District of Columbia sidewalk & public-space bonds.
From $100.
Work that occupies or disturbs DC public space, such as sidewalks and curbs, needs a public space permit from the District Department of Transportation, and DDOT can require a surety bond as security for restoring the public space. Your permit sets the amount. The premium is 0.5% of the bond amount, $100 minimum.
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How much does a District of Columbia sidewalk & public-space bond cost?
0.5% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for the standard public-space bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with DDOT. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount the permit requires, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
No credit check up to $100,000, and most applicants are approved and issued as soon as they pay.
File with DDOT
Submit the executed bond with your public space permit application in TOPS, DDOT's online permitting system. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the public-space bond actually covers
When a contractor occupies, excavates, or builds in District public space — the sidewalk, curb, tree space, or roadway between the property line and the street — DC requires a public space permit from the District Department of Transportation. The standards for that work live in Title 24 of the DC Municipal Regulations (Public Space and Safety).
DDOT can condition the permit on a surety bond as security that you will restore the public space to its proper condition and complete the permitted work to District standards. If you walk away from a torn-up sidewalk or leave the right-of-way unsafe, the District can recover against the bond to make the repairs.
Because the bond is sized to the scope of work, there is no single statutory amount — DDOT sets it per permit. Enter the figure your permit names; the premium is 0.5% of that amount, $100 minimum, and no credit check up to $100,000 — most applicants approve instantly. If the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety; contractors who restore public space cleanly treat the bond as a permit formality.
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 carrier issues this bond for a single two-year term; the term cannot be changed at checkout.
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 DDOT. Submit the executed bond with your public space permit application in TOPS, DDOT's online permitting system. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 0.5% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $100,000. Above that, the carrier may run a soft pull, which never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued on the spot.
Submit the application with the bond amount your DDOT permit requires — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other District of Columbia bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Public-space bond, issued today.
Pricing from $100. Enter the amount your DDOT permit requires and file the same day.