IA pesticide applicator bonds.
$9,000 flat. Soft pull.

Iowa commercial pesticide applicators must show financial responsibility under Iowa Code 206.13 before the Department of Agriculture issues a license. A surety bond is one accepted form. At the $300,000 annual-aggregate amount, ours is $9,000 flat — 3% of the bond amount. One soft credit pull.

Required as evidence of financial responsibility for a commercial applicator license — Iowa Code 206.13
A surety bond is one accepted form — liability insurance or a letter of credit also qualify
Soft credit pull only — never affects your score, and the rate stays 3% either way
A-ratedA.M. Best carriers1–2 daystypical issuance1–3 yrterms available
Trusted by industry leaders
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Three steps to licensed.

Your applicator license is waiting on proof of financial responsibility. Here's the entire process:

TODAY · 5 MINUTES

Apply once, online

Business details, owner information, effective date. That is the application — the only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.

WITHIN 48 HOURS

Reviewed & approved

Given the larger amount, underwriting may take a quick look; if anything is needed, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. The credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score.

1–2 BUSINESS DAYS

File with the Department of Agriculture

Pay online and receive the executed bond ready to file as evidence of financial responsibility with your commercial applicator license. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the department insists.

The whole pricing page.

$300,000 bond × 3% = $9,000, one-time per term. Fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.

1-year term
$9,000
2-year term
$18,000
3-year term
$27,000
About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Iowa regulates pesticides under Iowa Code chapter 206, and section 206.13 requires a commercial pesticide applicator to furnish the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship with evidence of financial responsibility before a license is issued. That evidence can be a surety bond, a liability insurance policy, or an irrevocable letter of credit.

The required amount is not less than $100,000 for property damage and $100,000 for public liability (each separately), or liability coverage with limits of $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 annual aggregate. This page prices the $300,000 aggregate figure. The coverage must stay at that level for the entire licensed period.

The bond pays what the applicator is legally obligated to pay as damages caused by its pesticide operations — drift, misapplication, and similar harm. The department must get 10 days’ notice before any reduction or cancellation. If the surety pays a claim, the applicator repays the surety.

Iowa Code 206.13 (Dept. of Agriculture)Iowa Code 206.13 requires a commercial pesticide applicator to furnish evidence of financial responsibility — a surety bond, liability insurance policy, or irrevocable letter of credit — before the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship issues a license. The amount must be not less than $100,000 for property damage and $100,000 for public liability each, or limits of $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 annual aggregate, maintained throughout the licensed period, with 10 days’ notice to the department before reduction or cancellation.

You need this bond if you're

Applying for an Iowa commercial pesticide applicator license through the Department of Agriculture
Renewing your applicator license and refreshing your financial-responsibility evidence
A commercial ag or structural applicator that prefers a surety bond over liability insurance
Replacing lapsed coverage to keep your license in good standing

Five minutes. The whole thing.

These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.

Start the application →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

Do I pay the $300,000? +
No. You pay $9,000 — the flat 3% of the bond amount. The $300,000 is the surety's maximum liability; it's not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.
Why is the amount $300,000? +
Iowa Code 206.13 sets the financial-responsibility floor at $100,000 each for property damage and public liability, or limits of $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 annual aggregate. This page prices the $300,000 aggregate figure. Confirm the exact amount your license requires and we’ll match it.
Can I use liability insurance instead of a bond? +
Yes. The statute accepts a surety bond, a liability insurance policy, or an irrevocable letter of credit as evidence of financial responsibility. Many applicators carry liability insurance; a surety bond is the alternative we write at a flat 3%.
Is there a credit check? +
Yes — one soft credit pull, which never affects your score. It informs approval, not price. Given the larger amount, underwriting may look more closely, but the rate is a flat 3% either way.
What does the bond cover? +
It pays what you are legally obligated to pay as damages caused by your pesticide operations — drift, misapplication, and similar harm. The department gets 10 days’ notice before any reduction or cancellation. If the surety pays, you repay the surety.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

The Department of Agriculture is waiting on proof of financial responsibility.

$9,000 flat, five-minute application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.

Your premium @ 3%$9,000
Apply now →