District of Columbia electrical contractor bonds.
$200 flat.
A District regular voltage electrical contractor must file a $4,000 bond with the Board of Industrial Trades under 17 DCMR § 210. Our carrier's rate book prices this bond at a flat $200. The bond issues the moment you pay — no credit check.
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How much does a District of Columbia electrical contractor bond cost?
$200 at the $4,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
Electrical trade bonds are about the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. No financials, no credit check, no follow-up.
Pay & e-sign
Small fixed-amount trade bonds like this are among the bond types that issue right after purchase.
File with the Board of Industrial Trades
Your executed electrical bond arrives by email, ready to file with your DC electrical contractor license. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The District licenses electrical contractors through the Board of Industrial Trades at the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. Under 17 DCMR § 210, a licensed regular voltage electrical contractor must file a $4,000 bond — and a separate bond is posted for the contractor's designated master electrician.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the District (the obligee), with the public protected. The bond stands behind your compliance with the District's electrical licensing and bonding rules.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a valid claim, you repay the surety. DC electrical bonds run a two-year statutory cycle and expire November 30 of the odd-numbered year; the bond must stay continuous for your license to stay valid, and we send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out.
You need this bond if you're
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 $4,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The carrier issues this bond for a term it sets; the term cannot be changed at checkout.
Renewal falls on the statutory date, November 30, in the year your term ends.
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 with the Board of Industrial Trades. Your executed electrical bond arrives by email, ready to file with your DC electrical contractor license. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $200 at the $4,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
No credit check.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields. No credit check.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other District of Columbia bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your electrical license checklist today.
$200 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.