work for a licensed electrical contractor, with a permit from your city (Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Burien, Tukwila, Lynnwood) or from L&I (Shoreline, Kent, Edmonds, Issaquah). If a quote for an opener installation includes "running a new circuit," ask who is doing that part and under what license. Electrical contractors can be checked in the same Verify tool.
What registration does not tell you
An active registration says the company exists, has a bond and insurance, and has not been shut down. It says nothing about whether the technician balances a door properly or whether the price is fair. For those, you still want a written estimate before work starts, the trip fee stated up front, a parts list on the invoice, warranty terms in writing, and your old parts back. Published national ranges for common repairs are on the cost guide, labeled as estimates, not quotes.
Be cautious with ads promising very low service-call fees, listings with no local address, unmarked vehicles, look-alike company names, or requests for large upfront payments. The Better Business Bureau warned about the low-fee pattern in 2026, and the FTC brought a 2026 case against a network accused of running thousands of fake home-repair listings. Washington contractor ads must show an L&I registration number; look it up.
A note about this site
The Garage Door Repair Seattle is a free quote-matching service, not a garage door company, and it is not registered with L&I as a contractor because it does not perform any work. The companies that reply to your request are independent and may pay to receive requests. Run every one of them through the Verify tool yourself.
Ready to compare? Request free quotes from independent companies serving Seattle, WA and the Eastside, or call (877) 265-2390 and describe the problem once.
Frequently asked questions
Do garage door companies in Washington need a license?
Washington does not issue a garage door license. It requires garage door companies to be registered with the Department of Labor & Industries as contractors, and there is an 'Overhead/garage doors' specialty. Registration means a bond and liability insurance are on file. Electricians are licensed; contractors are registered.
How do I check a garage door company's L&I registration?
Use L&I's Verify a Contractor tool at secure.lni.wa.gov/verify. Search by business name, registration number or UBI number. Check that the registration is active, that the bond and insurance are current, and read the history for lawsuits or infractions. The number should also appear in the company's ads (RCW 18.27.100).
How much bond and insurance does a registered Washington contractor carry?
Under RCW 18.27.040 the bond is at least $15,000 for a specialty contractor and $30,000 for a general contractor; the higher amounts took effect July 1, 2024. RCW 18.27.050 requires liability insurance of $50,000 for property damage, $100,000 for injury to one person and $200,000 for injury to more than one person.
What is the Notice to Customer, and when should I get one?
RCW 18.27.114 requires a contractor to give a written 'Notice to Customer' before starting residential work when the bid or contract price is $1,000 or more. It states the registration number, bond amount and expiration date, warns that the bond may not cover a claim, and explains lien rights. A new door usually crosses that line; a single spring job usually does not.