Idaho · Surety Bond Resource Center

Idaho surety bonds

Idaho’s published statewide license bonds in this hub sit with the Idaho Transportation Department, the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) for HVAC and plumbing contractors, the Department of Finance for money transmitters and Collection Agency Act licensees, the Secretary of State for notaries, and the Department of Insurance for public adjusters. Vehicle dealers post $10,000, $20,000, or $40,000 under Idaho Code § 49-1608 by dealer class. HVAC contractors file a separate $2,000 compliance bond under § 54-5007; plumbing contractors file a separate $2,000 compliance bond under the Plumbing Board’s § 54-2606 authority and IDAPA rules—those are distinct board bonds, not one shared trade bond. Money transmitters size security from $10,000 upward under § 26-2908. Collection agencies, debt counselors, credit counselors, credit repair organizations, and related Collection Agency Act licensees share the § 26-2232 surety schedule from $15,000 to $100,000. Notaries file a $10,000 six-year bond under § 51-121. Public adjusters maintain $20,000 surety or letter-of-credit responsibility under § 41-5812. Residential mortgage brokers and lenders currently fund the statutory mortgage recovery fund rather than posting a statewide mortgage surety under chapter 31. Idaho has no statewide general-contractor license bond.

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Surety bond certificate and license approval illustration

Idaho at a glance

Vehicle dealer: $10,000 / $20,000 / $40,000
HVAC contractor: $2,000
Plumbing contractor: $2,000
Money transmitter: $10,000–$500,000
Collection Agency Act licensees: $15,000–$100,000
Notary public: $10,000
Public adjuster: $20,000

How it works in this state

How Idaho bonding is organized

How Idaho organizes these bonds

Dealer performance bonds file with the Idaho Transportation Department on a three-tier schedule by retail, wholesale, or powersports-only activity. HVAC and plumbing contractor certificates of competency each require their own $2,000 compliance bond—one under the HVAC Board’s chapter 50 statute and one under the Plumbing Board’s chapter 26 authority—even though both boards sit within DOPL. Money-transmission and Collection Agency Act licenses run through the Department of Finance, with money transmitters on a location-based security formula and collectors on a net-collections renewal scale. Notary bonds file with the Secretary of State for the six-year commission. Public adjusters demonstrate financial responsibility to the Department of Insurance.

What this hub does not treat as statewide license bonds

Idaho does not impose a statewide general-contractor license surety. Residential mortgage brokers and lenders under the Idaho Residential Mortgage Practices Act pay into the mortgage recovery fund; the Department of Finance’s current mortgage licensing summary does not list a company surety bond as a licensee qualification. Subsurface sewage-disposal installer bonds and other environmental specialty instruments stay outside this commercial-core set. Local city or county contractor bonds, project bid/performance/payment bonds, and court bonds remain local or project-specific.

Idaho bond directory

Find your bond requirement

These guides cover license and permit bonds with verified educational content. Your agency notice or application checklist is always the final authority.

BondAgencyCommon amountHow you file

Who sets the requirement?

Idaho licensing agencies

Each agency below sets its own bond requirement. Open the related guide for amounts and filing steps.

Idaho Transportation Department — Vehicle dealers

Licenses vehicle and vessel dealers and receives the § 49-1608 performance bond.

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Idaho HVAC Board (DOPL)

Issues HVAC contractor certificates of competency and requires the $2,000 bond under § 54-5007.

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Idaho Plumbing Board (DOPL)

Issues plumbing contractor certificates of competency and requires the $2,000 compliance bond under § 54-2606 / IDAPA 24.39.20.

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Idaho Department of Finance — Money transmission

Licenses money transmitters under chapter 29 and receives § 26-2908 bonds or other approved security.

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Idaho Department of Finance — Collection Agency Act

Licenses collection agencies, debt/credit counselors, credit repair organizations, and related permittees and receives § 26-2232 sureties.

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Idaho Secretary of State — Notary Public

Commissions notaries and receives the $10,000 bond under § 51-121.

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Idaho Department of Insurance — Public adjusters

Licenses public adjusters and requires $20,000 surety or letter of credit under § 41-5812.

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Before you apply

Confirm these details from the agency notice

Bring these five items when you request a bond. For the full checklist, see how to read a bond requirement.

1
Match the ITD dealer class to the correct amount
Wholesale-only used-vehicle dealers use $40,000. Ordinary retail dealers use $20,000. Exclusive motorcycle, ATV, UTV, truck-camper, and snow-machine dealers use $10,000.
2
Do not treat HVAC and plumbing as one statewide bond
Each trade answers to its own board statute. An HVAC certificate bond does not satisfy the plumbing contractor compliance bond, and the reverse is also true.
3
Expect mortgage recovery-fund fees, not a company surety
Current Department of Finance mortgage licensing materials require recovery-fund payments for brokers, lenders, and originators rather than a chapter 31 company surety bond.

Learn more about surety bonds

Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.

Frequently asked questions

Are Idaho HVAC and plumbing contractor bonds the same product?

No. HVAC contractors bond under Idaho Code § 54-5007 with the HVAC Board. Plumbing contractors bond under the Plumbing Board’s § 54-2606 authority and IDAPA plumbing rules. Both amounts are $2,000, but they are separate certificates and separate bonds.

Do Idaho mortgage brokers need a surety bond?

The Department of Finance’s current mortgage licensing summary lists recovery-fund payments for main and branch offices under the Idaho Residential Mortgage Practices Act, not a company surety bond. Consumer reimbursement for covered violations runs through the mortgage recovery fund created in Idaho Code § 26-31-109.

Does Idaho require a statewide general contractor bond?

No. Idaho does not publish a statewide general-contractor license surety in this hub. Bonding that appears for HVAC, plumbing, and certain other specialty trades is trade-specific.

Is credit repair bonded separately from collection agencies?

Credit repair organizations, debt counselors, credit counselors, and collection agencies all license under the Idaho Collection Agency Act. Section 26-2232 supplies the surety schedule those licensees use with the Department of Finance.

Start your Idaho bond application

Idaho will be preselected in the application. Choose the bond type on the next step—we verify the current agency form before anything is issued.

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Last verified 2026-08-11. Official sources are retained with this guide and checked before publication.

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