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Indiana Public Works Contract Bonds

For a public work awarded by an Indiana political subdivision, a payment bond is required above $100,000 at 100% of contract price. The performance bond is also generally tied to the full contract price, but the law allows an irrevocable letter of credit instead on certain contracts below $250,000. State Department of Administration construction uses its own solicitation documents and threshold. 1,2

What Is Surety Bonds?

A surety bond guarantees that your business meets a specific obligation to a customer, contracting party or government agency. If a contract, license or permit requires one, get its exact form and amount; a bond is not insurance for your own losses. Read the national Surety bonds guide.

Indiana Requirements

RequirementDetails
Political-subdivision payment bondA board awarding public work must obtain a payment bond when the contract exceeds $100,000; it is for the contract amount and benefits laborers, suppliers, subcontractors, and service providers. 1
Political-subdivision performance bondThe contractor generally furnishes a performance bond equal to the contract price; for contracts below $250,000 the board may accept an equivalent irrevocable letter of credit from an Indiana financial institution. 1
State procurement qualificationIndiana DOPL/IDOA requires contractors and subcontractors to be prequalified before bidding on State contracts valued over $150,000; the current state bid package supplies the contract-specific bond clause and form. 2,3

What to Watch for in Indiana

  • Identify the owner before applying a threshold

    The $100,000 payment bond rule and $250,000 performance-bond substitute described by the State Board of Accounts concern public works by a political subdivision board. State agency procurement has a separate prequalification and solicitation process. 1,2

  • Check bid security separately

    Do not infer a bid bond from the payment-bond rule. Indiana bid documents may specify bid security and approved forms; use the project’s actual package to identify amount, instrument and delivery deadline. 3

  • Plan around one-year performance bond tail

    The State Board of Accounts’ statutory summary says an action on a performance bond must be brought within one year after the board’s final settlement with the contractor. Retain the acceptance and settlement dates with the bond. 1

Who Regulates Insurance in Indiana

Indiana Department of Insurance

The Indiana Department of Insurance licenses and regulates insurance companies and producers, reviews rates and policies, and investigates consumer complaints. Its Consumer Services Division accepts complaints and the Department provides company and license searches. 4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 2.5% of gross premium when Indiana is the home state Indiana’s surplus-lines premium tax is 2.5% when Indiana is the insured’s home state. Surplus-lines policies are outside Indiana guaranty-fund protection; before you buy, confirm the insurer’s identity and financial strength with your broker. 7,8,9,10

Providers With Documented State Licenses

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

  • TechInsuranceSpecialty Program Group LLCInsurance producer · checked 2026-09-28TechInsurance’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. 17

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Indiana

  1. Which solicitation, statute, and project category does the obligee say governs this contract?
  2. What bond form, penal sum, obligee name, effective date, and filing deadline must the surety meet?
  3. What indemnity, collateral, or personal guarantee would the surety require from the principal, and how could a claim affect the business?

Surety Bonds in Indiana: FAQ

Can a letter of credit replace the performance bond? 1

For political-subdivision public work under $250,000, the board may waive the performance bond and accept an equivalent irrevocable letter of credit issued by an Indiana financial institution. This option is not described as replacing the payment bond. 1

Will a project bond insure my own business losses? 1,3

A performance bond guarantees the principal’s contract obligation to the public owner; payment security benefits project claimants. Ask the surety about underwriting, indemnity and collateral separately. 1,3

Surety Bonds in Other States

Other Coverage in Indiana

Sources

  1. Public Work Contracts: County and City Hospitals resource. Indiana State Board of Accounts; Public Work Projects Costing More Than $100,000, Payment Bond and Performance Bonds, lines 799–816 and 834. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Public Works Certification Board. Indiana Department of Administration; Application Process; state contractor/subcontractor prequalification above $150,000. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Public Works General Forms and Manuals. Indiana Department of Administration; Current public-works contract forms and contractor documents index; page copyright 2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Indiana Department of Insurance. Indiana Department of Insurance; Official regulator homepage and insurance oversight. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Company/Entity Financial Compliance. Indiana Department of Insurance; Official Company Lookup queries live department data on licensed entities; producer resources linked separately. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Submit a Complaint Online. Indiana Department of Insurance; Online complaint portal and published consumer phone. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Indiana Code § 27-1-15.8-4: Tax on surplus lines insurance. Indiana General Assembly; 2.5% tax and insured home-state application. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Surplus Lines Agent Licensing. Indiana Department of Insurance; Official IDOI surplus-lines agent and company guidance; identifies surplus-lines insurers as companies not licensed to transact admitted insurance in Indiana and statutory eligibility conditions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Guaranty Associations & Funds. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Overview of state guaranty-association scope and nonadmitted insurers. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Guaranty Funds. Indiana Department of Insurance; Department description of Indiana P&C and life/health guaranty funds and their limits; together with the Department's surplus-lines company page distinguishing these nonauthorized companies from licensed insurers. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  12. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  13. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  15. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  16. About Risklytics. Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  17. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  18. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

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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