Corpus Christi ship agent bonds.
$500 flat.

The Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County requires every licensed ship or vessel agent to file a $25,000 Indemnity and Payment Bond. Ours is $500 flat — the price you see is the checkout price. The application includes a credit consent, but it authorizes a soft pull only.

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Required by the Port of Corpus Christi Authority for every ship or vessel agent license — new applicants and renewals

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Fixed amount, fixed price — $25,000 bond, $500, no quote process

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One-year term — the Port Authority licenses agents by calendar year, January 1 through December 31

A-ratedA.M. Best carriersSoft pull onlynever a hard inquiryTo Dec 31fixed expiry date

Trusted by industry leaders

How it works

Three steps. One sitting.

A licensing bond like this is one of the more straightforward things in surety, even with a credit consent on the form. Here is the entire process:

NOW · ONLINE

Apply online

Business details, an effective date, and a credit consent authorizing a soft pull only — never a hard inquiry.

USUALLY SAME DAY

Pay & e-sign

Bonds like this one, with a soft-pull credit consent, typically clear the same day. At most, 1–2 business days.

SAME DAY

File with the Port Authority

Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with the Port of Corpus Christi Authority alongside your Vessel Agent License application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Since May 1, 2021, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County has required anyone operating as a ship or vessel agent at the Port to first obtain a license from the Port Commission. Licensees must submit an Indemnity and Payment Bond in the amount of $25,000, payable to the Port Authority — a financial-responsibility guarantee alongside the required insurance and credit-history review.

It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the Port of Corpus Christi Authority (the obligee). Under Tariff 200, the Port Authority can redeem the bond if the licensee has an undisputed invoice that goes unpaid 60 days past its due date.

It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Vessel agents in good standing with the Port Authority treat the $25,000 bond as a licensing formality, not a risk. We issue it for $500 flat, with a soft-pull-only credit consent on the application.

Port of Corpus Christi Authority Tariff 200, Item 2.250 — Ship or Vessel Agent LicensePort of Corpus Christi Authority Tariff 200, Item 2.250 provides that, "[b]eginning May 1, 2021, no person, firm, corporation or other business entity shall operate as or carry on the business of a ship or vessel agent at the Port of Corpus Christi unless and until there shall first have been obtained from the Port Authority a license." Section 8 of the item states: "All licensees must submit an Indemnity and Payment bond made payable to the Port Authority in the amount of $25,000. This bond will be redeemable by the Port Authority in the event that the licensee has any undisputed invoice that is unpaid 60 days past the invoice date." Licenses run the calendar year, January 1 through December 31, with an original application fee of $2,500 and a $1,000 annual renewal fee.

You need this bond if you're

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A ship or vessel agent representing a steamship line or vessel owner at the Port of Corpus Christi

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Applying for a new Vessel Agent License with the Port Commission

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Renewing your annual license before it expires December 31

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Meeting the Indemnity and Payment Bond requirement under Tariff 200, Item 2.250

One application, one soft pull.

These are the actual issuing fields. The credit consent below authorizes a soft pull only — never a hard inquiry.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the Port of Corpus Christi ship agent bond?The premium is $500 — set by our carrier rate book for this specific $25,000 bond, the same for every licensed agent. The $25,000 is set by Tariff 200, so there is no quote process.

Do I pay the $25,000?No. You pay $500. The $25,000 is the surety's maximum liability if the Port Authority redeems the bond for an unpaid invoice — not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.

How fast will I have the bond?Bonds with a soft-pull credit consent like this one typically clear the same day. At most, 1–2 business days.

Is there a credit check?The application includes a credit consent, but it authorizes a soft credit pull only — a soft inquiry that never affects your score. No hard inquiry ever runs on this bond.

When does it renew?Port of Corpus Christi Authority licenses run the calendar year, January 1 through December 31. Our bond is written for a 12-month term from your effective date; renew it each year so the bond on file stays current with your license. We send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out, with autopay available, so your license never lapses over a missed email.

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Get your Corpus Christi agent license bond today.

$500 flat, soft pull only, bond often issued the same day. Free until issued.

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Your price$500

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