Commercial Third Party Tester ($10,000) Bond - Statewide in Georgia

Brief Summary

The $10,000 figure is per testing location, not per company. A tester running skills tests at two sites posts $20,000 in bond coverage. The bond is a small annual premium compared with the value of certification, and it is one of the documents DDS checks before it issues the Third Party Testing Agreement.

The Georgia Department of Driver Services requires a $10,000 surety bond for each location from any business certified to give CDL skills tests as a Third Party Tester. Governmental entities are exempt. Under the DDS Third Party Tester Agreement, the bond pays to retest drivers if the tester or one of its examiners commits fraud.

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How to Apply for a Commercial Third Party Tester ($10,000) Bond:

• Confirm eligibility: two calendar years as a fully certified DDS CDL training school, or a qualifying public education program.
• Count your testing locations. Coverage is $10,000 for each one.
• Have the legal business name exactly as it appears on the DDS application.
• Complete the bond application and review the quoted premium.
• Pay the premium and receive the executed bond naming Georgia DDS.
• Submit the bond with the online CDL New Program Application and supporting documents.

Detailed Information About the Georgia Commercial Third Party Tester ($10,000) Bond:

Per location, with one exemption

The DDS CDL Third Party Testing Program page lists the requirement as a $10,000 surety bond per location, exempt for governmental entities. A private tester with more than one testing site needs coverage for each one. A state, county or municipal college or a Board of Education program run by a government body does not post the bond.

Who can apply in the first place

The bond does not open the program to new businesses. DDS limits Third Party Tester certification to a CDL training school that has been fully certified by DDS for at least two calendar years without non-compliance, or to an accredited Board of Education program or a state, county or municipal college. Applicants also supply GAPS fingerprint background checks for every owner, partner, officer and stockholder, certified driving records from every other state licensed in the past five years, examiner applications, and a level testing range of 62,500 square feet with primary and alternate road test routes.

What the bond guarantees

The DDS Third Party Tester Agreement, form RC-CDL-TPT-300, requires the tester to initiate and maintain a bond, determined by the State, to pay for retesting of drivers in the event of fraud by the tester or one of its examiners. The agreement is issued under O.C.G.A. 40-5-27 and follows the federal CDL testing rules in 49 CFR parts 380, 383 and 384. Certification under the agreement runs for four years unless DDS ends it earlier.

Cost

Premium is set by the surety based on the owner's credit and the school's compliance history. Confirm the current bond form and filing steps with DDS before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Georgia Commercial Third Party Tester ($10,000) Bond:

• Surety bond of $10,000 per testing location.
• Georgia Department of Driver Services as obligee.
• Governmental entities exempt from the bond.
• GAPS fingerprint background checks for all owners, partners, officers and stockholders.
• Signed Third Party Tester Agreement, form RC-CDL-TPT-300, provided after approval.

Georgia Commercial Third Party Tester ($10,000) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Georgia Commercial Third Party Tester ($10,000) Bond: