North Carolina Public Construction Bonds

North Carolina requires surety security when public construction contracts covered by the Public Works Bond Law; state and local bid thresholds differ; payment and performance security as required by Chapter 44A. Local public agencies may require a contract bond or full-contract cash security for covered construction awards; bidders should check whether the owner permits cash instead of a surety bond.

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.

North Carolina Surety Bonds Requirements

Requirement	Details
Public construction security	Public construction contracts covered by the public works bond law; state and local bid thresholds differ; payment and performance security as required by Chapter 44A. ¹

What Should You Watch for With Surety Bonds in North Carolina?

Check the North Carolina Contract Trigger
North Carolina law triggers public-work security when public construction contracts covered by the Public Works Bond Law; state and local bid thresholds differ. Payment and performance security as required by chapter 44a Ask the contracting agency to confirm whether your project falls under this rule and to state the bond penal sum in the bid documents. ¹
North Carolina Has Another Bond Rule for This Work
Local public agencies may require a contract bond or full-contract cash security for covered construction awards; bidders should check whether the owner permits cash instead of a surety bond. Before binding the surety, match the required obligee, bond form, and covered obligation to this separate rule. ²
Match the Solicitation’s Bond Form
The N.C. Gen. Stat. §44A-26 governs this statutory obligation, while the project solicitation identifies the obligee, filing deadline, and any bid-security details. Get the final form approved before the bid date and confirm that the named surety is authorized for North Carolina work. ^1,²

Which Surety Bonds Providers Have North Carolina License Records?

These providers publish a national listing for Surety 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 North Carolina. 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. ¹⁶
TechInsurance arranges surety bonds for small businesses.

Who Regulates Insurance in North Carolina?

North Carolina Department of Insurance

The North Carolina Department of Insurance administers insurance laws, licenses insurance producers and companies, reviews insurance filings and handles consumer complaints. The Commissioner is elected statewide. ^3,^4,^5,⁶

Website: Regulator website
License lookup: Search licensed producers
Complaints: File a complaint
Phone: 855-408-1212

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in North Carolina

Reported tax rate. 5% of gross premium, less return premium, plus 0.4% NC Stamping Office fee for ordinary filed placements ^7,^8,^9,¹⁰

When North Carolina is the insured’s home state, surplus-lines tax is 5% of gross premium less return premium; ordinary broker-placed filings also carry a 0.4% stamping fee, while risk-purchasing-group and independent-procurement filings follow separate procedures. A diligent search is generally required; an exempt commercial purchaser may bypass it only after the broker discloses the admitted-market protection difference and receives the purchaser’s subsequent written request. The policy warns that the state guaranty or solvency fund will not pay surplus-lines losses.

North Carolina Surplus Lines Association / NC Stamping Office

What Should You Ask Before Buying Surety Bonds in North Carolina?

Which North Carolina statute or procurement rule triggers this bond for our project, and what is the exact penal sum?
Will the obligee accept another form of security, and who must approve that substitution in North Carolina?
What notice, filing, and claim deadlines should our subcontractors and suppliers track under this bond?

Surety Bonds in North Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions

When does a North Carolina public construction project require a surety bond?

Public construction contracts covered by the public works bond law; state and local bid thresholds differ. Payment and performance security as required by chapter 44a ¹

Does North Carolina have another bond requirement beyond the public construction bond?

Yes. Local public agencies may require a contract bond or full-contract cash security for covered construction awards; bidders should check whether the owner permits cash instead of a surety bond. ²

Sources for Surety Bonds in North Carolina

1
N.C. Gen. Stat. §44A-26. N.C. Gen. Stat.; N.C. Gen. Stat. §44A-26. Accessed 2026-09-29.
2
N.C. Gen. Stat. §143-129. N.C. Gen. Stat.; Subsection (c): construction contract security alternatives and award process. Accessed 2026-09-29.
3
North Carolina Department of Insurance. North Carolina Department of Insurance; Official department homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
4
Insurance Producer and Adjuster Licensing. North Carolina Department of Insurance; Official licensing landing page provides license status lookup, producer licensing and SBS resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
File a Complaint. North Carolina Department of Insurance; Official insurance complaint form and consumer assistance page; toll-free line 855-408-1212. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
Commissioner of Insurance. North Carolina Department of Insurance; Official commissioner biography says officeholder was elected statewide. Accessed 2026-09-28.
7
N.C. Gen. Stat. §58-21-85. North Carolina General Assembly; 5% tax on gross premiums less returns when insured’s home state is North Carolina; treatment of reciprocal allocation also provided. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
Surplus Lines. North Carolina Department of Insurance; Current DOI surplus-lines page identifies NC Stamping Office; states a 0.4% fee for ordinary new/renewal filings; excludes RRG and independent procurement. Accessed 2026-09-28.
9
N.C. Gen. Stat. §58-21-16. North Carolina General Assembly; ECP diligent-search waiver requires broker disclosure that admitted insurance may provide greater protection and purchaser subsequent written request; ECP definition appears in subsection (b). Accessed 2026-09-28.
10
Surplus Lines. North Carolina Department of Insurance; Required surplus-lines policy language says state guaranty or solvency fund will not pay losses on policy. 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
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.
17
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.

North Carolina Public Construction Bonds

What Is Surety Bonds?

North Carolina Surety Bonds Requirements

What Should You Watch for With Surety Bonds in North Carolina?

Check the North Carolina Contract Trigger

North Carolina Has Another Bond Rule for This Work

Match the Solicitation’s Bond Form