IA private investigator bonds.
$275. Five minutes.
Iowa requires a licensed private investigative agency to file a $5,000 surety bond with the Department of Public Safety. Three percent of $5,000 is under our $275 floor, so the price is $275 flat — our minimum premium on any bond. The application is five minutes, with no credit check on this bond.
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Three steps. One sitting.
License bonds are the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That's the application — no financials, no credit check section, no follow-up scavenger hunt.
Pay & e-sign
License bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.
File with the Department of Public Safety
Your executed bond (form PD6) arrives by email, ready to file with your private investigative agency license application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
The whole pricing page.
$5,000 bond × 3% = $150, which is below our $275 floor — so the price is $275, one-time per term. Multi-year if you want it.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Iowa licenses private investigative agencies, private security agencies, and bail enforcement agencies through the Department of Public Safety under Iowa Code chapter 80A. Section 80A.10 conditions the license on a $5,000 surety bond, filed on state form PD6.
The bond is conditioned on the faithful, lawful, and honest conduct of the agency and its employees in carrying on the business. It is a three-party arrangement — you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Iowa (the obligee), with your clients as the protected parties.
If a business carries more than one of these license types (investigation, security, or bail enforcement), the statute requires a $10,000 bond instead. If the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety; it is a guarantee, not insurance for you. Tell us which licenses you hold and we issue the matching amount.
You need this bond if you're
Five minutes. The whole thing.
These are the actual issuing fields — no credit check section, because this bond doesn't have one.
Start the application →Common questions.
If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
How much is the Iowa private investigator bond? +
Do I pay the $5,000? +
What if I hold more than one license type? +
Is there a credit check? +
When does it renew? +
Other New York bonds.
Finish your license checklist today.
$275 flat, five-minute application, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.