South Dakota public official bonds.
From $100. Enter your penal sum.
South Dakota conditions many public offices on an official bond under SDCL chapter 3-5. The penal sum is set by the statute, ordinance, or governing body for your specific office — enter that amount. Pricing is set at 0.35% of the penal sum, with a $100 minimum. A quick soft credit check may apply, never a hard inquiry.
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How much does a South Dakota public official bond cost?
0.35% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Apply to issued in one sitting.
Enter your penal sum, consent to a soft pull, and we issue the bond. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your details, the office and its penal sum, and the effective date — plus a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. The soft pull never affects your credit score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
File with your office
Pay online and receive the executed bond, ready to file with the body that approves and records your bond. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the official bond actually guarantees
South Dakota’s official bond statutes (SDCL chapter 3-5) set the framework for the surety bonds public officers post on entering office. The bond is a faithful-performance and honesty guarantee: it assures the public that the official will perform the duties of the office and account for any public funds entrusted to them.
It’s a three-party arrangement: the official (the principal), the surety carrier, and the public body the official serves (the obligee), with taxpayers protected. If the official fails to faithfully perform or misuses public money, the harmed party can recover against the bond up to the penal sum — and if the surety pays, the official repays the surety.
The penal sum is not one fixed number — it’s set for each office by the governing statute, ordinance, or board, and SDCL chapter 3-5 also addresses sureties, premiums on corporate surety bonds, and blanket versus individual bonds for officers and employees. Enter the amount required for your office; pricing is 0.35% of the penal sum, with a $100 minimum.
You need this bond if you’re
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 your office. Pay online and receive the executed bond, ready to file with the body that approves and records your bond. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is 0.35% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Enter the penal sum your office requires and submit.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other South Dakota bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Official bond, issued fast.
Pricing from $100. Enter your office’s penal sum and file the same or next day.