Washington requires every farm labor contractor to file a surety bond with the Department of Labor & Industries under RCW 19.30.040, payable to the state to back wages owed to the agricultural workers you employ. L&I sets the amount — between $5,000 and $20,000 — and pricing runs 1% of your bond amount, with a $100 minimum, with your exact price shown at the application.
















No underwriting queue for the standard farm labor bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with L&I. Here is the whole thing:
Your business details, the bond amount L&I required, and the effective date — that is the entire application.
The application collects no credit information at the standard amount. Pricing is 1% of your bond amount, with a $100 minimum, and the bond issues as soon as you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick review.
Submit the executed bond with your farm labor contractor license application or renewal. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the agency insists.
Washington licenses farm labor contractors — people who recruit, supply, transport, or employ agricultural workers for a fee — through the Department of Labor & Industries. RCW 19.30.040 conditions that license on a surety bond, and the bond is a wage-protection guarantee for the workers themselves.
The bond is payable to the state of Washington and conditioned on payment of sums legally owing under contract to an agricultural employee. If a contractor fails to pay wages owed, a harmed worker (or the state on their behalf) can recover against the bond, up to the bond's face amount.
L&I sets the amount by rule — the statute fixes a floor of $5,000, and in practice the figure runs up to about $20,000 depending on the size of your operation. The bond carries a term to December 31 tied to your license. Confirm your required amount on your L&I notice; pricing runs 1% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum — the application collects no credit information at the standard amount, and
Submit the application with the bond amount L&I set — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file.
Start the application →Pricing from $100. Enter the amount L&I set and file the same day.