How to transfer your Elevator mechanic licence to Washington (2026)

Elevator mechanic work in Washington is licensed at state level, by the Washington elevator safety board or licensing program. This page says what a elevator mechanic licensed or working in another state has to do to work in Washington, in the order to do it, and what goes wrong when the order is reversed.

How the transfer works

Most states license elevator mechanics and most of those accept the NEIEP or IUEC apprenticeship and a licence from another state for licensure by endorsement; a few require the state exam. Apply to Washington's elevator licensing program with your current licence, apprenticeship record and the fee.

How long: two to eight weeks. Fee: $50 to $300; the current figure is on the licensing body's own site.

What to have ready before you move

• Current licence
• Apprenticeship completion certificate
• Union card if IUEC

Start the paperwork before you give notice. Every week the licence is not done is a week you are not paid, and nothing in the process needs you to be in Washington already.

What people get wrong

• Assuming a licence is not needed; most states require one before touching a unit

Who hires elevator mechanics in Washington

Elevator mechanics in Washington are hired by elevator companies (Otis, Schindler, KONE, TK Elevator) and independent service firms. The metros with the most of that work are Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver and Bellevue. Employers who could not hire locally and have filed with the Department of Labor are on the Washington openings page.

For the money side: the median elevator mechanic in Washington earned $133,030 a year ($64 an hour) in May 2024 across 1,170 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Washington has no state income tax on wages. What that leaves you after tax is its own page.

Everything about Washington, on one page

The Washington page has the registries and boards, the income tax table, the programs that pay you to come and the openings filed this month. If you know which state you are leaving, the move pages compare the two directly. Creating a free Workmerica profile with your trade and your destination puts you in front of Washington employers hiring from out of state.