(1) Except as limited by subsection (7) of this section, each applicant shall, at the time of applying for a license, file with the director a surety bond in the sum of five thousand dollars. The bond shall be annually renewable on January first of each year, shall be approved by the director as to form and content, and shall be executed by the applicant as principal and by a surety company authorized to do business in this state as surety. Such bond shall run to the state of Washington as obligee for the benefit of the state and conditioned that the licensee shall faithfully and truly perform all agreements entered into with the licensee's clients or customers and shall, within thirty days after the close of each calendar month, account to and pay to his, her, or its client or customer the net proceeds of all collections made during the preceding calendar month and due to each client or customer less any offsets due licensee under RCW 19.16.210 and 19.16.220. The bond required by this section shall remain in effect until canceled by action of the surety or the licensee or the director.

     (2) An applicant for a license under this chapter may furnish, file, and deposit with the director, in lieu of the surety bond provided for herein, a cash deposit or other negotiable security acceptable to the director. The security deposited with the director in lieu of the surety bond shall be returned to the licensee at the expiration of one year after the collection agency's license has expired or been revoked if no legal action has been instituted against the licensee or on said security deposit at the expiration of said one year.

     (3) A surety may file with the director notice of his, her, or its withdrawal on the bond of the licensee. Upon filing a new bond or upon the revocation of the collection agency license or upon the expiration of sixty days after the filing of notice of withdrawal as surety by the surety, the liability of the former surety for all future acts of the licensee shall terminate.

     (4) The director shall immediately cancel the bond given by a surety company upon being advised that the surety company's license to transact business in this state has been revoked.

     (5) Upon the filing with the director of notice by a surety of his, her, or its withdrawal as the surety on the bond of a licensee or upon the cancellation by the director of the bond of a surety as provided in this section, the director shall immediately give notice to the licensee of the withdrawal or cancellation. The notice shall be sent to the licensee by registered or certified mail with request for a return receipt and addressed to the licensee at his, her, or its main office as shown by the records of the director. At the expiration of thirty days from the date of mailing the notice, the license of the licensee shall be terminated, unless the licensee has filed a new bond with a surety satisfactory to the director.

     (6) All bonds given under this chapter shall be filed and held in the office of the director.

     (7) An out-of-state collection agency need not fulfill the bonding requirements under this section if the out-of-state collection agency maintains an adequate bond or legal alternative as required by the state in which the out-of-state collection agency is located.

[2011 c 336 § 514; 1994 c 195 § 5; 1971 ex.s. c 253 § 10.]