Surety bonds in South Carolina.
Somebody told you to get bonded, and now you are trying to figure out what that even means. We do this every week for electricians, dealers, and contractors across South Carolina. Tell us who is asking and for how much, and most bonds go out the same day. Or skip the phone call entirely and issue your own bond online in minutes. Zero agency fees, ever.
What the state is going to ask you for.
The amount is never your choice. It is written into the rule that sent you looking for a bond in the first place. These are the ones we are asked for most often around Sumter.
| Bond | Who requires it | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Motor vehicle dealer (retail, wholesale, RV, motorcycle, auction) | SCDMV | $50,000 |
| General & mechanical contractor license | SC Contractor's Licensing Board | $7,000 to $350,000, set by your license group |
| Residential specialty contractor & residential builder | SC Residential Builders Commission | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| City or county contractor license | The municipality you pulled the permit in | $1,000 to $10,000 |
| Performance & payment bond | The project owner | Typically 100% of the contract value |
| Notary bond | SC Secretary of State | $10,000 |
| Probate, executor & guardianship bonds | The probate court | Set by the judge, based on the estate |
| Manufactured home retail dealer | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $30,000 |
| Manufactured home installer, contractor or repairer | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $5,000 |
| Janitorial services bond | Usually the customer, not an agency | $5,000 to $100,000 |
Bond amounts are set by the obligee, meaning the agency, court, or owner requiring the bond, and they change. The SCDMV dealer amount reflects the increase that took effect January 1, 2024, when dealer bonds went from $30,000 to $50,000. Confirm your required amount with the agency before you buy, or call us and we will confirm it for you.
The bonds South Carolina actually asks for.
A bond is almost always somebody else’s requirement: a state agency, a city, a project owner, or a court. Here is what that requirement usually turns out to be.
Contractor license bonds
What SC LLR and most cities and counties want before they hand you a license. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, and general trades. The amount is set by your license group, not by us, and the state range is wide: $7,000 at the bottom, $350,000 at the top.
Auto dealer bonds
Required by the SCDMV before you get a dealer license. Retail, wholesale, RV, motorcycle, and wholesale auto auction all carry their own amount, and they went up in 2024.
Performance & payment bonds
On public work and larger private jobs, the owner wants a guarantee the job finishes and the subs get paid. These underwrite on your financials, so start the conversation before you bid.
Bid bonds
The bond that lets you bid the job in the first place. It promises you will actually sign the contract at your number if you win. Usually issued alongside the performance bond.
Notary & court bonds
Small, fast, and inexpensive. Notary bonds for the Secretary of State, plus probate, executor, administrator, and guardianship bonds when a court requires one.
Fidelity & janitorial bonds
Employee dishonesty coverage, which is what most commercial clients mean when they ask you to be "bonded and insured." Common for <a href="/cleaning-business-insurance/">cleaning companies</a> and anyone working inside a customer’s building.
Manufactured housing bonds
The SC Manufactured Housing Board bonds that whole trade separately: retail dealers at $30,000, manufacturers at $75,000, and installers, contractors, and repairers at $5,000. If you sell or set homes, you also need <a href="/mobile-home-insurance-sumter-sc/">coverage on the homes themselves</a>.
Two calls we get constantly.
Bonds sound exotic until you see the actual situations. These are the two that come through our door most.
The license is ready except for one line
A residential electrician gets his LLR paperwork back and there is a bond requirement he did not budget for, with a start date on Monday. This is the easy one. It is a license bond, the amount is fixed by his license group rather than negotiated, and at the small end of the range it prices out to a couple hundred dollars for the year. We pull it, he files it, the license clears. If he also needs general liability to get on a builder’s vendor list, we handle that on the same call through our <a href="/contractor-insurance/">contractor program</a>.
The bond amount went up and nobody told him
A used car dealer renewing his SCDMV license finds the requirement is no longer the $30,000 he posted years ago. Retail, wholesale, and RV dealers now have to carry $50,000. It is a bigger bond, so credit matters more, but it is still routine. What burns dealers is finding out at renewal instead of ahead of it, so if your license is coming up, get the number confirmed now rather than in the last week.
