Washington private investigative agency bonds.
$100 flat.
Washington requires every private investigative agency to file a fixed $10,000 bond with the Department of Licensing before an agency license issues. Ours is $100 flat, issued instantly — the same for every agency. The bond issues the moment you pay — no credit check.
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How much does a Washington private investigative agency bond cost?
$100 at the $10,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
License bonds are the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
License bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase.
File with the DOL
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your Department of Licensing agency license application or renewal. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Washington licenses private investigators through the Department of Licensing under chapter 18.165 RCW, and conditions an agency license on a $10,000 surety bond (an agency may file a certificate of insurance instead). The bond is a public-protection guarantee against wrongful or illegal acts in conducting the licensed business.
It's a three-party arrangement: the agency (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Washington (the obligee). Anyone injured by the agency or its officers, agents, or employees may sue directly on the bond in their own name — and the bond is subject to successive suits until the $10,000 face amount is exhausted.
The agency must keep the bond on file in full force at all times. If a valid claim is paid, the agency repays the surety — it is not insurance for the agency. We track the bond and notify you 60 and 30 days out, keeping your filing continuous.
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 $10,000 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
File with the DOL. Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your Department of Licensing agency license application or renewal. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $100 at the $10,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
No credit check.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields. No credit check.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your agency license checklist today.
$100 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.