Washington cosmetology school bonds.
From $100.
Before opening a cosmetology school in Washington, you file a surety bond with the Department of Licensing under chapter 18.16 RCW. The amount is the greater of $10,000 or 10% of your annual gross tuition, capped at $50,000 — pricing starts from $100, and pricing runs 0.775% of the bond amount, $100 minimum.
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How much does a Washington cosmetology school 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 school bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with DOL. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your school details, the bond amount the statute 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. Larger amounts may get a quick review, and
File with the Department of Licensing
Submit the executed bond with your cosmetology school license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever DOL insists on them.
What it is and who needs it.
What the school bond actually covers
Washington licenses cosmetology, barbering, hair design, manicuring, and esthetics schools through the Department of Licensing under chapter 18.16 RCW. Before opening, a school files a surety bond as 'approved security' for its students.
The bond is a student-protection guarantee: it backs the school's contracts with the students and others who pay tuition. If the school closes or defaults, students can recover already-paid tuition and fees for training they didn't receive, up to the bond amount.
The amount is the greater of $10,000 or 10% of the school's annual gross tuition, capped at $50,000 — so it scales with how much tuition you collect. Enter the figure that applies to start the application; pricing starts from $100, and no credit check up to $25,000. If the surety pays a claim, the school repays 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 cosmetology school license application. 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 your required bond amount — the executed school bond is generated instantly, ready to file.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
School bond, issued today.
Pricing from $100. Enter your amount and file with DOL the same day.