Washington CDL tester bonds.
From $100.
A Washington CDL third-party tester — an independent examiner authorized to administer commercial driver skills tests — files a surety bond with the Department of Licensing as a condition of the program, typically $25,000. Pricing is 0.775% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum.
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How much does a Washington CDL tester bond cost?
0.775% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for the standard tester bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with DOL. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount DOL requires, and the effective date — that is the application.
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 third-party tester contract. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever DOL insists on them.
What it is and who needs it.
What the tester bond actually covers
Washington's Department of Licensing contracts with independent third-party testers to administer commercial driver license (CDL) skills tests on its behalf. As a condition of that contract, a tester posts a surety bond — typically $25,000 — alongside the DOL's separate requirement to carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance and pass state and FBI background checks.
The bond is a compliance and performance guarantee: it stands behind the tester's duty to administer the federally regulated skills tests honestly and according to DOL rules. If a tester certifies tests improperly or otherwise violates the program, the state can recover against the bond.
Because the exact amount is set by the Department of Licensing for your contract, enter the figure DOL requires — the default here is the typical $25,000 — to start the application. Pricing is 0.775% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum, and no credit check up to $25,000. If the surety pays a valid claim, you repay the surety.
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 third-party tester contract. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever DOL insists on them.
What sets the price
The premium is 0.775% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $25,000. 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.
One application, issued on the spot.
Submit the application with the bond amount DOL set — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
CDL tester bond, issued today.
Pricing from $100. Enter the amount DOL required and file the same day.