Investigation or examination fee and annual assessment fee required — Amounts determined by rule — Failure to pay — Notice requirements of licensee.
RCW 31.45.050
in effect(1) Each applicant and licensee shall pay to the director an investigation or examination fee as established in rule and an annual assessment fee for the coming year in an amount determined by rule as necessary to cover the operation of the program. The annual assessment fee is due upon the annual assessment fee due date as established in rule. Nonpayment of the annual assessment fee may result in expiration of the license as provided in subsection (2) of this section. In establishing the fees, the director shall differentiate between check cashing and check selling and making small loans, and consider at least the volume of business, level of risk, and potential harm to the public related to each activity. The fees collected shall be deposited to the credit of the financial services regulation fund in accordance with RCW 43.320.110 . (2) If a licensee does not pay its annual assessment fee by the annual assessment fee due date as specified in rule, the director or the director's designee shall send the licensee a notice of suspension and assess the licensee a late fee not to exceed twenty-five percent of the annual assessment fee as established in rule by the director. The licensee's payment of both the annual assessment fee and the late fee must arrive in the department's offices by 5:00 p.m. on the tenth day after the annual assessment fee due date, unless the department is not open for business on that date, in which case the licensee's payment of both the annual assessment fee and the late fee must arrive in the department's offices by 5:00 p.m. on the next occurring day that the department is open for business. If the payment of both the annual assessment fee and the late fee does not arrive prior to such time and date, then the expiration of the licensee's license is effective at 5:00 p.m. on the thirtieth day after the assessment fee due date. The director or the director's designee may reinstate the license if, within twenty days after the effective date of expiration, the licensee: (a) Pays both the annual assessment fee and the late fee; and (b) Attests under penalty of perjury that it did not engage in conduct requiring a license under this chapter during the period its license was expired, as confirmed by an investigation by the director or the director's designee. (3) If a licensee intends to do business at a new location, to close an existing place of business, or to relocate an existing place of business, the licensee shall provide written notification of that intention to the director no less than thirty days before the proposed establishing, closing, or moving of a place of business.
(1) Each applicant and licensee shall pay to the director an investigation or examination fee as established in rule and an annual assessment fee for the coming year in an amount determined by rule as necessary to cover the operation of the program. The annual assessment fee is due upon the annual assessment fee due date as established in rule. Nonpayment of the annual assessment fee may result in expiration of the license as provided in subsection (2) of this section. In establishing the fees, the director shall differentiate between check cashing and check selling and making small loans, and consider at least the volume of business, level of risk, and potential harm to the public related to each activity. The fees collected shall be deposited to the credit of the financial services regulation fund in accordance with RCW 43.320.110 .
(2) If a licensee does not pay its annual assessment fee by the annual assessment fee due date as specified in rule, the director or the director's designee shall send the licensee a notice of suspension and assess the licensee a late fee not to exceed twenty-five percent of the annual assessment fee as established in rule by the director. The licensee's payment of both the annual assessment fee and the late fee must arrive in the department's offices by 5:00 p.m. on the tenth day after the annual assessment fee due date, unless the department is not open for business on that date, in which case the licensee's payment of both the annual assessment fee and the late fee must arrive in the department's offices by 5:00 p.m. on the next occurring day that the department is open for business. If the payment of both the annual assessment fee and the late fee does not arrive prior to such time and date, then the expiration of the licensee's license is effective at 5:00 p.m. on the thirtieth day after the assessment fee due date. The director or the director's designee may reinstate the license if, within twenty days after the effective date of expiration, the licensee:
(a) Pays both the annual assessment fee and the late fee; and
(b) Attests under penalty of perjury that it did not engage in conduct requiring a license under this chapter during the period its license was expired, as confirmed by an investigation by the director or the director's designee.
(3) If a licensee intends to do business at a new location, to close an existing place of business, or to relocate an existing place of business, the licensee shall provide written notification of that intention to the director no less than thirty days before the proposed establishing, closing, or moving of a place of business.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=31.45&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026