South Carolina Public Construction Bonds

South Carolina requires surety security when state construction procurement when required by the solicitation under the Consolidated Procurement Code; performance and payment bonds are generally 100% of the construction portion of the contract. South Carolina’s bond rules distinguish the construction amount from operation, maintenance, and finance costs; check the Manual for Planning and Execution of State Permanent Improvements for the required form and surety rating.

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.

South Carolina Surety Bonds Requirements

Requirement	Details
Public construction security	State construction procurement when required by the solicitation under the consolidated procurement code; performance and payment bonds are generally 100% of the construction portion of the contract. ¹

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

Check the South Carolina Contract Trigger
South Carolina law triggers public-work security when state construction procurement when required by the solicitation under the Consolidated Procurement Code. Performance and payment bonds are generally 100% of the construction portion of the contract 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
South Carolina Has Another Bond Rule for This Work
South Carolina’s bond rules distinguish the construction amount from operation, maintenance, and finance costs; check the Manual for Planning and Execution of State Permanent Improvements for the required form and surety rating. 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 S.C. Code §11-35-3030 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 South Carolina work. ^1,²

Which Surety Bonds Providers Have South 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 South 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. ¹³
TechInsurance arranges surety bonds for small businesses.

Who Regulates Insurance in South Carolina?

South Carolina Department of Insurance

The South Carolina Department of Insurance licenses and regulates insurance companies and producers and accepts complaints involving entities it licenses and policies incepted in South Carolina. Its consumer page links to the online complaint form and explains limits on the Department’s authority. ^3,^4,⁵

Website: Regulator website
License lookup: Search licensed producers
Complaints: File a complaint

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in South Carolina

Reported tax rate. 6% blended broker premium tax: 4% state plus 2% municipal ^6,⁷

SCDOI’s January 2026 instructions set a 6% blended surplus-lines broker premium tax: 4% state and 2% municipal; the Department collects both and the Municipal Association of South Carolina allocates the municipal share. The filing system also asks brokers to identify one to three insurers that declined the indicated coverage; check the policy notice for any guaranty-association disclosure.

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

Which South 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 South Carolina?
What notice, filing, and claim deadlines should our subcontractors and suppliers track under this bond?

Surety Bonds in South Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions

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

State construction procurement when required by the solicitation under the consolidated procurement code. Performance and payment bonds are generally 100% of the construction portion of the contract ¹

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

Yes. South Carolina’s bond rules distinguish the construction amount from operation, maintenance, and finance costs; check the Manual for Planning and Execution of State Permanent Improvements for the required form and surety rating. ²

Sources for Surety Bonds in South Carolina

1
S.C. Code §11-35-3030. S.C. Code; S.C. Code §11-35-3030. Accessed 2026-09-29.
2
S.C. Code Regs. Chapter 19-445. S.C. Code Regs. Chapter 19-445; Regulations on state construction bid security and acceptable surety. Accessed 2026-09-29.
3
south-carolina insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; Official home and consumer services pages describe regulator scope. Accessed 2026-09-28.
4
SCDOI Online Services. State insurance regulator; General Public offers Licensee Lookup for licensed individuals and insurers. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
SCDOI Consumer Services. State insurance regulator; Complaint process and stated authority covers licensed entities and policies incepted in SC; online complaint form is linked. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
2026 Surplus Lines Filing Instructions. South Carolina Department of Insurance; Pages 1–2, January 26 2026 memo: 6% blended rate, 4% state plus 2% municipal; DOI collects both and MASC allocates municipal portion. Accessed 2026-09-28.
7
2026 Surplus Lines Filing Instructions. South Carolina Department of Insurance; Pages 1–2, Jan. 26, 2026 instructions: broker filing due-diligence field requires one to three named insurers declining the indicated coverage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
9
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.
10
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.
11
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.
12
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.
13
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.
14
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.

South Carolina Public Construction Bonds

What Is Surety Bonds?

South Carolina Surety Bonds Requirements

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

Check the South Carolina Contract Trigger

South Carolina Has Another Bond Rule for This Work

Match the Solicitation’s Bond Form