DC health club bonds.
$250 flat.

A health club or health spa operating in the District — including a gym franchise location — must post a surety bond with DLCP before making membership sales, under D.C. Code § 28-3817. A club that limits membership sales to 100 persons or fewer files at the $25,000 tier; ours is $250 flat, and the price you see is the checkout price.

Required before membership sales by a DC health club or health spa under D.C. Code § 28-3817
Fixed price, fixed amount — $25,000 bond, $250, no quote process
Multi-year terms available — set it up once for up to 3 years
A-ratedA.M. Best carriersInstantunderwriting processSoft pull onlynever a hard inquiry
Trusted by industry leaders
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Three steps. One sitting.

A health club filing is one of the simpler consumer-protection bonds. Here's the entire process:

NOW · ONLINE

Apply online

Business details, membership-sales cap, and an effective date. That's the application.

MINUTES, USUALLY

Pay & e-sign

Bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.

SAME DAY

File with DLCP

Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection ahead of your first membership sale. Wet-ink original mailed on request.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

D.C. Code § 28-3817 is the District's consumer-protection statute for health spa sales — cash or credit sales where a health club or spa agrees to provide goods or services for more than 30 days. Before making such a sale, the operator must file a surety bond (or an equivalent letter of credit or cash) with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP).

The statute sets two tiers: $50,000 for a standard health spa, and a reduced $25,000 for an operator that states in writing it will limit membership sales to 100 persons or fewer. This filing is written at the $25,000 tier. It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and DLCP (the obligee), with members who prepaid dues as the protected party if the club closes or fails to deliver.

It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a member claim, you repay the surety. DLCP requires evidence the bond remains in force filed annually, so we track your renewal and notify you well ahead of the date.

D.C. Code § 28-3817D.C. Code § 28-3817 requires a health spa (which the statute defines broadly to include health clubs, gyms, and similar membership-sales facilities) to maintain a surety bond, letter of credit, or cash with DLCP before making health spa sales — $50,000 standard, or $25,000 for an operator that limits sales to 100 members or fewer. Confirm with DLCP which tier applies to your location before filing.

You need this bond if you're

Opening a health club or gym in the District, including a franchise location
Registering with DLCP to make membership sales for the first time
Renewing an existing health-club bond filing with DLCP
Limiting membership sales to 100 persons or fewer and filing at the reduced tier

One application, issued instantly.

These are the actual issuing fields — the application includes a standard soft-pull credit consent, common to most bonds at this tier.

Start the application →
FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the DC health club bond?The premium is $250 flat — set by our carrier's rate book for this filing, the same for every operator at the $25,000 tier. Because the amount is fixed, there is no quote process.
Do I pay the $25,000?No. You pay $250. The $25,000 is the surety's maximum liability if a valid member claim is made against the bond — not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.
How fast will I have the bond?Filings like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase — many operators finish the application and have the bond in the same sitting. At most, 1–2 business days.
Is there a credit check?The application includes a credit consent, but it authorizes a soft credit pull only — a soft inquiry that never affects your score. No hard inquiry ever runs on this bond.
What if my club sells to more than 100 members?Then D.C. Code § 28-3817 puts you at the $50,000 tier instead of $25,000. Tell us and we'll issue the higher bond — check with DLCP before you exceed the 100-member cap on this filing.
Related bonds

Other District of Columbia bonds.

Finish your DLCP filing today.

$250 flat, soft-pull credit consent only, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.

Your price$250
Apply now →