General Information

If you plan to participate in horse racing at a track or facility under the Washington Horse Racing Commission (WHRC) jurisdiction, you must obtain a WHRC license.

License applications are provided by the WHRC and may be obtained at the main office in Olympia, field offices, or by downloading from this site. 

Fill out the application completely and accurately, including any criminal history. Failure to provide all the required information, falsification of any fact, may result in a penalty up to and including revocation of your license. You must come to a track that is operating in order to be photographed to receive your identification card.

License fees can be paid by cash, check or credit/debit cards. There is a 3% service fee for all credit/debit card transactions.

WHRC Licensing Office Hours at Emerald Downs

Closed for the season, please contact the Olympia office

License Fees

All applicants who apply for two or more licenses in a calendar year shall pay the full license fees for the licenses applied for unless the total license fee exceeds $146. In other words license fees are capped at $146, unless otherwise provided. The exceptions to the $146 cap are persons applying for owners, veterinarians or vendors licenses. In these cases, the applicant must pay the license fee for each license, however for additional licenses, the fee will not exceed $146.

Fingerprint Requirements

WHRC investigators will conduct background checks through local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Fingerprint based criminal history checks through the FBI are normally required every five years but may be required at any time. Each year every person between the ages of eighteen and sixty-nine must pay a $10 fingerprint processing fee in addition to the license fees. Any applicant or licensee over the age of sixty-nine or under the age of eighteen whose fingerprints are requested will be required to pay the entire cost of the submission at time of processing. Additionally, fingerprints may be required in the following circumstances:
  • Any applicant who was not licensed by the WHRC in the immediate prior year.
  • Any applicant who was licensed by the WHRC in the immediate prior year and not fingerprinted in the immediate prior two years.
  • Any applicant licensed by the WHRC in the immediate prior year and whose criminal history has changed.
  • Any applicant at the sole discretion of the WHRC.

WHRC Owners License Applications and Labor and Industries Premiums

All owners applying for a WHRC license are required to pay a subsidy to the Horsemen's Labor and Industries Account. The amount is based on the percentage of horses owned. The maximum amount to be paid is $150.00. The WHRC calculates the premium at a minimum of 10% ownership and then rounded up in increments of 5% after. Percentage of multiple horses are added together for calculations. For example, if an individual owns 11% of one horse and 12.5% of a second horse for a total of 23.5%,  the percentage is rounded up to 25% and the L & I premium would be $37.50. Once an owner has paid $150.00, no additional premium is required. Below is a chart for premiums due:

1% to 10% ownership = $15.00
11% to 15% ownership = $22.50
16% to 20% ownership = $30.00
21% to 25% ownership = $37.50
26% to 30% ownership = $45.00
31% to 35% ownership = $52.50
36% to 40% ownership = $60.00
41% to 45% ownership = $67.50
46% to 50% ownership = $75.00
51% to 55% ownership = $82.50
56% to 60% ownership = $90.00
61% to 65% ownership = $97.50
66% to 70% ownership = $105.00
71% to 75% ownership = $112.50
76% to 80% ownership = $120.00
81% to 85% ownership = $127.50
86% to 90% ownership = $135.00
91% to 95% ownership = $142.50
96% to 100% ownership = $150.00

This premium is addition to the actual license fees of $96.00 plus $10.00 fingerprint fee, ($106.00), for all applicants over the age of 17 and under the age of 70. For those under 18 or over 69 the license fee is $96.00.
 
If you are unsure of how to calculate the ownership percentages or have any questions please call the WHRC offices at 360-459-6462 in Olympia or 253-931-6372 at Emerald Downs.