Washington commercial fishery license bonds.
From $100.
A Washington wholesale fish buyer or limited fish seller must deposit a performance bond with the Department of Fish and Wildlife under RCW 77.65.320. The wholesale fish buyer’s bond is $2,000, plus $1,000 for each additional buyer, and a limited fish seller’s is $1,000. The premium is 2% of your bond amount, $100 minimum.
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How much does a Washington commercial fishery license bond cost?
2% 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 fish buyer bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with WDFW. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount your buyer count requires, and the effective date — that is the application. No credit check up to $30,000.
Issued on the spot
Most applications approve instantly and the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay.
File with WDFW
Deposit the executed bond on the form WDFW prescribes, before engaging in fish buying or selling. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the department insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the fish buyer bond actually covers
The Department of Fish and Wildlife licenses commercial fish buying and selling, and RCW 77.65.320 requires a wholesale fish buyer or limited fish seller to deposit a performance bond before engaging in those activities. The bond is a corporate surety bond executed in favor of the department.
The amount is $2,000 for the wholesale business, and is increased by $1,000 for each additional buyer the business engages. The bond stands behind the licensee’s obligations to the state — including amounts owed for fish purchased and compliance with the commercial fishery laws.
In lieu of a surety bond, the statute lets a licensee post a cash deposit, acceptable negotiable securities, or an assignment of a Washington bank savings account. A surety bond is usually cheaper — you pay the 2% premium rather than tying up the full amount in cash.
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 WDFW. Deposit the executed bond on the form WDFW prescribes, before engaging in fish buying or selling. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the department insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $30,000. 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 your required bond amount — the executed performance bond is generated instantly, ready to deposit with WDFW.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Fish buyer bond, issued today.
Premium from $100. Enter your required amount and file with WDFW the same day.