Who requires it
South Carolina Contractors’ Licensing Board (LLR)
License & permit · South Carolina
South Carolina CLB Financial-Responsibility Bond
South Carolina general and mechanical contractors can meet Contractors’ Licensing Board financial-responsibility rules with a surety bond instead of a financial statement. Section 40-11-262 sets the amount equal to the net worth figure for your license group—not one statewide number for every contractor.
Common bond amount
Group schedule ($7,000–$350,000)
Use the official general or mechanical group amount for your license. Older materials may still show pre–May 2023 figures—confirm the current CLB table.
How you file
File the CLB general or mechanical bond form instead of a financial statement
Renewal
Maintain for as long as the bond substitutes for the financial statement
Who requires it
Applicants and renewing licensees under Chapter 11 who choose the bond path instead of showing the group’s required net worth or working capital on a financial statement. The bond is optional relative to the statement path; it is not a separate “every contractor” license bond layered on top of a qualifying statement. Use the Board’s general-contractor form or mechanical-contractor form for the classification you hold.
How much is required
Match your license group on the current CLB table (FAQ and January 2025 classification PDF). General contractor bond / net worth: Group 1 $20,000; Group 2 $60,000; Group 3 $150,000; Group 4 $250,000; Group 5 $350,000. Mechanical contractor: Group 1 $7,000; Group 2 $15,000; Group 3 $30,000; Group 4 $60,000; Group 5 $300,000. Those amounts track the group’s net worth under § 40-11-262 after the May 19, 2023 updates. Bid and job dollar caps for each group appear on the same official tables.
How to get and file it
Download the current Surety Bond Form for General Contractors or Surety Bond Form for Mechanical Contractors from the CLB applications page. Have a South Carolina–authorized surety complete it naming the State of South Carolina. LLR expects the original with surety and licensee signatures, a visible surety seal, and the power of attorney—DocuSign is not accepted. File with the initial or renewal package as the Board instructs. Keep the bond in force while you rely on the bond path. You may replace it later with a financial statement that meets the group’s net worth or working capital rules. If the surety cancels, statute calls for notice to the Board and the applicant thirty days before cancellation; replace the bond or prove financials within ten days or the license is suspended until proof is filed.
Cost note
Group figures are the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- General contractor groups
- $20,000 / $60,000 / $150,000 / $250,000 / $350,000 (Groups 1–5)
- Mechanical contractor groups
- $7,000 / $15,000 / $30,000 / $60,000 / $300,000 (Groups 1–5)
- Who requires it
- State of South Carolina
- Forms
- CLB Surety Bond Form for General Contractors or Mechanical Contractors
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a different bond for each CLB group?
No. Groups 1–5 are amount tiers of one § 40-11-262 bond. File the general or mechanical amount that matches your license group on the current Board table.
Is $500,000 still the Group 5 general bond amount?
No. Current CLB materials set Group 5 general at $350,000. Use the Board table, not older $500,000 figures.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a South Carolina application
South Carolina 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 2026-08-07. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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