What to Do If Your Contractor's License Expired

Short Answer: Confirm the status on L&I Verify, because a newer registration number may explain an expired record. If it really lapsed, pause payments, ask for written proof of a current ACTIVE registration and document everything.

Quick Facts

You check your contractor’s record halfway through a kitchen remodel and the status says EXPIRED. Before panicking, take a few methodical steps. Sometimes there is an innocent explanation; sometimes you need to protect yourself quickly.

Step 1: Confirm What the Record Actually Says

Look the contractor up on L&I Verify, not only on a third-party site. Note:

• the exact status (EXPIRED, SUSPENDED, ACTIVE, RE-LICENSED),
• the expiry date,
• the bond and insurance dates,
• whether a newer record exists for the same business.

The meaning of each status is in Washington Contractor License Statuses Explained.

Step 2: Look for a Newer Registration

The most common innocent explanation is a change of business structure. If the contractor formed an LLC, the old sole-proprietor record expires and a new registration is issued under a different number. Search the business name and the owner’s trade name. If you find an ACTIVE record for the same business, ask the contractor to confirm in writing and to update your contract with the new entity and number.

Step 3: Pause Payments and Ask in Writing

If you cannot find an ACTIVE record:

1. Pause further payments.
2. Write to the contractor (email is fine) asking for proof of current registration.
3. Ask when the registration lapsed and why.
4. Keep a copy of the message and any reply.

Under RCW 18.27.114, a contractor must notify the customer if its registration expires or is suspended before the work is completed. Silence is itself a warning sign.

Watch out: Do not pay a large progress payment “so they can sort the renewal out”. Renewal does not require your money.

Step 4: Understand Why Registrations Lapse

• Missed renewal. Registrations must be renewed every two years. Some contractors simply miss the date and renew within days.
• Bond cancelled. If the surety cancels the bond, registration is suspended.
• Insurance lapsed. A lapse in required liability insurance suspends registration automatically.
• Business closed. The record may show OUT OF BUSINESS.

A missed renewal fixed within days is very different from a cancelled bond.

Step 5: Decide Whether to Continue

If the contractor renews quickly and the record returns to ACTIVE with current bond and insurance, many homeowners continue, with:

• the renewal documented in writing,
• an updated contract if the entity changed,
• payments resumed only for completed work.

If the registration stays expired, it is illegal for the contractor to continue performing contracting work. Consider ending the contract, ideally after taking advice.

Step 6: Protect Your Bond Rights

Bond and insurance coverage depend on dates. Write down:

• the bond company, bond number and amount shown on the record,
• the insurance company and policy period,
• the dates of your contract, payments and work.

If you later need to make a claim, those details matter. See How to File a Claim Against a Contractor Bond in Washington.

Step 7: Collect Lien Releases

If you have paid the contractor for subcontractor or supplier work, ask for lien releases before any further payment. An expired registration sometimes signals financial trouble, and unpaid subcontractors can claim a lien against your property. Lien Release Explained for Washington Homeowners walks through this.

Step 8: Report If Appropriate

If the contractor keeps working or advertising without a current registration, you can report it to L&I, anonymously if you prefer.

If the License Expired Before You Signed

If the record was already expired when you signed, the contractor was not registered when it contracted with you. That matters under RCW 18.27.080 and for your bond rights. Follow the steps in What to Do If a Contractor Is Unlicensed in Washington.

Preventing This Next Time

• Check the record before signing and again before each large payment.
• Watch the expiry date. Our list of Washington Contractor Licenses Expiring in the Next 30 Days shows registrations near their expiry.
• Put a contract clause requiring the contractor to keep its registration, bond and insurance current, and to notify you of any change.

Expired vs Suspended: Why the Difference Matters

An expired registration usually means the renewal date passed without renewal. It may be fixed quickly if the contractor simply missed the deadline. A suspended registration usually means something required by law has lapsed, such as the bond or liability insurance. That is a more serious signal, because it affects the protections behind your project.

If the record shows SUSPENDED, ask specifically what caused it and ask for proof that the bond or insurance has been reinstated. Do not resume payments until the record shows ACTIVE again.

Questions to Ask Your Contractor

• When did the registration lapse, and why?
• Have you applied to renew, and when do you expect it to be processed?
• Is your bond still in force? Which surety and bond number?
• Is your liability insurance current? Can your agent send a certificate?
• Has your business structure changed? If so, which entity should be on our contract?

A Sample Message to Your Contractor

Tip: “Hi, I checked L&I Verify today and your registration shows EXPIRED as of [date]. Please send proof of a current ACTIVE registration, bond and insurance. I’m pausing payments until I receive it. Thanks.”

Short, factual and documented. That is all you need to start.

Timing Matters for Claims

Bond and insurance coverage attach to dates. Work performed while a contractor was properly registered, bonded and insured sits on firmer ground than work performed after a lapse. Write down the date you first noticed the problem, the date on the state record and the dates of each payment and work stage. If you later talk to a surety, insurer or lawyer, a simple dated timeline lets them see quickly which protections may apply. It also helps you decide whether to keep going with the contractor or to stop, because you can see exactly how much work and money falls on each side of the lapse.