Illinois DOT excess weight bonds.
From $100.
Carriers who run a bonded permit account with the Illinois DOT Oversize/Overweight Permit Office post a surety bond guaranteeing the permit fees and charges they incur on account. The Permit Office sets the amount on form OPER 1931 — the premium runs 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum. Your exact price appears at the application.
Trusted by industry leaders
How much does an Illinois DOT excess weight bond cost?
1% 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 permit bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with the Permit Office. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount the Permit Office set, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
Most applications approve instantly and the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay. Above $50,000, a soft pull may add a short review.
File with the IDOT Permit Office
Submit the executed bond with form OPER 1931 to set up or modify your bonded permit account. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the excess weight bond actually covers
Illinois lets the Department of Transportation issue special permits to move vehicles that exceed the legal size or weight limits, under the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/15-301 et seq.) and 92 Ill. Adm. Code 554. Carriers who move frequently can set up a bonded permit account rather than paying fees move-by-move.
The bond guarantees the permit fees and charges you incur on account — including any additional charges computed when an actual axle or gross weight exceeds what the permit authorized. It is filed using the Permit Office's Proof of Bond form (OPER 1931), and you can raise or lower the amount as your activity changes.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays the state on your behalf, you repay the surety. The statutory minimum bond is $1,000; the Permit Office sets the figure that fits your account, and the premium runs 1% of that bond amount, with a $100 minimum.
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 with the IDOT Permit Office. Submit the executed bond with form OPER 1931 to set up or modify your bonded permit account. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $50,000. 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 the Permit Office set — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Illinois bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Excess weight bond, issued today.
Premiums from $100. Enter the amount the Permit Office set and see your exact price, then file the same day.