NYC car wash bonds.
$4,500 flat. Soft pull.

New York City requires every licensed car wash to file a $150,000 bond with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection under the Car Wash Accountability Law. Ours is $4,500 flat — 3% of the bond amount. One soft credit pull, e-signed in 1–2 business days.

Required for an NYC car wash license — filed with DCWP under the Car Wash Accountability Law
Fixed amount, fixed price — $150,000 bond, $4,500, no quote theater
Soft credit pull only — never affects your score, and the rate stays 3% either way
A-ratedA.M. Best carriers1–2 daystypical issuance1–3 yrterms available
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 to licensed.

Your DCWP car wash license is waiting on this bond. Here's the whole process — no broker phone tag:

TODAY · 5 MINUTES

Apply once, online

Business details, owner information, effective date. The only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.

WITHIN 48 HOURS

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.

1–2 BUSINESS DAYS

E-sign & file with DCWP

Pay online and receive the executed bond naming the City of New York as certificate holder, ready to file with your car wash license application.

The whole pricing page.

$150,000 bond × 3% = $4,500, one-time per term. Fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.

1-year term
$4,500
2-year term
$9,000
3-year term
$13,500
About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

New York City licenses car washes through the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) under the Car Wash Accountability Law. The $150,000 bond is a worker-and-consumer-protection guarantee: it stands behind unpaid wages owed to your employees, fines and debts owed to the City, and damage to a customer's vehicle.

The bond is conditioned on satisfying, within 30 days, any City fine or debt, any judgment for damage to a car, and any judgment owed to an employee for unpaid or underpaid wages. It's a three-party arrangement — you (the principal), the surety, and the City of New York (the obligee), with your workers and customers as protected parties.

It is not insurance for you. If the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. A reduced $30,000 bond can apply if you have a qualifying collective bargaining agreement or an active monitoring agreement — send us your situation and we'll confirm which amount applies.

NYC Car Wash Accountability Law (Admin. Code subch. 33)New York City car washes are licensed by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection under the Car Wash Accountability Law (NYC Administrative Code, subchapter 33, and Title 6 of the Rules of the City of New York, subchapter HH), which conditions the license on a $150,000 surety bond naming the City of New York as certificate holder. A reduced $30,000 bond can apply with a qualifying collective bargaining or monitoring agreement — confirm your required amount with DCWP.

You need this bond if you're

Applying for an NYC car wash license through DCWP
Renewing a car wash license whose current bond is expiring or non-renewing
Opening a new car wash location in any NYC borough
Switching sureties to keep your DCWP filing continuous

Five minutes. The whole thing.

These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.

Start the application →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

Do I pay the $150,000? +
No. You pay $4,500 — the flat 3% of the bond amount. The $150,000 is the surety's maximum liability to the City, your workers, and customers; it's not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.
Who requires this bond? +
The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) requires it as a condition of a car wash license, under the Car Wash Accountability Law. No active bond, no license.
What does the bond guarantee? +
That you pay City fines and debts, satisfy judgments for vehicle damage, and pay your workers the wages they are owed — each within 30 days. If you fail to and someone is harmed, they can claim against the bond, and if the surety pays, you repay the surety.
Is there a credit check? +
Yes — one soft credit pull, which never affects your score. It's the only extra step beyond the application, and it informs approval, not price. The rate is a flat 3% either way.
Can the amount be lower than $150,000? +
It can be $30,000 if you have a current collective bargaining agreement that ensures timely wage payment and dispute resolution, or an active government monitoring agreement. Send us your documentation and we will confirm which amount applies.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

DCWP is waiting on one document.

$4,500 flat, five-minute application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.

Your premium @ 3%$4,500
Apply now →