A bid bond with a deadline this week
A contractor wants to bid a school district or municipal job and the invitation to bid requires a bid bond, with performance and payment bonds if he wins. This one is not same-day. Contract surety underwrites your financial statements, your work in progress, and your track record, so it works like applying for a credit line. Call us before you bid, not the night the package is due.
A bond is not insurance. That trips everybody up.
Insurance protects you. A surety bond protects the person who made you buy it. If a claim gets paid on your bond, the surety company pays the customer or the agency, and then you pay the surety back. That is the part nobody explains at the licensing counter. It is not a loophole or a gotcha, it just means the bond is closer to a line of credit than to a policy, which is why the application asks about your credit instead of your building.
The good news is that this makes most bonds cheap and fast. You are not buying coverage for a loss, you are buying a guarantee, so on a routine license or notary bond you pay a small percentage of the bond amount, not the amount itself. A $10,000 license bond does not cost $10,000. For most applicants it is a couple hundred dollars a year, and we can often have the bond in your hands before the licensing office closes.
Three things decide your price: the type of bond, the amount the obligee requires, and your personal credit. You do not get to pick the first two. The obligee, meaning the agency, court, or project owner demanding the bond, sets those. So the only real variable is which surety market we take you to, and that is the whole reason to run it through an independent agency instead of the first website that comes up.
- Quote and issue most license, dealer, and notary bonds yourself, online
- Rough credit is not an automatic no, we have markets for it
- We confirm the required amount with the obligee so you do not overbuy
- Multi-year bonds available, so you are not re-filing this every 12 months
- Bond and business insurance handled together, in one office
We find out what you actually need
Half the people who call us about a bond have been told the wrong amount, or been quoted a bond they do not need at all. We check the requirement first, then price it. It costs you nothing to have somebody read the letter with you.
Get my bondThree steps. About 60 seconds to start.
Tell us about you
Call or text 803-848-0089, or start your quote online above. No SSN required to get started.
We shop the market
We run your details across every relevant carrier we represent and bring you the strongest fits, side by side.
You pick. We bind it.
Most policies bind same-day. Then we re-shop your rate every year and help with claims when you need us.
Proudly serving Sumter, Columbia, Manning, Camden, Florence, Bishopville, Lugoff, Hartsville, Lexington, Greenville, Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston, plus all 46 South Carolina counties. See our full service area →
Every South Carolina bond we can write.
Search it by the name of the bond or by whoever is asking for it. If your bond is not here, it almost certainly still exists, so call us and we will go find it.
Showing all 133 bonds.
| Bond | Who requires it | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| General and Mechanical Contractor LicenseContractor & construction | SC Contractor's Licensing Board | $7,000 - $350,000 |
| Residential Specialty Contractor and Residential BuilderContractor & construction | SC Residential Builders Commission | $5,000 - $15,000 |
| Certificate of Authority for Residential BuilderContractor & construction | SC Residential Builders Commission | $15,000 |
| Contractor's LicenseContractor & construction | City of North Augusta | $1,000 |
| Contractor's LicenseContractor & construction | County of Charleston - Building Inspection Services | $5,000 |
| Contractor's LicenseContractor & construction | County of Charleston - Building Inspection Services | $10,000 |
| General Repair ContractorContractor & construction | City of Lancaster | $5,000 |
| House Mover and DemolitionContractor & construction | City of Rock Hill | $5,000 |
| PlumberContractor & construction | East Richland County Public Service District | Varies |
| Subdivision, Site Improvement or DevelopmentContractor & construction | Project owner or municipality | Varies |
| Pole AttachmentContractor & construction | The utility or pole owner | Varies |
| Installation ProviderContractor & construction | LL Flooring Inc | Varies |
| Wage and WelfareContractor & construction | Union or trust fund | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Camden | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Cayce | $2,000 |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Columbia | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Darlington | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Dillon | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Florence | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Marion | $5,000 |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Myrtle Beach | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Orangeburg | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of Spartanburg - Building Inspections | $5,000 |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | City of West Columbia | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | County of Anderson | $10,000 |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | County of Greenville | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | Town of Blythewood | Varies |
