Surety bond required to hold a New York City car wash license under the Car Wash Accountability Act, covering unpaid worker wages, city fines, and customer vehicle damage.
The New York City Car Wash Wage Bond is required to get a car wash license from the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) under the Car Wash Accountability Act (NYC Administrative Code §20-542). It is a New York City requirement — there is no statewide car wash bond.
The bond is conditioned on the car wash satisfying, within 30 days: any fine or debt owed to the City, any judgment for damage to a customer's vehicle, and any judgment owed to an employee for unpaid or underpaid wages. The City of New York is the obligee.
Your bond amount depends on your labor arrangement:
| Credit Profile | Annual Premium | Approx. Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Standard car wash | $150,000 | Default amount |
| Collective bargaining agreement | $30,000 | Reduced |
| Active government monitoring agreement | $30,000 | Reduced |
NYC car wash licenses run a two-year term, expiring October 31 of odd-numbered years. Your bond must cover the full license period and renew with the license. A lapsed bond puts your car wash license out of compliance.
$150,000 for a standard car wash. It drops to $30,000 if you have a qualifying collective bargaining agreement or an active government monitoring agreement.
New York City. It is required by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection under the Car Wash Accountability Act. There is no statewide car wash bond.
Unpaid employee wages, fines or debts owed to the City, and judgments for damage to a customer's vehicle — each payable within 30 days.
NYC car wash licenses run two years (expiring October 31 of odd years). The bond must cover the full term and renew with the license.
Apply in 2 minutes. Most bonds issued same day.
Related: All New York surety bonds · What is a surety bond? · How surety bond costs are calculated