Des Moines Sign Erector Bond
What it is & who requires it
Sign erectors licensed by the City of Des Moines. Which of the three figures applies is decided by the license class you qualify for, not by the size of the sign, so the class question is the pricing question and it comes first. The bond runs to the city and indemnifies it against costs, damages or expenses of any kind which may be suffered by the city, or which may accrue against it, from granting permission to erect signs or from anything done under that permission, including the negligence of the licensee. The order of operations matters at the counter: the zoning enforcement officer examines the applicant’s qualifications and causes licenses to be issued only after the bonds have been filed and approved by the legal department and the fees have been paid. Liability insurance is a separate requirement in the same chapter and is not an alternative to this.
Obligee: City of Des Moines (Zoning Enforcement Officer). Citation: Des Moines Municipal Code § 26-823 (Sign erector’s bond); § 26-821 (Sign erector’s license required; to whom issued; classes); ch. 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations); O.15,545.
Bond amount
Set by the class of sign erector license rather than by the job: $10,000 for a class A license, $5,000 for a class B license and $2,500 for a class C license. All three are flat sums stated in the ordinance.
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: Filed before the license issues and held while the license is in force, running to the city.
Renewal: With the license; the zoning enforcement officer will not issue until the bond has been filed and approved by the legal department and the license fee paid.
Filing
Filed with the zoning enforcement officer and approved by the city legal department. The section calls for a good and sufficient bond without naming a corporate surety, and the figures still render because nothing in the surrounding sections offers a cash deposit, certificate of deposit or letter of credit — a full scan of that zone of the chapter finds none of those words at all. Note this is a city instrument and sits outside the state trade preemption entirely: Iowa preempts municipal plumbing and mechanical licensing, not sign work, so a Des Moines sign erector license and its bond are on solid ground.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-09-03).
Related Iowa bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Des Moines Sign Erector Bond?
- It’s required by City of Des Moines (Zoning Enforcement Officer) (Des Moines Municipal Code § 26-823 (Sign erector’s bond); § 26-821 (Sign erector’s license required; to whom issued; classes); ch. 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations); O.15,545). Sign erectors licensed by the City of Des Moines. Which of the three figures applies is decided by the license class you qualify for, not by the size of the sign, so the class question is the pricing question and it comes first. The bond runs to the city and indemnifies it against costs, damages or expenses of any kind which may be suffered by the city, or which may accrue against it, from granting permission to erect signs or from anything done under that permission, including the negligence of the licensee. The order of operations matters at the counter: the zoning enforcement officer examines the applicant’s qualifications and causes licenses to be issued only after the bonds have been filed and approved by the legal department and the fees have been paid. Liability insurance is a separate requirement in the same chapter and is not an alternative to this.
- How much is the Des Moines Sign Erector Bond?
- Set by the class of sign erector license rather than by the job: $10,000 for a class A license, $5,000 for a class B license and $2,500 for a class C license. All three are flat sums stated in the ordinance.
- How do I get the Des Moines Sign Erector 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?
- Filed before the license issues and held while the license is in force, running to the city. Renewal: With the license; the zoning enforcement officer will not issue until the bond has been filed and approved by the legal department and the license fee paid.
- 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 2026-09-03); the source link is on this page.
