Colorado oil & gas surface bonds.
From $125.
The surface owner protection bond a Colorado oil and gas operator files on Form 3 under Rule 703, posted when you operate on land you do not own and lack a surface use agreement. The premium is 5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum — enter the amount the Commission set to see your exact price at application.
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How much does a Colorado oil & gas surface bond cost?
5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, from $125. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
Enter the amount the Commission required, consent to a soft pull, and file your Form 3. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your operator details, the bond amount the Commission required, and the effective date — that is the application. A quick soft credit check may run as part of it, never a hard inquiry.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. Any credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
File Form 3 with the Commission
Receive the executed bond, attach it to your Form 3 financial assurance filing with the Energy & Carbon Management Commission. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the surface bond actually covers
Colorado regulates oil and gas operators through the Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) — the agency formerly known as the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), renamed in 2023. The Commission requires operators to demonstrate financial assurance on Form 3, indexed to the applicable bonding rules.
Rule 703 is the surface owner protection bond. It is generally triggered when an operator works on land it does not own and does not have a surface use agreement with the surface owner. The bond stands behind the operator's obligation to protect and reclaim the surface, and to compensate the surface owner for damage.
The amount is set by the Commission under its rules rather than by a flat statute, so it varies with the operation, and the premium — 5% of that amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum — scales with it. A quick soft credit check may apply, never a hard inquiry. Enter the figure on your Form 3 filing to see your exact price, and confirm the current Rule 703 amount and form with the ECMC before you file.
You need this bond if you are
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File Form 3 with the Commission. Receive the executed bond, attach it to your Form 3 financial assurance filing with the Energy & Carbon Management Commission. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is 5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, then a quick review.
Submit the application with the bond amount the Commission set. A quick soft credit check may run as part of underwriting — never a hard inquiry. Your executed Form 3 bond typically issues within 1–2 business days.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Colorado bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Surface bond, ready for your Form 3.
Premiums from $125, soft pull only. Enter the amount the Commission set and see your exact price.