Crime Coverage for Illinois Community Association Funds

Illinois conditions a designated community association manager’s access to and disbursement of association funds on fidelity or crime insurance. Public Act 104-746, effective July 31, 2026, makes the coverage amount the maximum available to protect funds in the manager’s or firm’s custody or control; the management agreement can determine who pays.

What Is Fidelity Bonds?

Fidelity coverage can reimburse certain losses when employees steal money or property they handle. If employees manage company funds, customer property or benefit-plan assets, identify each owner and compare the required protection for each interest. Read the national Fidelity bonds guide.

Illinois Fidelity Bonds Requirements

RequirementDetails
Coverage before fund accessThe designated manager or employing firm may not access and disburse association funds unless fidelity or crime insurance is in place for loss or theft of those funds. 1
Amount, covered people and payerCoverage must be the maximum available for funds in the designated manager’s or firm’s custody or control and cover statutory manager, firm and personnel; the association may secure and pay unless the management agreement provides otherwise. 1,2

What Should You Watch for With Fidelity Bonds in Illinois?

  • Use the money in custody or control as the limit input

    The law sets the amount by reference to funds the manager or firm holds or controls for the association, not a flat statewide dollar amount. Reconcile operating and reserve accounts, approval authority and peak balances with the quote, and retain the management agreement’s allocation of who pays. 1

  • A crime policy may satisfy the statutory label, but compare the actual grant

    Public Act 104-746 changed Section 55 to allow fidelity or crime insurance. That does not establish that every crime policy meets the required association-fund protection; compare the covered loss, people, entity and maximum available amount in the actual wording. 1

  • Check the association and manager roles separately

    The Act defines community associations across condominium, cooperative, townhouse, villa and certain other residential developments, while the insurance condition is triggered for a designated manager or firm that accesses and disburses those funds. Confirm the service arrangement instead of applying the rule to every employer. 1,2

Which Fidelity Bonds Providers Have Illinois License Records?

These providers publish a national listing for Fidelity bonds; the license records below name the licensed entities and roles. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Illinois. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • TechInsurance

    Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28

    Specialty Program Group LLC

    TechInsurance’s current licensing page names Specialty Program Group LLC / SPG Insurance Solutions and lists state license numbers, but labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses” rather than identifying a license for the named agency. RI is omitted because this disclosure does not establish agency authority there; this is a search limitation, not an assertion that the company is unlicensed. The remaining state entries are company-reported and are not an insurance product availability map. 18

    TechInsurance arranges fidelity bonds addressing employee theft from clients.

  • Vouch

    Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28

    Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC

    Vouch’s licenses page, effective January 16, 2025, lists producer licenses in all 50 states and DC. Its separate surplus-lines table includes Idaho number 870820, while a footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses. Because those statements conflict for Idaho, this record keeps Idaho producer-only and does not treat the table number as established agency surplus-lines authority. The page is company-reported and does not establish product availability. 19

    Vouch lists fidelity bonds among its core protections for financial-services businesses.

Who Regulates Insurance in Illinois?

Illinois Department of Insurance

The Department licenses and oversees insurers and insurance producers doing business in Illinois, reviews regulated insurance activity, and investigates complaints about coverage, claims, premiums, and sales. 3,5,4

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Illinois

Reported tax rate. 3.5% of taxable premium plus a 0.04% stamping fee; separate 1% fire marshal tax on taxable fire premium 7,6,10,11,8

When Illinois is the insured’s home state, the broker reports and remits a 3.5% tax on gross taxable surplus-line premium less returned taxable premium. The separate SLAI stamping fee is 0.04% for policies effective on or after January 1, 2023; a 1% fire marshal tax also applies to taxable fire premium.

Surplus Line Association of Illinois

  • Illinois guaranty fund limits: For covered claims against a member insurer, the Illinois Insurance Guaranty Fund generally caps its obligation at $500,000 per claim; workers’ compensation claims are excepted from that dollar cap. This fund does not protect policies issued by nonadmitted surplus-lines insurers. The net-worth exclusions apply to covered claims against member insurers. 8
  • Illinois FAIR Plan: If you cannot obtain basic property coverage in the voluntary market, the Illinois FAIR Plan offers a residual-market option for eligible property. Check its current eligibility and coverage limits before relying on it for a commercial location. 9

What Should You Ask Before Buying Fidelity Bonds in Illinois?

  1. Which funds can the designated manager or firm access, control or disburse, and what is the peak balance?
  2. Does the proposed crime or fidelity form cover all required people and the association’s funds at that amount?
  3. Does the management contract assign premium payment to the association or manager?

Fidelity Bonds in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions

Must the policy be labeled a fidelity bond?

The amendment permits fidelity or crime insurance. The label alone is not enough: the policy must protect association funds against loss or theft at the required available amount and include the statutory covered group. 1

When did the current wording take effect?

Public Act 104-746 states an effective date of July 31, 2026. The older codified ILCS page still displayed the prior version when checked, so this guide uses the enacted Public Act for the amendment and effective date. 1,2

Fidelity Bonds Guides for Other States

Other coverage in IllinoisEvery coverage guide for Illinois, plus the regulator and surplus-lines details.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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