| License/PermitCity & county permits | Town of Surfside Beach - Planning, Building & Zoning | Varies |
| Excavation / Right of WayCity & county permits | City of Spartanburg - Building Inspections | $5,000 - $10,000 |
| Excavation PermitCity & county permits | County of Spartanburg | $5,000 |
| Work in City Streets PermitCity & county permits | County of Spartanburg | $10,000 |
| Right of WayCity & county permits | City of Greenville | Varies |
| Right of WayCity & county permits | County of Greenville | Varies |
| SCDOT Permit PerformanceCity & county permits | SC Department of Transportation | Varies |
| Vegetation Management Performance and IndemnityCity & county permits | SC Department of Transportation | Varies |
| Refuse CollectorCity & county permits | Berkeley County | $2,000 |
| Motor Vehicle Dealer - Retail, Wholesale, RV, Motorcycle, AuctionAuto & dealer | SCDMV - Dealer License and Audit Unit | $50,000 |
| Commercial Driver Training SchoolAuto & dealer | SCDMV - Dealer License and Audit Unit | $10,000 |
| CDL Third Party TesterAuto & dealer | SC Department of Motor Vehicles | $10,000 |
| Motor Club Special DepositAuto & dealer | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | $50,000 |
| Property Broker or Freight Forwarder BMC-84 (ICC Broker)Auto & dealer | Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration | $75,000 |
| Auto Insurers Plan Certified Individual ProducerAuto & dealer | SC Associated Auto Insurers Plan | $10,000 |
| Auto Insurers Plan Certified Producer Position ScheduleAuto & dealer | SC Associated Auto Insurers Plan | $10,000 |
| Manufactured Home Retail DealerManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $30,000 |
| Manufactured Home ManufacturerManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $75,000 |
| Manufactured Home InstallerManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $5,000 |
| Manufactured Home ContractorManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $5,000 |
| Manufactured Home RepairerManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $5,000 |
| Manufactured Home SalespersonManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $15,000 |
| Manufactured Home Multi-Lot SalespersonManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $15,000 |
| Modular Home ManufacturerManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $75,000 |
| Modular Building ManufacturerManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $75,000 |
| Modular Building Manufacturer's RepresentativeManufactured & modular housing | SC Manufactured Housing Board | $10,000 |
| Movement of Oversized Mobile HomesManufactured & modular housing | SC Department of Transportation | Varies |
| Private Investigation AgencyLicensed professions | SLED | $10,000 |
| Contract Security AgencyLicensed professions | SLED | $10,000 |
| Polygraph ExaminerLicensed professions | SLED - Public Dissemination | $5,000 |
| Retail Pistol Dealer LicenseLicensed professions | SLED - Public Dissemination | $10,000 |
| Appraisal Management CompanyLicensed professions | SC Real Estate Appraisers Board | $25,000 |
| Cosmetology SchoolLicensed professions | SC State Board of Cosmetology | $10,000 |
| Employment AgencyLicensed professions | SC Secretary of State | $3,000 |
| Professional SolicitorsLicensed professions | SC Secretary of State | $15,000 |
| Business OpportunityLicensed professions | SC Secretary of State | Varies |
| Promoter for a Boxing Event or ExhibitionLicensed professions | SC Athletic Commission | $10,000 |
| Well DrillerLicensed professions | SC Environmental Certification Board | $25,000 |
| Nonpublic Postsecondary InstitutionLicensed professions | SC Commission on Higher Education | Varies |
| Education Service Provider (ESTF)Licensed professions | SC Department of Education | Varies |
| Instructional MaterialsLicensed professions | SC State Board of Education | Varies |
| Nursing Facility Residents SuretyLicensed professions | SC Board of Long Term Health Care Administrators | Varies |
| Hunting and Fishing License Sales AgentLicensed professions | SC Department of Natural Resources | Varies |
| Dealers and Handlers of Agricultural ProductsLicensed professions | SC Commissioner of Agriculture | Varies |
| Warehouse - Storage of Agricultural CommoditiesLicensed professions | SC Department of Agriculture - Warehouse Division | Varies |
| Physical Fitness Center Special DepositLicensed professions | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | Varies |
| Preneed Funeral ContractsLicensed professions | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | Varies |
| Prepaid Legal ServicesLicensed professions | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | Varies |
