Pursuant to West Virginia law, no person, firm, corporation or association may conduct within this State a collection agency without having first provided a West Virginia collection agency bond and obtained a business franchise registration certificate. “Collection Agency” is defined as all persons, firms, corporations and associations; (1) engaged in the business of soliciting from or collecting for others any account, bill or indebtedness originally due or asserted to be owed or due another, or engaged in asserting, enforcing or prosecuting those claims; (2) which, in attempting to collect or in collecting his or her own accounts or claims uses a fictitious name or names other than his or her own name; (3) which attempts to or does give away or sell to others any system or series of letters or forms for use in the collection of accounts or claims which assert or indicate that the claims or accounts are being asserted or collected by any person, firm, corporation or association other than the creditor or owner of the claim or account; or (4) directly or indirectly engaged in the business of soliciting, or who holds himself or herself out as engaged in the business of soliciting, debts of any kind owed or due for fee. The West Virginia collection agency bond must be written in the amount of $5,000, currently. A separate West Virginia surety bond must be deposited with the State for each branch office of the same collection agency. The bond must guarantee that the agency will pay all damages to the State or a private person resulting from any unlawful act or action by such person or his or its agent in connection with the conduct of the business of the collection agency. The West Virginia collection agency bond must be filed with the Tax Commissioner. The national surety leader, Surety One, Inc., is a specialist in the bonding needs of the financial services industry. We will issue collection agency bonds for ALL applicants in every state where this type of bond is required regardless of the applicant’s credit condition. We also offer broad fidelity bond coverages to protect against losses due to employee dishonesty. Visit SuretyOne.com for a West Virginia surety expert, call (787) 333-0222 or (800) 373-2804, or email Underwriting@SuretyOne.com for an West Virginia collection agency bond application or information about any surety or fidelity bond product.
