District of Columbia employment agency bonds.
$1,000 flat.
The District of Columbia requires an employment agency to file a surety bond before it is licensed. For higher-fee, higher-volume agencies, that bond is $100,000 under D.C. Code § 32-403. Ours is $1,000 flat — set by our carrier's rate book. A quick soft credit check may apply, e-signed in 1–2 business days.
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How much does a District of Columbia employment agency bond cost?
$1,000 at the $100,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps to licensed.
Your agency license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Apply once, online
Business details, owner information, effective date, and a few commercial questions. The only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit check.
Reviewed & approved
Larger bonds like this get a quick underwriting look; if anything else is needed, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
E-sign & file with DLCP
Pay online and receive the executed bond, ready to file with your DC employment agency license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the District insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The District of Columbia licenses employment agencies, employment counseling services, and job listing services, and conditions the license on a surety bond under D.C. Code § 32-403. The bond is a job-seeker-protection guarantee: it stands behind the fees you collect and your compliance with the District's employment agency law.
The amount turns on your fee structure and volume. A $100,000 bond applies if the agency's average fee for job-seekers is $2,000 or more and it contracts with 100 or more job-seekers a year; a $50,000 bond applies to agencies below that threshold. The agency may instead post a cash bond with the District.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety, and the District together with job-seekers as the protected parties. It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Licensing and consumer-protection enforcement moved to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection when DCRA split in 2022.
You need this bond if you're
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the $100,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose; a longer term is the same price per year, chosen at checkout.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
E-sign & file with DLCP. Pay online and receive the executed bond, ready to file with your DC employment agency license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the District insists.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $1,000 at the $100,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application: approved instantly, or after a quick credit check.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a few commercial questions and a one-time consent to a soft credit check. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other District of Columbia bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
DLCP is waiting on one document.
$1,000 flat, short application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.