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Ohio Public Construction Bonds

Ohio requires surety security when public improvement contracts; bid guaranty is required with every covered bid; bid bond for the full bid amount, or cash/check/letter of credit equal to 10% of the bid. Ohio distinguishes bid guaranty from the performance and payment bond supplied after award; check the current contract form for the final bond penal sum and covered claimants. 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.

Ohio Requirements

RequirementDetails
Public construction securityPublic improvement contracts; bid guaranty is required with every covered bid; bid bond for the full bid amount, or cash/check/letter of credit equal to 10% of the bid. 1

What to Watch for in Ohio

  • Check the Ohio Contract Trigger

    Ohio law triggers public-work security when public improvement contracts; bid guaranty is required with every covered bid. Bid bond for the full bid amount, or cash/check/letter of credit equal to 10% of the bid 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

  • Ohio Has Another Bond Rule for This Work

    Ohio distinguishes bid guaranty from the performance and payment bond supplied after award; check the current contract form for the final bond penal sum and covered claimants. 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 Ohio Rev. Code §153.54 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 Ohio work. 1,2

Who Regulates Insurance in Ohio

Ohio Department of Insurance

ODI licenses insurance agents and agencies and provides a public agent and company locator. Its consumer complaint form accepts insurance complaints and lets you identify an agent or company. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 5% of gross premium, net of return premiums For Ohio-home-state surplus-lines placements, Ohio sets a 5% tax on gross premiums after returned premiums and requires the surplus-lines broker to collect it when the policy is delivered. A diligent search usually applies; a qualifying exempt commercial purchaser may request nonadmitted placement in writing after disclosure that authorized-market coverage may offer greater protection, and the policy requires a signed notice of no Ohio guaranty-association benefits. 6,7,8

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 Ohio. 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. 15

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Ohio

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

Surety Bonds in Ohio: FAQ

When does a Ohio public construction project require a surety bond? 1

Public improvement contracts; bid guaranty is required with every covered bid. Bid bond for the full bid amount, or cash/check/letter of credit equal to 10% of the bid 1

Does Ohio have another bond requirement beyond the public construction bond? 2

Yes. Ohio distinguishes bid guaranty from the performance and payment bond supplied after award; check the current contract form for the final bond penal sum and covered claimants. 2

Surety Bonds in Other States

Other Coverage in Ohio

Sources

  1. Ohio Rev. Code §153.54. Ohio Rev. Code; Ohio Rev. Code §153.54. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Ohio Rev. Code Chapter 153. Ohio Rev. Code Chapter 153; Chapter 153: statutory public improvement bond form and claims. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. ohio insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; Official regulator home page and consumer/industry navigation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Ohio Department of Insurance Agent / Agency Locator. State insurance regulator; Public search fields for agent and agency name, NPN, license number, city, ZIP, residency, and license type. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Ohio Department of Insurance Consumer Complaints Form. State insurance regulator; Online complaint form collects insurer, coverage, agent, issue, and supporting documents; page warns submissions may be public records. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Ohio Revised Code §3905.36. Ohio Laws; Division (B): 5% of gross premiums after return premiums; surplus-lines broker collects from insured at policy delivery. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Ohio Revised Code §3905.38. Ohio Laws; Division A: Chapter 3905 rules do not apply when Ohio is not insured's home state. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Ohio Revised Code §3905.33. Ohio Laws; Divisions (B)(1), (B)(4): five-market diligence and ECP disclosure/written request; division (C): signed notice of no Ohio Insurance Guaranty Association benefits. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. About Risklytics. Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  15. 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.
  16. 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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