Starting a Private Career School

Before you take your next step in starting a private career school, first contact the Workforce Board at 360-753-5662. You need to speak with us before becoming licensed to operate a private career school in Washington state, or if you plan to advertise your school in Washington.

After a brief discussion about your proposed school, we’ll schedule an orientation meeting.

Before the meeting, we recommend you familiarize yourself with the private vocational school licensing statute and regulations. If you haven’t already, you will need to:

• Obtain a Master Business License from the state’s Department of Licensing.
• Register with the state’s Department of Revenue. 

If you will be operating a limited partnership or corporation, register with the Secretary of State’s office. Finally, be sure to comply with any local ordinances governing businesses in the city or county where you plan to operate.

Online application and required materials checklist
After you have completed these necessary first steps, you’ll be able to fill out an online application. Your user name and password will be assigned to you at your orientation meeting.

At the end of the process you’ll receive instructions to forward additional required materials. This comprehensive checklist includes everything from your business plan to descriptions of educational programs to a recent credit report. We recommend you review these requirements now so you’re ready to move forward.