Who requires it
Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — Board of Industrial Trades
License & permit · District of Columbia
District of Columbia Industrial Trades Contractor Bond
District electrical, plumbing/gasfitting, and refrigeration/air-conditioning contractors licensed through the Board of Industrial Trades must post surety bonds for the company and—except for elevator work—a designated master. Amounts and expiration dates follow the Board’s published trade schedule.
Common bond amount
$1,000–$5,000
Per-trade company and master amounts on the Board chart; electrical amounts depend on regular vs low voltage.
How you file
File separate DLCP company and designated-master bond forms for the trade
Renewal
Odd/even-year expirations by trade; dates must match the license
Who requires it
Firms seeking Board of Industrial Trades contractor licenses in electrical (regular or low voltage), plumbing/gasfitting, or refrigeration/air conditioning, plus the designated DC-licensed master named on the application. Elevator contractors appear on the same Board schedule but are outside this commercial-core guide.
How much is required
The Board’s Trade Contractor Licensing chart sets company and master amounts: electrical regular voltage $4,000 company / $2,000 master; electrical low voltage $2,000 / $1,000; plumbing/gasfitting $5,000 / $5,000; refrigeration/air conditioning $5,000 / $5,000. Bond and license expiration dates are November 30 of odd years for electrical, March 31 of even years for plumbing/gasfitting, and September 30 of even years for refrigeration/air conditioning. Except for elevator trades, both the company and the designated master need their own bonds.
How to get and file it
Select the DLCP bond form for the trade, complete a separate bond for the company and for the designated master in the amounts on the Board chart, attach power of attorney, and upload the originals in the industrial-trades online application. Bond expiration dates must match the license expiration dates on the chart. Renew on the Board’s odd/even-year cycle for the trade. Keep both company and master bonds current; an application cannot finish until the designated master accepts the designation and the master’s bond is on file.
Cost note
Schedule amounts are the required bond amounts, not the premiums you pay. Most applicants need at least two bonds (company and master). See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Electrical (regular voltage)
- $4,000 company / $2,000 master; expires November 30 odd years
- Electrical (low voltage)
- $2,000 company / $1,000 master; expires November 30 odd years
- Plumbing / gasfitting
- $5,000 company / $5,000 master; expires March 31 even years
- Refrigeration / air conditioning
- $5,000 company / $5,000 master; expires September 30 even years
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Why does the electrical company bond show different amounts online?
Older marketing lists sometimes show a single $2,000 electrical figure. The Board’s current Trade Contractor Licensing chart requires $4,000 for a regular-voltage company bond and $2,000 for the regular-voltage master, with lower amounts for low-voltage classes.
Do I need both a company bond and a master bond?
Yes for electrical, plumbing/gasfitting, and refrigeration/air conditioning. The Board requires sureties for both the company and the designated master (elevator is the exception on the same chart).
Related District of Columbia bond guides
Home Improvement Contractor Bond
$25,000
Home improvement contractors licensed by the District of Columbia must file a twenty-five-thousand-dollar surety bond—or an accepted cash or securities substitute—with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. The bond covers the two-year Contractor and Construction Services license period.
Notary Public Bond
$2,000
Most District of Columbia notaries must file a two-thousand-dollar surety bond covering the five-year commission before performing notarial acts. The Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications supplies the only accepted bond form with the appointment notice.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a District of Columbia application
District of Columbia will be preselected. Choose your bond type in the application—we confirm the correct product against your agency form before anything is issued.
Last verified 2026-08-11. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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