Car Wash License

The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection(DCWP) offers a car wash license.

This license is needed for businesses that clean cars.

• This covers washing, detailing, drying, polishing and vacuuming.
• The business can be at a fixed place or a mobile service.

You do not need a car wash license if you:

• Sell, lease, rent or fix cars as your main job and only wash cars as an extra service. For example, if you run a repair shop and wash the cars you fix
• Run a self-service car wash where customers clean their own cars
• Wash cars sometimes to raise money for a charity
• Are part of a government agency

• You need to fill out the Basic License Application.

• You need to complete the Car Wash Self-Certification.

• You must provide your sales tax identification details:

  • You need to provide your Sales Tax Identification Number or Certificate of Authority Application Confirmation Number.
  • You can visit www.businessexpress.ny.gov to apply for a Certificate of Authority to collect sales tax.

• You need to provide a surety bond:

  • You must sign and submit a copy of your $150,000 Surety Bond.

  • The bond must cover the license period and name the City of New York as the Certificate Holder.

  • Your corporate name, Doing-Business-As (DBA) name (if any) and premises address must match on all documents.

  • You must submit a copy of the bond receipt showing full payment.

  • There is an exception for the bond amount: The bond amount is $30,000 if:

    • You have a current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that ensures timely payment of wages and quick resolution of wage disputes.
    • You have a settlement with a government agency and are under an active monitoring agreement that requires minimum wage payment, monthly monitoring and quick resolution of wage disputes.

  • If you have a CBA, you need to submit:

    • A complete copy of the current CBA
    • A copy of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) certification or documentation of labor organization recognition

  • If you have a monitoring agreement, you must submit a copy of the agreement.

    • DCWP may ask you for more information depending on the submission.

  • You can get a surety bond from a bonding company:

    • You can download a list of bonding companies.

    • DCWP doesn't have any preference for a bonding company.

    • The bond must comply with CWAL requirements as shown in DCWP's Surety Bond template. The surety bond must:

      • Comply with the Car Wash Accountability Law and Rules
      • Ensure that all outstanding fines or debts have been fully paid to New York City within 30 days
      • Ensure that any court-ordered financial penalty has been fully paid or resolved within 30 days
      • Ensure that no judgment is owed to an employee for nonpayment or underpayment of wages within 30 days
      • Name the City of New York as the oblige
      • Include the same corporate name, DBA name (if any) and premises address as your license application
      • Cover the licensing period

• You need to provide proof of workers' compensation insurance. You need to submit these documents:

  • C-105.2: Certificate of Workers' Compensation Insurance
  • U-26.3: State Insurance Fund Certificate of Workers' Compensation Insurance
  • Equivalent or successor form used by the New York State Workers' Compensation Board
  • If you are eligible for exemption: You need to submit form CE-200: Certificate of Attestation of Exemption. You can visit www.wcb.ny.gov for more details.

• You need to provide proof of disability benefits insurance. You need to submit these documents:

  • DB-120.1: Certificate of Insurance Coverage under the New York State Disability Benefits Law
  • Equivalent or successor form used by the New York State Workers' Compensation Board
  • If you are eligible for exemption: You need to submit form CE-200: Certificate of Attestation of Exemption. You can visit www.wcb.ny.gov for more details.

• You must provide proof of commercial general liability insurance. Your policy must:

  • Provide coverage that is at least as broad as the most recently issued edition of Insurance Services (ISO) Form CG 0001

  • Be "occurrence" based, and meet these specific ratings:

    • A.M. Best rating of at least A- / "VII"
    • Standard & Poor's rating of at least A
    • Moody's Investors Service rating of at least A3
    • Fitch Ratings rating of at least A-

  • You must provide the following documents as proof for commercial general liability insurance:

    • Certificate of Insurance: The certificate should:

      • Name the City of New York as the certificate holder
      • Be executed by an insurance broker or agent with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) number
      • Have the same business name and address as all documents
      • State The City of New York as an "Additional Insured"
      • State coverage as "occurrence" based
      • Have minimum coverage amounts as $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate

    • Additional insured endorsement: DCWP accepts the following endorsements:

