Surety Bonds · Florida

Surety Bonds in Florida: How to Get Bonded

A state agency, a county or a project owner wants a surety bond before you can work. We find the right bond form, quote it with multiple A-rated sureties and prepare it for filing, often the same day.

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What is a surety bond in Florida?

A surety bond is a written guarantee that a business will follow the law, finish a contract or pay what it owes. It has three parties: the principal, which is your business; the obligee, which is the agency or owner requiring the bond; and the surety, the company that backs your promise. If you fail to meet the obligation, the surety pays a valid claim and then collects that money back from you. Florida agencies, counties and project owners require bonds for licenses, permits, public contracts and court cases. We compare surety bonds across multiple A-rated sureties.

How to Get a Surety Bond in Florida

Most commercial bonds follow the same five steps. Simple license bonds can move quickly; contract bonds take more review.

Find the exact bond — Get the bond name, amount and form from the agency, county or owner that requires it. The obligee decides the wording.
Apply — Send your business details, the owners' information and, for larger bonds, financial statements.
Get approved and quoted — The surety reviews your credit and finances and sets a premium, a percentage of the bond amount.
Sign the indemnity agreement — You agree to repay the surety for any claim it pays. Then you pay the premium.
File the bond — You file the signed bond with the obligee, on paper or online, before the deadline it sets.

Surety Bond vs. Insurance: The Key Difference

Both are sold by agencies and both involve a premium. They protect different people.

Surety bond

Protects the obligee and the public from your failure to meet an obligation. When the surety pays a claim, you must pay it back under the indemnity agreement you signed. A bond is a credit guarantee, not a transfer of risk.

Insurance

Protects your business. When a policy pays a covered claim, the carrier keeps the loss and you do not repay it. That is why many contracts ask for both: a bond for your promises and insurance for your accidents.

Types of Surety Bonds Florida Businesses Need

Florida surety bond requirements depend on the license you hold, the work you do and who you contract with.

License and permit bonds

Required by state agencies, counties and cities before they issue a license or a permit. See license and permit bonds.

Contract bonds

Bid, performance and payment bonds that public and private project owners require. See contract bonds.

Court bonds

Appeal, probate and guardian bonds that a court orders in a case or an estate.

Notary and public official bonds

Bonds the state requires of notaries and of officials who handle public money.

Have This Ready for Your Surety Bond Quote

The bond name, amount and form from the agency or owner that requires it.
Your business name, address and the owners' names, exactly as on your license.
The owners' Social Security numbers for the credit review, kept private.
Financial statements, for contract bonds and other larger bonds.

Where can I get a surety bond in Florida?

From our Kendall office, where licensed agents take your bond to several A-rated sureties instead of one. That matters most when your credit history is thin, because each surety sets its own approval rules and one may accept a file another declines. We read the obligee's form, prepare the bond in the exact name on your license and help you file it, for businesses in Miami, Hialeah, Orlando, Jacksonville and every other Florida county.

Additional Business Insurance Options

Contract Bonds License & Permit Bonds Contractor Insurance General Liability Garage Insurance Professional Liability

Surety Bond Guides for Florida Businesses

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Payment Bond vs. Performance Bond: How Each One Works

Payment bond vs. performance bond: one guarantees the job gets finished, the other that subs and suppliers get paid. When Florida public jobs need both.

Get a Florida Surety Bond Quote Today

Send us the bond form or tell us who is asking for the bond. We compare multiple A-rated sureties, quote the premium and prepare the bond for filing.

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Common Questions

Surety Bond Questions, Answered

How much does a surety bond cost in Florida?

You pay a premium, a percentage of the bond amount, not the full amount. The rate depends on the type of bond, the amount, your credit and, for contract bonds, your finances and experience. Many small license bonds cost a modest flat premium for a year. Applicants with weaker credit pay a higher rate, but most can still be bonded. We quote several sureties so you see the best rate your file qualifies for.

What are the three parties in a surety bond?

The principal is the business that buys the bond and makes the promise. The obligee is the agency, court or project owner that requires the bond and is protected by it. The surety is the company that guarantees the principal will keep the promise. If the principal fails, the surety pays a valid claim to the obligee. The principal then repays the surety under the indemnity agreement.

Can I get a surety bond with bad credit in Florida?

Usually yes. Many sureties write license and permit bonds for owners with low credit scores, at a higher rate. Some may ask for collateral or a co-signer on larger bonds. Contract bonds look more closely at your finances and work history, not only your credit. Because we work with multiple sureties, we can send your file to the ones that accept it.

What happens if someone files a claim on my surety bond?

The surety investigates the claim with you and the obligee before it pays anything. If the claim is valid, the surety pays the obligee up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety, plus its costs, under the indemnity agreement you signed. A paid claim can make it harder and more expensive to get bonded again. Resolving the problem with the obligee early is almost always cheaper.

Is a surety bond the same as a bail bond?

No. A bail bond guarantees that a person charged with a crime will appear in court. Commercial surety bonds guarantee that a business will follow the law, finish a contract or pay what it owes. They are sold by different companies under different licenses. American US Insurance writes commercial surety bonds for businesses and does not write bail bonds.

What types of surety bonds are required in Florida?

Florida requires bonds for many licenses, such as motor vehicle dealers, notaries and public adjusters. Counties and cities require permit bonds for work in the public right-of-way and, in many places, to register a contractor. Public construction projects over set amounts require payment and performance bonds. Courts require bonds in appeals, estates and guardianships. The agency or owner that asks for the bond always sets the amount and the form.

Why get a surety bond through an independent agency?

Each surety has its own appetite for certain bonds, credit levels and industries. A company that writes only its own bonds can decline you or price you high with no other option. We work with multiple A-rated sureties and send your bond to the ones that fit your file. That gives you a better chance of approval and a fair rate. We also track your renewal dates so a bond never lapses.

Does American US Insurance write bonds in Spanish?

Yes. We explain the bond form, the indemnity agreement and the filing steps in Spanish. Many of our clients are owners who run their business in Spanish and need to file with an English-speaking agency. We read the obligee's requirements with you and make sure the names on the bond match your license exactly. Then we prepare the bond so it is ready to file.

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