Washington auctioneer bonds.
From $100. Sole proprietor.
Washington conditions an auctioneer or auction company license on a surety bond filed with the Department of Licensing under chapter 18.11 RCW, and this is the filing for a sole proprietor. An auctioneer’s bond is $5,000, and an auction company’s is $5,000 to $25,000, set by DOL. Premiums are 1% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum.
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How much does a Washington auctioneer bond cost?
1% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for most standard auctioneer bonds — enter your amount, pay, and file with DOL. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your details as the sole proprietor, the bond amount DOL required, and the effective date — that is the application. No credit check up to $50,000.
Issued on the spot
Most applications approve instantly and no waiting — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay.
File with the Department of Licensing
Submit the executed bond with your auctioneer / auction company license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the agency insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the auctioneer bond actually covers
Washington licenses auctioneers and auction companies through the Department of Licensing under chapter 18.11 RCW, and conditions the license on a surety bond on file with the department. The bond is a public-protection guarantee: it stands behind the money you handle for consignors and buyers, and your compliance with auctioneer law.
Under chapter 18.11 RCW, an auctioneer’s bond is $5,000 and an auction company’s is not less than $5,000 and not more than $25,000. DOL sets the auction company figure from the value of the goods and real estate sold at its auctions — for an existing company, the previous calendar year; for a new company, an estimate for the current year. This filing names the principal as a sole proprietor.
If an auctioneer commits fraud, fails to remit proceeds, or doesn’t pay required taxes, fines, or fees, the harmed party can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety. We write the amount DOL set, from $100, with most applicants qualifying at or near that minimum.
You need this bond if you are
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 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.
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 Licensing. Submit the executed bond with your auctioneer / auction company license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the agency insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $50,000. Above that, the carrier may run a soft pull, which never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
Priced at the application.
Submit the application with the bond amount DOL set — your exact price appears immediately, and the executed bond is generated on payment.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Auctioneer bond, issued today.
Premiums from $100. Enter the amount DOL set and see your exact price at application.
