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Washington commercial fishery license bonds.
From $100.
A Washington wholesale fish buyer or limited fish seller must deposit a performance bond with the Department of Fish and Wildlife under RCW 77.65.320. The wholesale fish buyer’s bond is $2,000, plus $1,000 for each additional buyer, and a limited fish seller’s is $1,000. The premium is 2% of your bond amount, $100 minimum.
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Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for the standard fish buyer bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with WDFW. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount your buyer count requires, and the effective date — that is the entire application. The form collects no credit information at the standard amount.
Issued on the spot
Most applications approve instantly and the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay.
File with WDFW
Deposit the executed bond on the form WDFW prescribes, before engaging in fish buying or selling. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the department insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the fish buyer bond actually covers
The Department of Fish and Wildlife licenses commercial fish buying and selling, and RCW 77.65.320 requires a wholesale fish buyer or limited fish seller to deposit a performance bond before engaging in those activities. The bond is a corporate surety bond executed in favor of the department.
The amount is $2,000 for the wholesale business, and is increased by $1,000 for each additional buyer the business engages. The bond stands behind the licensee’s obligations to the state — including amounts owed for fish purchased and compliance with the commercial fishery laws.
In lieu of a surety bond, the statute lets a licensee post a cash deposit, acceptable negotiable securities, or an assignment of a Washington bank savings account. A surety bond is usually cheaper — you pay the 2% premium rather than tying up the full amount in cash.
You need this bond if you are
One application, issued on the spot.
Submit the application with your required bond amount — the executed performance bond is generated instantly, ready to deposit with WDFW.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
Fish buyer bond, issued today.
Premium from $100. Enter your required amount and file with WDFW the same day.