Washington farm labor contractor bonds.
From $100.
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, generally $5,000 to $20,000. Pricing runs 1% of your bond amount, with a $100 minimum.
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How much does a Washington farm labor contractor bond cost?
1% 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 farm labor bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with L&I. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount L&I required, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
No credit check up to $10,000. Pricing is 1% of your bond amount, with a $100 minimum, and the bond issues as soon as you pay. Above $10,000, a soft pull may add a short review.
File with L&I
Submit the executed bond with your farm labor contractor license application or renewal. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the agency insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the farm labor bond actually covers
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 — no credit check up to $10,000, and
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 bond runs to December 31 whatever day you buy; the premium covers the period to that date.
Renewal falls on the statutory date, December 31, in the year your term ends.
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 L&I. Submit the executed bond with your farm labor contractor license application or renewal. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the agency insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $10,000. 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 L&I set — the executed 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 .
Farm labor bond, issued today.
Pricing from $100. Enter the amount L&I set and file the same day.