NYC process agency bonds.
$1,000 flat.
The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) conditions a Process Serving Agency License on a $100,000 surety bond naming the City of New York. Ours is $1,000 flat — set by our carrier rate book for this bond, identical for every agency. A quick soft credit check may apply, e-signed in 1–2 business days.
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Three steps to licensed.
Your DCWP license is waiting on this bond. Here is the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Apply once, online
Business details, owner information, effective date. That is the application — the only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
Reviewed & approved
Most of these clear quickly; if underwriting needs anything, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. The credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score.
E-sign & file with DCWP
Pay online and receive the executed bond, naming the City of New York, ready to file with your agency license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever DCWP insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the agency bond actually guarantees
You need a Process Serving Agency License from the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) if you or your business assigns, distributes, or delivers process to another for actual service. DCWP conditions the license on a $100,000 surety bond. The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee: it stands behind the agency following NYC process-service law.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of New York (the obligee), with the public and the courts as protected parties. If the agency violates process-service rules and someone is harmed, a valid claim can be recovered against the bond. The bond must name the City of New York, and the business name and address must match your license application.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Agencies that follow DCWP rules and keep proper records treat the bond as a license formality, not a risk.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond, naming the City of New York, is typically issued within 1–2 business days.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other New York bonds.
DCWP is waiting on one document.
$1,000 flat, short application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.