New York watch, guard & patrol agency bonds.
$100. Instant issue.
New York requires every licensed watch, guard or patrol agency to file a fixed $10,000 bond with the Department of State — ours is $100 flat. The bond issues the moment you pay — no credit check.
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How much does a New York watch, guard & patrol agency bond cost?
$100 at the $10,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
License bonds are the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
This is an instant-issue bond — it clears right after purchase.
File with the Department of State
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your watch, guard or patrol agency license application or renewal. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
A watch, guard or patrol agency bond is a public-protection guarantee. You run a private security operation; the state wants a financial backstop that your agency — and its guards — will operate within the law that governs the industry.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and — by statute — the people of the State of New York (the obligee). Anyone injured by a violation of the licensing article, or by a wrongful act of the agency or its employees, can bring an action on the bond to recover damages.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Agencies that run clean operations treat this bond as a license formality, not a risk.
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 $10,000 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
File with the Department of State. Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your watch, guard or patrol agency license application or renewal. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $100 at the $10,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
No credit check.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields. No credit check.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other New York bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your license checklist today.
$100 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.