| Credit Counseling OrganizationLicensed professions | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | Varies |
| Professional Employer Organization Special DepositLicensed professions | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | Varies |
| Discount Medical Plan Organization Special DepositLicensed professions | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | $50,000 |
| ConcessionaireLicensed professions | The venue or public agency | Varies |
| Bingo RevenueLicensed professions | SC DOR - Bingo Licensing and Enforcement | Varies |
| Mortgage Lender/Servicer LicenseFinance & mortgage | SC Board of Financial Institutions | $50,000 - $150,000 |
| Mortgage Broker LicenseFinance & mortgage | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | $25,000 - $55,000 |
| Mortgage Broker Qualified Loan OriginatorFinance & mortgage | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | $25,000 |
| Money TransmitterFinance & mortgage | SC Office of the Attorney General | Varies |
| MEMO Money OrderFinance & mortgage | PA Merchants Express Money Order Company | Varies |
| PawnbrokerFinance & mortgage | Horry County Clerk of Courts | Varies |
| Pawnbroker Special DepositFinance & mortgage | SC Department of Consumer Affairs | $17,900 |
| Structured Settlement Purchase CompanyFinance & mortgage | SC Secretary of State | $50,000 |
| Broker DealerInsurance & securities | SC Securities Commission | $35,000 |
| Broker DealerInsurance & securities | SC Securities Commission | $50,000 |
| Investment AdviserInsurance & securities | SC Securities Commission | $35,000 |
| Investment AdviserInsurance & securities | SC Securities Commission | $50,000 |
| Insurance AdministratorInsurance & securities | SC Department of Insurance | $75,000 |
| Insurance BrokerInsurance & securities | SC Department of Insurance | $10,000 |
| Public AdjusterInsurance & securities | SC Department of Insurance | $20,000 |
| Premium Service CompanyInsurance & securities | SC Department of Insurance | $50,000 |
| Workers' Compensation Self-InsurerInsurance & securities | SC Workers' Compensation Commission - Self-Insurance Division | Varies |
| ERISAInsurance & securities | Required by federal law, no named obligee | Varies |
| Probate Administrator, Executor, Conservator, or GuardianCourt & fiduciary | The probate court | Varies |
| Civil Court / JudicialCourt & fiduciary | The court | Varies |
| Public OfficialCourt & fiduciary | The governing body | Varies |
| Notary E & OCourt & fiduciary | Protects you, not an obligee | $10,000 |
| Notary E & OCourt & fiduciary | Protects you, not an obligee | $15,000 |
| Notary E & OCourt & fiduciary | Protects you, not an obligee | $25,000 |
| Notary E&O Signing AgentCourt & fiduciary | Protects you, not an obligee | $75,000 - $125,000 |
| Contract - Bid BondContract & fidelity | The project owner | Varies |
| Contract - Payment / PerformanceContract & fidelity | The project owner | Varies |
| Fidelity - Employee Dishonesty and Commercial CrimeContract & fidelity | Protects you, not an obligee | Varies |
| Janitorial ServicesContract & fidelity | Usually your customer, not an agency | $5,000 - $100,000 |
| Name ScheduleContract & fidelity | Protects you, not an obligee | Varies |
| Position ScheduleContract & fidelity | Protects you, not an obligee | Varies |
| Fuel Supply PaymentContract & fidelity | The fuel supplier | Varies |
| GenericContract & fidelity | Anything not listed here, ask us | Varies |
| Underground Storage TankEnvironmental & waste | SC DHEC | Varies |
| Closure and/or Post-Closure Care of Solid WasteEnvironmental & waste | SC DHEC | Varies |
| ReclamationEnvironmental & waste | SC DHEC | Varies |
| Waste Tire Haulers Financial AssuranceEnvironmental & waste | SC DHEC | $10,000 |
| Onsite Wastewater Septic System Installer - Tier 3Environmental & waste | SC Department of Environmental Services | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | Dominion Energy South Carolina | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | Duke Energy Progress LLC | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | SC Public Service Authority - Santee Cooper | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | PSNC Energy | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | Aiken Electric Cooperative | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | Black River Electric Company | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | Palmetto Electric Cooperative | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | Easley Combined Utility System | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | Commissioners of Public Works, Greenwood | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | City of Orangeburg - Department of Public Utilities | Varies |
| Utility DepositUtility deposits | City of Rock Hill | Varies |
| Sales TaxTax & revenue | SC DOR - Miscellaneous Tax Section | Varies |
| State Tobacco TaxTax & revenue | SC DOR - Miscellaneous Tax Section | Varies |
| Motor Fuel User FeeTax & revenue | SC DOR - Motor Fuel | Varies |
No bond matches that. We write plenty that are not on this list, so call or text 803-848-0089 and we will find it.
