Washington motor vehicle dealer bonds.
$300 flat.
Also known as the Washington auto dealer bond or car dealer bond.
Washington requires every licensed motor vehicle dealer to file a $30,000 bond with the Department of Licensing for each business location. Ours is $300 flat — the checkout price, identical for every dealer. A soft credit pull may run as part of underwriting; it never affects your score, and e-signed delivery follows in 1–2 business days.
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How much does a Washington motor vehicle dealer bond cost?
$300 at the $30,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps to licensed.
Your dealer license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Apply once, online
Business details, owner information, effective date. That is the application — the only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit check.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
E-sign & file with the DOL
Pay online and receive the executed bond ready to file with your dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Washington licenses motor vehicle dealers through the Department of Licensing, and conditions the license on a $30,000 surety bond filed before the license issues. The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee: it stands behind your compliance with Washington's dealer law and the taxes and fees you owe the state.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier standing behind you, and the State of Washington together with harmed buyers (the protected parties). If a dealer commits fraud, fails to deliver clear title, or otherwise violates dealer law, a harmed party can recover against the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. A dealer must maintain a bond for each business location, and if the bond is exhausted or canceled, the license is automatically canceled until a new bond is on file.
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 $30,000 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
E-sign & file with the DOL. Pay online and receive the executed bond ready to file with your dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $300 at the $30,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application: approved instantly, or after a quick credit check.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit check. Submit once and your bond is issued when you pay.
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 .
The Department of Licensing is waiting on one document.
$300 flat, short application, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.