Columbus itinerant vendor bonds.
$100 flat.
The City of Columbus requires a $1,000 bond as part of its itinerant vendor license, filed with the Department of Public Safety License Section. The price you see is the checkout price — $100 flat — and no credit check.
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How much does a Columbus itinerant vendor bond cost?
$100 at the $1,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
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 is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
License bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase.
File with the License Section
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with the Columbus Department of Public Safety License Section as proof of your $1,000 vendor bond. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
An itinerant vendor is a transient seller — Columbus licenses these vendors through its Department of Public Safety License Section and conditions the license on a $1,000 surety bond running to the City of Columbus.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Columbus (the obligee), with your customers as the protected parties. The bond is a consumer-protection guarantee — if you take a customer's money and fail to deliver, or violate the city's vendor rules, the harmed party can recover against the bond.
It is not insurance for you. If the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Most vendors treat the $1,000 bond as a one-line item on the license checklist. We track the term and notify you 60 and 30 days out.
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 $1,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose; a longer term is the same price per year, chosen 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 the License Section. Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with the Columbus Department of Public Safety License Section as proof of your $1,000 vendor bond. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $100 at the $1,000 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 Ohio bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your Columbus vendor license today.
$100 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.