From state license bonds to same-day bid bonds on public works projects, Jet Surety offers the bonds contractors need to get licensed, win projects, and stay compliant.
License bonds, city bonds and project-specific performance/payment bonds are unique in their forms and filing process. Our simple application walks you through the process to ensure you get the right bond the first time, whether the obligee is a state licensing board or a private project owner.
Not every bond serves the same purpose. License bonds satisfy regulators so you can hold an active contractor license. Contract bonds (bid, performance, and payment) satisfy project owners on specific jobs.
Required by state, county, or city agencies before you can be licensed, registered, or permitted. The bond protects consumers, employees, vendors, and regulators—not the contractor. Penalty amounts are set by each agency and commonly fall in a mid–five-figure range for statewide license bonds.
A project-specific type of bond that may be required before you can start work on a construction project. Depending on bond type, it helps protect the project owner, workers, and suppliers if a contractor fails to complete the project as agreed by the contract or fails to pay for labor or materials. These bonds can be a requirement for work performed for the federal government, state agencies, municipalities and even private project owners.
Over 1,000 state, county, and city agencies require contractor bonds nationwide. If a regulator told you that you need a bond before you can work, this is what it means and why it exists.
A contractor license bond is a regulatory surety bond that provides a form of financial protection for consumers, employees, or government agencies if a contractor fails to meet certain legal or contractual obligations.
State, county, and city agencies use license bonds to protect the public from defective work, unpaid wages, code violations, and breach of contract without requiring contractors to post the full penalty amount in cash.
Any registered contractor whose governing agency requires a bond to register and maintain licensing, or pull permits. Some agencies only require contractor registration for specific classification such as GCs, electricians, roofers, plumbers and certain specialty trades.
State and local license bond penalties are set by statute or ordinance—often from about $10,000 to $25,000 or more. Confirm the amount on the current agency form, not a generic product title.
Business name, license identifiers, obligee, and bond form must match agency records exactly. Mismatches are a common reason filings are rejected even when the dollar amount looks right.
License bonds must stay active for the license to remain valid. We help with filing where electronic submission is allowed and send reminders before renewal deadlines.
Contract bonds
Contract bonds are job-specific, not tied to your license. They give project owners confidence that work will be completed and that subs and suppliers will be paid if you cannot fulfill the contract.
Often required when submitting bid documents, it is a tool showing the project owner that your bid is serious and, if awarded the project, you have the backing of the surety to obtain the necessary bonds required by the contract. These are no-cost bonds, intended as a financial prequalification the surety provides.
Guarantee you will complete the project according to contract terms. If you default, the surety may step in to fulfill the obligation or compensate the owner up to the bond amount.
Ensure subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers get paid on public and many private projects. Often required alongside performance bonds under federal and state public works laws.
Cover post-completion defects for a defined period after substantial completion, protecting the owner if warranty work is not performed as required.
License bond, bid bond, or full contract bond package. Share your state, obligee, and bond amount or project value.
Many license bonds quote in minutes online. Larger contract bonds may require financials and a soft credit review without slowing down bid deadlines.
Choose annual or monthly terms where available. Your bond form and receipt are available immediately after purchase.
We electronically file with licensing agencies where permitted. When hand-filing is required, we provide clear instructions so nothing holds up your license or project.
Regulators could require you to post the full bond penalty in cash upfront. A surety bond lets you pay a small premium instead while still giving the public the same financial protection.
Rush requests are common around license renewals and bid deadlines. Contact our team with the obligee, bond form, and contract value, we will confirm capacity and next steps quickly.
Looking for state-specific education on license and permit bonds? Visit the Surety Bond Resource Center, including our California surety bonds guide and Texas surety bonds guide.
A bond expert is ready to answer all your bond questions: license bonds, permit bonds, bid bonds, performance bonds, whatever your surety needs may be.
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