Amounts are the limits the obligee requires, not what the bond costs you. You pay a percentage of the amount shown. Limits marked "Varies" are set case by case, usually by project size, estate value, or the agency’s own schedule. Obligees change these, so confirm your number before you file.
What if my credit is rough?
You can still get bonded. Because the surety is guaranteeing you rather than insuring you, credit drives the price, and standard markets want to see a clean report. But "declined by the first website you tried" is not the same as uninsurable. There are surety markets that specialize in exactly this, and the trade is a higher rate, not a closed door.
On a routine license bond, strong credit generally lands in the low single digits as a percentage of the bond amount, and challenged credit runs higher, sometimes into the low double digits. On a $10,000 bond that is still a manageable number, which surprises most people who have already talked themselves out of it. The worst outcome is assuming the answer is no and walking away from the license.
One more thing worth knowing: your rate is not permanent. Bonds renew annually, and as your credit and your business history improve we re-shop it. Several of our contractor clients started in a specialty market and moved to standard pricing within a couple of renewals. If you were bonded somewhere years ago and have not looked since, that is worth a phone call.
We will tell you before you apply
A bond application is a credit pull. If your situation is not going to fly in a standard market, we would rather say so up front and take you straight to the market that will write it than run you through a decline first.
Surety bond questions, answered
What is the difference between a surety bond and insurance?
Insurance protects you when something goes wrong. A surety bond protects the agency, court, or customer who required it. If a claim is paid on your bond, the surety pays them and then you reimburse the surety. That is why a bond application looks at your credit rather than your property, and why bonds are usually much cheaper than a policy.
How much does a surety bond cost in South Carolina?
You pay a percentage of the bond amount, not the amount itself, so a $10,000 license bond is usually a couple hundred dollars for the year. Your price depends on the bond type, the amount the obligee requires, and your personal credit. Small license and notary bonds are the cheapest, and contract bonds on large projects are priced case by case.
How fast can I get a bond?
Most license, dealer, notary, and permit bonds are issued the same day, and you can quote and issue many of them yourself online in a few minutes. Contract bonds, meaning bid, performance, and payment bonds, take longer because the surety reviews your financial statements and your work in progress. If you are bidding a job, start that conversation before the bid is due.
How much is the South Carolina auto dealer bond?
As of January 1, 2024, the SCDMV dealer bond is $50,000, up from the $30,000 required before, and that one bond covers retail, wholesale, RV, motorcycle, and auction licenses. Because the amount changed, confirm your number with the SCDMV or with us before you renew rather than assuming the old figure still stands.
Do I have to renew my bond every year?
Not always. Plenty of bonds are written for a single year, but we can write many of them as multi-year bonds, which locks your rate for the term and saves you from re-filing with the agency every twelve months. If your license runs on a multi-year cycle, it is worth matching the bond to it. Ask us before you buy the one-year version by default.
Can I get a bond with bad credit?
Usually yes. Credit affects your rate rather than your eligibility, and there are surety markets built specifically for applicants who do not qualify at standard pricing. You will pay a higher percentage, but on a typical license bond the dollar difference is smaller than most people expect. Bonds also renew annually, so we can re-shop it as your credit improves.
Does being bonded mean I am also insured?
No, and this is the most common mix-up we see. When a commercial client asks for someone "licensed, bonded, and insured," they usually want three separate things: your business license, a bond, and a general liability policy. We can set up the bond and the insurance together so you can say all three truthfully.
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Based in Sumter and licensed across South Carolina. We serve Sumter, Manning, Camden, Bishopville, Lugoff, Columbia, Florence, and every county in between.