(1) Each money transmitter licensee shall maintain a surety bond, or other similar security acceptable to the director, in an amount based on the previous year's money transmission dollar volume; and the previous year's payment instrument dollar volume. The minimum surety bond must be at least ten thousand dollars, and not to exceed five hundred fifty thousand dollars. The director may adopt rules to implement this section.

     (2) The surety bond shall run to the state of Washington as obligee, and shall run to the benefit of the state and any person or persons who suffer loss by reason of a licensee's or licensee's authorized delegate's violation of this chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter. A claimant against a money transmitter licensee may maintain an action on the bond, or the director may maintain an action on behalf of the claimant.

     (3) The surety bond shall be continuous and may be canceled by the surety upon the surety giving written notice to the director of its intent to cancel the bond. The cancellation is effective thirty days after the notice of cancellation is received by the director or the director's designee. Whether or not the bond is renewed, continued, replaced, or modified, including increases or decreases in the penal sum, it is considered one continuous obligation, and the surety upon the bond is not liable in an aggregate or cumulative amount exceeding the penal sum set forth on the face of the bond. In no event may the penal sum, or any portion thereof, at two or more points in time, be added together in determining the surety's liability.

     (4) A surety bond or other security must cover claims for at least five years after the date of a money transmitter licensee's violation of this chapter, or at least five years after the date the money transmitter licensee ceases to provide money services in this state, whichever is longer. However, the director may permit the amount of the surety bond or other security to be reduced or eliminated before the expiration of that time to the extent the amount of the licensee's obligations outstanding in this state are reduced.

     (5) In the event that a money transmitter licensee does not maintain a surety bond or other form of security satisfactory to the director in the amount required under subsection (1) of this section, the director may issue a temporary cease and desist order under RCW 19.230.260.

     (6) The director may increase the amount of security required to a maximum of one million dollars if the financial condition of a money transmitter licensee so requires, as evidenced by reduction of net worth, financial losses, potential losses as a result of violations of this chapter or rules adopted under this chapter, or other relevant criteria specified by the director in rule.

[2010 c 73 § 3; 2003 c 287 § 7.]