North Dakota Contractor License Bond
What it is & who requires it
Contractors working in North Dakota who have found that the state license did not answer the bonding question. It is worth being precise about why. North Dakota does license contractors statewide, through the Secretary of State, in four classes by the value of the job — and that license carries no bond. The statutory contractor’s bond was repealed in 1995 and the section survives in the code only as a repealed heading. What the state asks for instead is a letter of good standing from Workforce Safety and Insurance and liability insurance. But nothing in the licensing chapter stops a city from asking for more, and the larger cities do: several require the state license as a prerequisite and then issue their own bonded municipal license on top of it. So the answer to “do I need a North Dakota contractor license bond” is: not from the state, and probably from the city you are working in.
Obligee: The North Dakota city that licenses the trade — the state contractor license itself is not bonded. Citation: N.D.C.C. § 43-07-11 (Contractor’s bond — Requirements), repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 397, § 9; § 43-07-02 (License required); § 43-07-07 (Classes of licenses — license fees); § 43-07-06 (Administrative and governing bodies may impose requirements); municipal contractor licensing ordinances.
Bond amount
Set by the obligee — the exact amount is confirmed automatically when you start your bond in our portal, or call 317-942-0549.
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: Set by the city that requires it — North Dakota municipal contractor bonds run from a one-year license term to a license term plus two years.
Renewal: Usually annual with the municipal license; several cities expire every license on a fixed calendar date rather than on your anniversary.
Filing
Filed with the city that licenses your trade, not with the state. Because the requirement is entirely municipal, the variation is wide and it is the reason no figure appears here. Some cities name a flat sum in the ordinance. Some name a minimum and settle the rest at the counter. Some keep the amount out of the code altogether and set it by council resolution or in a separately published guidelines document. And the trade definitions differ enough to matter — one city bonds a general contractor, another bonds the driveway, sidewalk, curb and retaining wall trade, another takes one bond across patching, concrete and excavating work, and another bonds excavators, sidewalk builders, tree services and re-roofers separately. Two things recur often enough to plan around: the municipal license almost always requires your state contractor license first, and the bond commonly outlives the job by a warranty period of one to two years. Tell us the city and the trade and we confirm the requirement and the amount against the obligee before quoting.
Source
This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources; The North Dakota city that licenses the trade — the state contractor license itself is not bonded sets the exact amount, which we confirm when you start your bond.
Related North Dakota bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the North Dakota Contractor License Bond?
- It’s required by The North Dakota city that licenses the trade — the state contractor license itself is not bonded (N.D.C.C. § 43-07-11 (Contractor’s bond — Requirements), repealed by S.L. 1995, ch. 397, § 9; § 43-07-02 (License required); § 43-07-07 (Classes of licenses — license fees); § 43-07-06 (Administrative and governing bodies may impose requirements); municipal contractor licensing ordinances). Contractors working in North Dakota who have found that the state license did not answer the bonding question. It is worth being precise about why. North Dakota does license contractors statewide, through the Secretary of State, in four classes by the value of the job — and that license carries no bond. The statutory contractor’s bond was repealed in 1995 and the section survives in the code only as a repealed heading. What the state asks for instead is a letter of good standing from Workforce Safety and Insurance and liability insurance. But nothing in the licensing chapter stops a city from asking for more, and the larger cities do: several require the state license as a prerequisite and then issue their own bonded municipal license on top of it. So the answer to “do I need a North Dakota contractor license bond” is: not from the state, and probably from the city you are working in.
- How much is the North Dakota Contractor License Bond?
- Set by the obligee — the exact amount is confirmed automatically when you start your bond in our portal, or call 317-942-0549.
- How do I get the North Dakota 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?
- Set by the city that requires it — North Dakota municipal contractor bonds run from a one-year license term to a license term plus two years. Renewal: Usually annual with the municipal license; several cities expire every license on a fixed calendar date rather than on your anniversary.
- 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?
- This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources. The obligee sets the exact amount, which we confirm automatically when you start your bond in the portal or with a producer.
