There are three main types of surety bonds; commercial, contract, and court bonds. Within each of the three types, there are numerous subcategories. The following will provide a general overview of the three main types. All surety bonds are three-party agreements between a principal, obligee, and surety company. However, the purpose as to why these bonds are required varies between bond types.

Commercial Bonds

Local, state, and federal government agencies require commercial bonds for businesses in certain industries. Commercial bonds are required to be purchased before the business can legally be licensed. These bonds are also referred to as “license and permit bonds”. The bonds require that business owners abide by laws and regulations enforced to ensure consumers are not harmed by the business owner’s unlawful acts. These bonds also ensure that the bills and fees will be paid on time, such as utility bills, taxes, employee wages, etc.

Examples of commercial bonds are motor vehicle dealership bonds, freight broker bonds (BMC 84), DMEPOS (Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies), notary bonds, contractor license bonds, and marijuana bonds

Court Bonds

There are two subcategories of court bonds- judicial/civil and probate/fiduciary. Judicial/Civil court bonds are required when a court proceeding informs certain parties they must get a specific bond in order to verify their financial and personal integrity. A judicial court bond denies all uncertainties within court proceedings which would lead to losses resulted from a ruling. Fiduciary or probate bonds are required for an individual that is appointed to care for someone else that is either a minor or incompetent to care for themselves. These individuals are appointed by the court to handle assets and the care of a person who cannot do so themselves.

Examples of judicial court bonds are appeal bonds and the plaintiff’s attachment bonds. Examples of fiduciary or probate bonds include guardianship bonds, custodian bonds, executor bonds, and VA bonds.

Contract Bonds

Contract bonds guarantee that only qualified contractors or sub-contractors are able to bid and perform work on construction projects. The Obligee is typically a construction project owner that can be a government entity for public projects or a private property owner.

Examples of contract bonds are bid bonds, payment bonds, performance bonds, and supply bonds.