Dear Licensed Professionals,  

The Washington State Department of Health recently launched the Healthcare Enforcement and Licensing Management System (HELMS), a new licensing system for all healthcare professionals and facilities. HELMS brings applications and credentialing online through a modern, self-service user portal.  

 The licensing and enforcement of health professionals and facilities is a critical part of the public health infrastructure. It is responsible for ensuring safe, high-quality, and accessible healthcare for all Washingtonians. This custom tool will improve processing and provide a more secure, transparent experience for providers, employers, and administrators. 

A Key Change: Your Certificates and Renewal Notices Are Now Digital! 

 This is an important update for all licensed professionals: 

• You'll now receive renewal notices exclusively via email if you have a registered email with the Department of Health. 

• Paper certificates and renewal notices will no longer be mailed. 

• Please note: Historical credential certificates (approved before April 29, 2025) are not available in HELMS. 

 Start Your HELMS User Account Today 

 We encourage you to start your HELMS account today and learn more about the benefits and improvements that HELMS has to offer. Follow the steps below to create, connect, and use your HELMS account.  

1. Create a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account or log into your existing account and add the “Health Professional and Facility Licensing (HELMS)” service to your SAW account. 

 2. Double-check your contact information. You will be prompted to review your contact information when you add the HELMS service to your SAW account.  

• If you have an existing license, please use your credential number to match your account with your previous licensing information.  

• It is essential that your contact information is up to date to ensure a match with your previous licensing records. 

 3. Certificates and renewal notices are now digital. If you have an email registered with the Department of Health, you will only receive an emailed renewal notice. Paper certificates will no longer be mailed to professionals. Historical credential certificates are not available for download in HELMS.  

• You can request a certificate that was approved prior to the launch of HELMS (before April 29, 2025) by contacting the Office of Customer Service. 

 4. Check the status of your application or renewal anytime. Log in to your HELMS account through SAW to check the status column next to your credentials on the homepage. For applications, click on the Applications tab to view your status. For more information on application statuses and timing, check here.  

 For more information and instructions, visit DOH.wa.gov/HELMS. 

 Thank you for your dedication to public health in Washington state.