During a temporary shutdown, all L&I offices will be closed.

This is a list of services that would be impacted by a temporary state government shutdown.

Information on our website may not be updated during a shutdown. L&I employees would not be available to process information submitted during the shutdown until after the shutdown ends.

All online services will be available, but if they become unavailable during the shutdown, we would not be able to make repairs until after the temporary shutdown ends.

How L&I services would be affected during a temporary shutdown:

Workers' Compensation Claims

  • New claims will not be processed for acceptance, authorization, or benefit payments.
  • Injured workers will be able to obtain their first prescription if they have a claim number provided by their doctor or emergency room doctor.
  • Time-loss and pension payments for existing claims that currently have ongoing scheduled payments will continue to be paid. (This also applies to payments for state employees who have L&I claims — there is no impact to your L&I benefit check based on layoffs that occur at your agency.)
  • If an existing claim becomes suspended for any reason, such as transfer of care, release for work, or no receipt of worker verification, it will not be paid.
  • Authorization for elective medical services such as surgery or therapy may not occur. (Medical providers may continue to provide these services pending retroactive approval and payment after the shutdown.)
  • Referrals for services such as catastrophic care and vocational services will not occur.
  • Washington Stay at Work reimbursements will not be processed, and the program's outreach will be suspended.

Employer Services

  • New employer accounts will not be established.
  • Existing accounts will not be updated or changed.
  • Staff will not be available to answer questions or troubleshoot account issues.
  • Retro staff and services, such as protest processing, will not be available.
  • Customers will be able to use QuickFile to pay workers' comp premiums. Complete and accurate payments will be processed automatically. If there is inaccurate or incomplete information, the payment will be suspended and not processed during the shutdown.

Medical Provider Services

  • New claims will not be processed for acceptance, authorization, or benefit payment.
  • No new medical provider accounts will be initiated or processed.
  • Injured workers will be able to obtain their first prescription if they have a claim number provided by their doctor or emergency room doctor.
  • Authorization for elective medical services such as surgery or therapy may not occur. (Medical providers may continue to provide these services pending retroactive approval and payment after the shutdown.)
  • Provider bills requiring staff review will not be paid (about 25% of all bills). Provider bills for active claims will continue to be paid automatically.
  • Medical provider support services will not be available to answer questions about coding, billing, or treatment options.
  • Billing workshops for health care providers and other provider outreach services will not occur.

Crime Victims

  • New claims will not be processed for acceptance, authorization, or benefit payment.
  • Limited staff will be available to process existing claims and bills and answer telephones.

Division of Occupational Safety & Health

The Safety and Health 800 number will be staffed during a temporary shutdown. To report a workplace death, hospitalization, amputation, loss of an eye, or imminent danger, call 1-800-423-7233.

  • Safety and health compliance staff will be on duty throughout the state to respond to serious worker safety incidents and imminent danger.
  • Staff will be available to process appeals and issue citations.
  • Safety and health consultation, training and outreach, customer service, and technical staff will not be available. This includes the certification portion of asbestos, charter boats, cranes and explosives; however, compliance will continue in these areas.

Workplace Rights/Labor Standards

  • Wage complaints will not be investigated.
  • Wage collections and payments to workers will not be processed.
  • Minor work permits will not be approved.
  • Farm labor contractor licensing requests will not be processed.
  • Protected leave complaints will not be investigated.

Prevailing Wage/Apprenticeship

  • Intents and affidavits can be filed online, but will not be processed or approved.
  • No new apprenticeship registration or apprentice tracking.

Licensing and Certification

These services will not be available:

  • Amusement ride inspections/certification
  • Asbestos removal certification
  • Charter vessel certification
  • Crane certification (construction and maritime)
  • Electrical and telecommunications administrator and trainee licensing
  • Elevator contractor and mechanic licensing
  • Explosives licensing (user, dealer, purchaser, manufacture, and storage)
  • Installer certification
  • Plumber certification (trainee, apprentice, and medical gas endorsement)
  • Talkie tooters permits (logging)

Public Safety

These services will not be available:

  • Electrical inspections (except emergencies).
  • Electrical permits and manufactured homes/mobile structures permits may be purchased online only with a credit card; however, there will not be any inspections/approvals.
  • Elevator permits and inspections (except emergencies).
  • Boiler permits and inspections (except emergencies).
  • Manufactured home/mobile structures inspections.
  • Electrical plan review.
  • Amusement ride electrical inspections.

These outreach/customer services/administrative offices will not be available:

  • Accounting Services:
    • Warrant handling services that require special handling (lobby pulls, cancellations, address corrections)
  • Accounts payable, administrative offices
  • Call centers within the agency
  • Director's Office/Constituent Services
  • Fraud Prevention and Compliance Labor Standards
  • Hispanic Outreach and Communications
  • Hotlines (except Workplace Safety and Health)
  • Office of Human Resources services:
    • Hiring and recruitment services
    • Responses and communication to federal government agencies on complaints and accounting reports
  • Public Affairs
  • Public Records
  • Self-Insurance Office of the Ombuds
  • Small Business Liaison
  • Translation services from Office of Information and Assistance
  • Workshops, training, outreach events
  • All other staffed positions unless otherwise noted on this page

Public Records Requests

  • See the notice to public records requesters during a government shutdown.
  • New public records requests submitted during a shutdown will be processed when there's a state budget and state agencies re-open; the date of receipt will be the date that the agency re-opens.
  • Public records requests that were in process at the start of the shutdown will not progress while the agency is closed; work on these requests will resume when state government re-opens. More time will be needed to complete these requests.
  • Records inspection appointments scheduled during a shutdown will be canceled and rescheduled when the shutdown ends.