Denver Special Contractor License Bond
What it is & who requires it
Contractors constructing or installing traffic control devices, fencing, lighting projects, water lines, sprinkling systems, or any other device or object in the Denver right-of-way that is not covered by one of the city’s other contractor licensing divisions. This is Denver’s catch-all right-of-way class, and it is the license that covers water line and irrigation work in the public way — Denver has no separate water service contractor license. Five years of verifiable experience is required; there is no examination. A general contractor licensed under division 2 is excused from holding it.
Obligee: City and County of Denver (Department of Transportation and Infrastructure; Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection). Citation: Denver Revised Municipal Code § 49-638 (Bond); § 49-636 (Required); § 32-64 (Contractor — Special); Code 1950 § 339C.4; Ord. No. 505-00 § 9, 6-26-00; Ord. No. 39-20 § 191, 2-3-20.
Bond amount
The required bond amount is $10,000.
How to get it
This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
Request a bond quote
Tell us about the bond and the project. A licensed producer follows up — these bonds are individually underwritten, so they are not issued instantly.
Term & renewal
Term: Held with the license and conditioned on compliance with the manager’s requirements and the city’s ordinances pertaining to the work of a special contractor, including the payment of all fees, penalties or cost of repairs.
Renewal: Maintained for as long as you hold the license; renewed annually with it.
Filing
Filed with the City on Denver’s special contractor bond form, alongside insurance to the City’s right-of-way limits. The division defines itself by exclusion — it covers what the general, structural, sewer, paving and sidewalk divisions, the excavation license and the chapter 56 sewer layer license do not — so it is worth confirming which class your scope of work actually falls in before you file. The code names a bond with a reliable surety company approved by the manager of transportation and infrastructure and states the sum; the licensing article offers no cash or letter of credit in its place. All street patch repairs, including those in public alleys, must be marked with street cut pavement repair markers. Authority: D.R.M.C. § 49-638.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-08-30).
Related Colorado bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Denver Special Contractor License Bond?
- It’s required by City and County of Denver (Department of Transportation and Infrastructure; Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) (Denver Revised Municipal Code § 49-638 (Bond); § 49-636 (Required); § 32-64 (Contractor — Special); Code 1950 § 339C.4; Ord. No. 505-00 § 9, 6-26-00; Ord. No. 39-20 § 191, 2-3-20). Contractors constructing or installing traffic control devices, fencing, lighting projects, water lines, sprinkling systems, or any other device or object in the Denver right-of-way that is not covered by one of the city’s other contractor licensing divisions. This is Denver’s catch-all right-of-way class, and it is the license that covers water line and irrigation work in the public way — Denver has no separate water service contractor license. Five years of verifiable experience is required; there is no examination. A general contractor licensed under division 2 is excused from holding it.
- How much is the Denver Special Contractor License Bond?
- The bond amount is $10,000.
- How do I get the Denver Special Contractor License Bond?
- This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
- What is the term?
- Held with the license and conditioned on compliance with the manager’s requirements and the city’s ordinances pertaining to the work of a special contractor, including the payment of all fees, penalties or cost of repairs. Renewal: Maintained for as long as you hold the license; renewed annually with it.
- Is this bond insurance for me?
- No. It protects the obligee and the public — not you. If a valid claim is paid, you repay the surety.
- How is this requirement verified?
- We verify it against the obligee’s primary source (last checked 2026-08-30); the source link is on this page.
