Charter and Excursion Bus Certificate

What is the purpose of this permit?
Any person who conducts operations as a charter and/or excursion carrier in Washington must have a certificate from the commission.

A 'charter party carrier of passengers' means every person (an individual, a corporation, association, joint stock association, and partnership, their lessees) engaged in the transportation of a group of persons, who under a single contract, have acquired the use of a motor bus to travel together as a group within the state of Washington.

An 'excursion service carrier of passengers' means every person (an individual, a corporation, association, joint stock association, and partnership, their lessees) engaged in the transportation of persons for compensation from points of origin to any other locations within the state of Washington and returning to that origin.
Who issues this permit?
Utilities and Transportation Commission
How much will this permit cost?
$200 application fee, plus, $25 per vehicle annual regulatory fee.
Where can I get the application for this permit?
The application is called 'Passenger Charter and Excursion Carrier Services' is online and can be accessed at https://www.utc.wa.gov/regulatedIndustries/transportation/charterBuses/Pages/default.aspx.
Do I need to include anything with my application?
Must provide and maintain appropriate insurance (Form E).
Is the decision on my permit dependent on anything besides the information in my application?
Vehicle Inspection
How long will it take to review my application?
It takes an average of 20 days to process a completed application. If an application is incomplete, it takes an average of 34 days.
Where do I submit my application?
Click here to upload and e-File your application. Note your electronic filing confirmation number and fee amount.
Click here to pay online
Legal Authority:
Permit Timeliness Results

Permit Timeliness data collection is in response to a State Auditor’s Performance Audit and RCW 43.42A. Each regulatory agency developed a plan to improve permit clarity, predictability, and timeliness. Each agency considers the customers experience to ensure permit assistance is simple to use, easy to access, and designed in a customer-friendly manner. Agencies report progress to the Governor’s Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA). ORIA prepares and distributes reports, with participation from the State Auditor’s Office and Results Washington. See latest report here: https://www.oria.wa.gov/ORIA-2020-PermitTimelinessProgressReport.pdf.

All permits submitted for reporting were entered into this Regulatory Handbook. Here are the results of the performance data:

Estimated Time Required By the Agency to Process a Permit Application (Definition)
Average number of days from Receipt to Complete: 23.2
Maximum number of days from Receipt to Complete: 161

Estimated Time Required By the Agency to Issue a Permit Decision (Definition)
Average number of days from Complete Application to Decision: 25.6
Maximum number of days from Complete Application to Decision: 87

(Summary results based on 16 submittals in 2023)

Where can I get permitting assistance?
Web page URL: http://www.utc.wa.gov/regulatedIndustries/transportation/charterBuses/Pages/default.aspx
Helpdesk phone: 360-664-1222
Subject matter expert phone: 360-664-1222
Subject matter expert email: transportation@utc.wa.gov
Contact:
Utilities and Transportation Commission
621 Woodland Square Loop SE
PO Box 47250, Olympia WA 98504-7250
Lacey, WA 98503
Telephone: (360) 664-1160
Email: transportation@utc.wa.gov
Website: http://www.utc.wa.gov
* Permit information last updated 10/5/2021
[v2]