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How to get your license: Telephone solicitors

Who needs a license?

  • Each location of a business that makes unsolicited commercial telephone calls and sells goods or products during the call, or
  • Any business that offers free prizes by mail and invite a telephone response.

Exceptions

  • Any business soliciting for educational, political, or charitable purposes.
  • Any business for which less than 60% of the prior year's sales were made by telephone solicitations.
  • Any business that sells to businesses that either resell the product or use it for manufacturing.

How to apply

Note: We issue this license, but it's processed by the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service (BLS). BLS prints it on the business license they provide. They refer to licenses issued by us as endorsements to the business license.

Apply online with the Department of Revenue

What you'll need

  • Supporting documents shown below, ready for upload.
  • Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit/debit card (transaction fee charged) or bank account information for E–check to pay:
    • Applicable BLS fees
    • Commercial telephone solicitors license fee

Want to apply by mail?

  1. Complete the following forms:
  2. Mail the completed forms with a check/money order payable to the Department of Revenue for the applicable BLS fees and the commercial telephone solicitors license fee to:
    State of Washington
    Business Licensing Service
    PO Box 9034
    Olympia, WA 98507–9034

Supporting documents

  • Completed Personal/Criminal History Statement for each of the following:
    • 1 for each manager who is in charge of the business operations at the location
    • and
    • For persons other than the manager, depending on your business structure:
      • Sole proprietor – 1 for the proprietor.
      • Partnership – 1 for each partner.
      • Limited Partnership – 1 for the general partner.
      • Corporation – 1 for each officer (president, vice president, secretary and treasurer).
      • Limited Liability Company – 1 for each member or manager.
  • If you have any criminal convictions or civil judgments in any jurisdiction within the past 10 years, you can provide documentation to support your explanation of the circumstances.

Post your license

You must post a license at each location where you operate. You may not begin this business activity until you receive the required license.

Address and name changes

If you move or your address changes, or change your name or the business name, please contact us to update your license.

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