Washington collection agency bonds.
$100 flat.
Washington requires a licensed collection agency to keep a $5,000 surety bond on file running to the State under RCW 19.16.190 — it is a condition of holding the license the Department of Licensing issues. Ours is $100 flat, the price you see is the checkout price. No credit check.
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How much does a Washington collection agency bond cost?
$100 at the $5,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
Collection agency license bonds are among the simplest filings in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details, an effective date, and a term. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
This bond is checkout-priced at $100 flat, so it issues the moment you pay — your executed bond and power of attorney generate on the spot.
File with the Department of Licensing
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your collection agency license application or renewal. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Washington licenses collection agencies under the Collection Agency Act, chapter 19.16 RCW, administered by the Department of Licensing. RCW 19.16.190 conditions the license on a $5,000 bond that runs to the state of Washington as obligee, for the benefit of the state and of the licensee's clients and customers.
It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Washington (the obligee). The bond is conditioned on the licensee faithfully performing the agreements it enters into with its clients — including the statutory duty to account for and remit collected money to the client after each calendar month, less allowable offsets.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The bond has to stay continuously on file for the life of the license, so we track the term and send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out.
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 $5,000 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 Licensing. Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your collection agency license application or renewal. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $100 at the $5,000 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 — business details, an effective date, and a term. That is the entire application.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your collection agency license today.
$100 flat, issued the moment you pay, no credit check. Free until issued.