The Tow Truck Business Surety Bond is the bond form published by the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) for businesses that tow vehicles in the District of Columbia. It is one of the forms tied to a DC business license for tow truck operators, because District law requires a bond for the license period. On this page you can fill out the Tow Truck Business Surety Bond online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original form is published by DLCP at dlcp.dc.gov.
Last updated
What is Tow Truck Business Surety Bond – Washington, DC?
The Tow Truck Business Surety Bond is the DLCP bond form in which a tow truck business (the Principal) and a bonding company (the Surety) bind themselves to the District of Columbia and to any person aggrieved by the Principal's violation of District tow truck business laws or regulations.
The printed text cites DC Code Section 47-2850.01 et seq. (2001) and the implementing regulations, 16 DCMR Chapter 4 et seq., which require the execution and filing of a bond for the license period. That period ends not more than two years after the effective date of the bond.
The bond is conditioned on the Principal observing all District laws and regulations relating to the tow truck business, any amendments to them, and all rules, regulations and orders of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. If the Principal does so, the obligation is void; otherwise it stays in force for the benefit of anyone aggrieved by the Principal's acts that violate those laws. The Surety's aggregate liability for all claims and claimants cannot exceed the sum stated on the bond, or what remains after earlier recoveries.
The Surety must be a corporation authorized to do business in the District of Columbia. The form carries a bond number, the names of the Principal and its owners, partners or officers, the business location, the effective date, two witness signatures, the Principal's signature and the attorney-in-fact's signature with seal.
Who needs to file Tow Truck Business Surety Bond – Washington, DC?
The main group is the tow truck business that engages in the tow truck business in the District of Columbia and must give a bond for its license period. The form names the Principal as a sole proprietor with a trade name, or a corporation or LLC, exactly as it appears on the license application, together with the names of its owners, partners or officers.
The Surety side is completed by the bonding company, a corporation authorized to do business in the District of Columbia. It signs through an attorney-in-fact, and the form says the authority of the executing officers or attorney-in-fact for the Surety must be attached to the bond.
On the Principal's side, the form asks for a President, Owner or Partner to sign, and one of those officers to sign as Principal. The bond also calls for two witnesses and, for a corporation, a corporate seal and an attestation by the Secretary.
The form contains no exclusions or exemptions. It applies to the tow truck business only, as the bond language refers to laws and regulations relating to that business. Questions about whether your business must post this bond belong with DLCP, whose contact details are printed on the form.
When to file Tow Truck Business Surety Bond – Washington, DC
The triggering event is the licensing of a tow truck business in the District: DC Code Section 47-2850.01 et seq. (2001) and 16 DCMR Chapter 4 et seq. require the execution and filing of a bond for the license period, as the form's recitals state. The bond is executed before it is filed, so the dates in the signing block matter.
The bond covers a license period ending not more than two years after the bond's effective date. The effective date is a blank you complete on the form, next to the date the bond is signed and sealed. The form prints no other deadline and no renewal rule of its own, so ask DLCP at (202) 442-4432 how this bond fits with your license application or renewal timing.
Documents you need
- Authority of the executing officers or attorney-in-fact for the Surety, attached to the bond; the form states this must be attached.
How to fill out Tow Truck Business Surety Bond – Washington, DC
Enter the bond number
Write the bond number in the BOND NUMBER line at the top of the form.
Name the Principal
On the "Know all persons by these presents, that we" line, enter the Sole Proprietor and Trade Name, or the Corporation/LLC, exactly as it appears on the license application.
List owners, partners or officers
On the Officer(s) Name(s) line, enter the names of the owners, partners, or the officers if the Principal is a corporation or LLC.
Give the business location
On the "doing business at" line, enter the location of the business.
Identify the Surety
After "as Principal, and", enter the name and address of the bonding company, a corporation authorized to do business in the District of Columbia.
Enter signing and effective dates
Fill in the day, month and year the bond is signed and sealed, and the effective date of the bond. The license period it covers ends not more than two years after that effective date.
Add witness signatures
The two witnesses sign on the Witness Signature lines (1) and (2); the form says it is signed in the presence of two witnesses.
Sign for the Principal
The President, Owner or Partner signs on the Signature line, and one of those officers signs as Principal. Add the corporate seal and the Secretary's attestation where the Principal is a corporation.
Complete the Surety's signature
The Attorney-in-Fact signs on the Attorney-in-Fact line and affixes the seal. Attach proof of the authority of the executing officers or attorney-in-fact.
Review, download and assemble
Check names against the license application, all dates and seals, and that any correction is sealed and initialed by the attorney-in-fact. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit Tow Truck Business Surety Bond – Washington, DC
The form prints no filing channel, portal or submission address. It lists only the DLCP office details: 1100 4th Street, SW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20024, telephone (202) 442-4432, and the website dlcp.dc.gov.
What the form does require of the package:
- Executed bond: the bond completed by the Principal and the Surety, signed in the presence of two witnesses, with seals where the form shows them.
- Authority attached: the authority of the executing officers or attorney-in-fact for the Surety must be attached to the bond.
- Corrections: any erasures, corrections or alterations must be sealed and initialed by the attorney-in-fact.
Because the form does not say where or how the bond is filed, confirm the filing method with DLCP using the telephone number or website above before you send or deliver it. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels DLCP gives you.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Entering a business name that differs from the Sole Proprietor and Trade Name, or Corporation/LLC name, as it appears on the license application.
- Leaving off the authority of the executing officers or attorney-in-fact for the Surety, which the form says must be attached to the bond.
- Making erasures, corrections or alterations that are not sealed and initialed by the attorney-in-fact.
- Signing without two witnesses; the form says it is signed in the presence of two witnesses.
- Using a bonding company that is not a corporation authorized to do business in the District of Columbia.
- Setting an effective date that makes the license period run longer than two years after the bond's effective date.
- Omitting the Principal's signature by one of the listed officers, the corporate seal or the Secretary's attestation where the Principal is a corporation.
- Leaving the BOND NUMBER or the location of the business blank.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tow Truck Business Surety Bond?
It is a DLCP bond form binding a tow truck business and its surety to the District of Columbia and to any person aggrieved by the business's violation of District tow truck laws or regulations. District law requires a bond for the license period.
How long does the tow truck bond last?
The bond covers the license period, which ends not more than two years after the bond's effective date. The effective date is entered in the signing block of the form. DLCP can confirm how this fits your license term.
Who signs the Tow Truck Business Surety Bond?
The Principal's President, Owner or Partner signs, with one of those officers signing as Principal, plus two witnesses. The Surety signs through an attorney-in-fact with seal. A corporation also adds its seal and the Secretary's attestation.
What must I attach to the bond?
Attach the authority of the executing officers or attorney-in-fact for the Surety. The form states this must be attached. Any erasure, correction or alteration must be sealed and initialed by the attorney-in-fact.
Where do I send the tow truck surety bond?
The form names no filing channel. It prints the DLCP office at 1100 4th Street, SW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20024, telephone (202) 442-4432 and dlcp.dc.gov. Confirm the filing method with DLCP before you send or deliver the bond.
Is this form part of getting a DC business license?
It is one of the forms tied to a DC business license for tow truck businesses: the bond uses the names as they appear on the license application, and DC Code Section 47-2850.01 et seq. requires a bond for the license period.
Can I fill out the Tow Truck Business Surety Bond online?
Yes. You can fill out the fillable PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the bond with DLCP; it is submitted through the channels DLCP provides.
Ready to fill out Tow Truck Business Surety Bond – Washington, DC?
Fill out Tow Truck Business Surety Bond – Washington, DC now