      • ISO Forms CG 20 26 or CG 20 12
      • An endorsement that provides coverage at least as broad as the most recent edition of ISO Forms CG 20 26 or CG 20 12
      • If you are providing a Scheduled Additional Insured Endorsement that lists the additional insured name: The endorsement must include either "The City of New York, including its officials and employees" or "The City of New York together with its officials and employees."
      • If you are providing a Blanket Additional Insured Endorsement, an Automatic Additional Insured Endorsement or a provision from your insurance policy that automatically grants additional insured status to an organization: You need to confirm that the coverage is at least as broad as the most recent edition of ISO Form CG 20 26 or CG 20 12 before you submit the form.

    • Notarized certification by insurance broker or agent: Your insurance broker or agent must complete this Certification.

• You must submit proof of unemployment insurance:

  • You need to provide a copy of the determination letter from the New York State Department of Labor.

  • If you are not registered for unemployment insurance, you need to register online at www.labor.ny.gov or call 518-457-4179 or 888-899-8810.

  • You need a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

  • You can get an EIN online at www.irs.gov/businesses or call 800-829-3676.

• If someone else will prepare and submit the application: You need to fill out the Granting Authority to Act Affirmation form. The applicant must sign the application and all forms.

• You need to pay the license fee: You can pay the license fee based on the following application dates:

  • November 1 (odd year)-April 30 (even year): $550 (expiring October 31 of the next odd year and valid up to 24 months)

  • May 1 (even year)-October 31 (even year): $412.50 (expiring October 31 of the following year and valid up to 18 months)

  • November 1 (even year)-April 30 (odd year): $275 (expiring October 31 of the soonest odd year and valid up to 12 months)

  • May 1 (odd year)-October 31 (odd year): $137.50 (expiring October 31 of the same year and valid up to 6 months) or $687.50 (expiring October 31 of the next odd year and valid up to 30 months)

  • You can pay the license fee by:

    • Check or money order payable to DCWP (in person)
    • Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover). You will pay a nonrefundable 2 percent convenience fee for in-person or online payments.

Two weeks after the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) gets all your papers, they will send a letter. The letter will have the following details:

• If your application is approved: DCWP will send you a license.
• If your application needs more information: The letter will explain what documents to send. Your application will be denied If you do not send the documents within 10 days.
• If your application is denied: DCWP will provide you the reason. They will ask you to apply again.

• Inform DCWP about insurance changes:

  • You must inform the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) within 14 days if your insurance is canceled, expired or ended.

  • This must be in writing. You can provide it in person or by mail to the DCWP Licensing Center.

  • You need an appointment to visit in person. You can only visit the Licensing Center if you have a disability and need an in-person visit. You can read this flyer to learn how to make an appointment.

• Inform DCWP about changes in your application:

  • If any information in your approved application changes, you must inform DCWP.

  • You can call 311 or visit the DCWP Licensing Center. It is good to call 311 to check if you need to visit a center for any specific change.

  • You need an appointment to visit in person. You can only visit the Licensing Center if you have a disability and need to make an in-person visit. You can read this flyer to learn how to make an appointment.

• Follow all laws and rules: You must follow all laws and rules of New York City, including the Consumer Protection Law and Rules, which can be found on the Public Access Portal.

• To renew your application: Select Renew online. DCWP will mail you a renewal application and instructions before your license expires. To keep operating, you must send your renewal application at least 15 days before your license expires.

• To renew your application: DCWP will mail you a renewal application and instructions before your license expires:

  • To keep operating, you must send your renewal application, required documents and fees at least 15 days before your license expires.

  • You can only visit the Licensing Center if you have a disability and need to make an in-person visit. You can read this flyer to learn how to make an appointment.

• To renew your application: DCWP will mail you a renewal application and instructions before your license expires:

  • To keep operating, you must submit your renewal application, required documents and fees at least 15 days before your license expires.

  • You can mail these materials using the orange return envelope to the DCWP Licensing Center.

  • Contact information: The address and email information for DCWP Licensing Center is as follows:
    NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)
    Licensing Center
    42 Broadway
    New York, NY 10004
    Email: onlineappsdocs@dcwp.nyc.gov