A charter or excursion company is a business that provides vehicles and drivers for groups of people to travel together.
Charter company: A group rents a bus, van, or other vehicle under one contract. The group decides where and when to go, and they travel together for that trip.
Excursion company: Similar to charter, but often focuses on trips for fun, sightseeing, or events. These can be pre-planned tours, like a wine country bus tour or a day trip to a sports game.
Charter and excursion bus companies regulated by the Utilities and Transportation Commission can be found using the companies lookup web page. If you suspect a company is operating without a permit, visit the Report Suspected Non-Permitted Transportation Carriers web page.
School districts looking for carrier safety profile reports should visit the Requesting a Safety Carrier Profile Report web page.
How to Apply for or Update a Permit
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Download the appropriate form.
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Save it to your desktop.
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Fill it out.
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Submit the form online using the e-filing form.
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Pay your fee online using the Make a Payment Now web page.
Complete applications usually take about seven days to process. Incomplete applications take an average of 30 days to process.
If you cannot e-file, email the form to transportation@utc.wa.gov.
Permit Application Forms
- Passenger Charter and Excursion Carrier - Permit Application (PDF)
Passenger Charter and Excursion Carrier - Transfer of Permit Authority (PDF)
How to Cancel a Permit
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Use the Voluntary Permit Cancellation Request (PDF) to cancel a permit.
Annual Reports
State law says transportation companies must file yearly reports and pay fees to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. If you operated at any time during the year, you must file a report. For more details, visit the Annual Report Forms web page.
Insurance
Safety
The Motor Carrier Safety Program provides safety oversight of privately-owned companies that provide transportation services within Washington state. Visit the Transportation Safety web page for resources on how to achieve a satisfactory motor carrier safety record.
Contact Licensing Services
Email transportation@utc.wa.gov
Mailing address:
Utilities and Transportation Commission
P.O. Box 47250
Olympia, WA 98504-7250
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