Contractor License Bond in Indiana

What this bond requires in Indiana

Indiana has no statewide general contractor licensing. There's no state exam, no state registration, and no state bond. If someone is selling you an "Indiana contractor bond," they're almost certainly selling you a city-specific bond without telling you which city. Here's how it actually works in Indiana: Trade licenses at the state level. Plumbers are licensed by the Indiana Plumbing Commission. HVAC contractors in some counties need local certification. Electricians are usually licensed at the municipal level. None of these require a state-level surety bond — insurance is the typical requirement. Indianapolis requires a General Contractor license with a $10,000 bond for work inside the city. Evansville-Vanderburgh County requires a $25,000 contractor bond for work in the county. Lake County requires contractor registration with a $5,000 minimum bond. Fort Wayne, South Bend, Bloomington, and other cities have their own contractor registration rules — some with bonds, some without. If you work across multiple Indiana jurisdictions, you'll need to file bonds in each one that requires them. There's no single license that covers the whole state.

Who requires it

The contractor license bond is required by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (no statewide GC license) under No statewide general contractor licensing statute.

How to file in Indiana

Indiana does not license general contractors at the state level and does not require a statewide contractor license bond. Indiana licenses specific trades (plumbers, HVAC, electricians) through trade-specific boards, most of which require insurance rather than a surety bond. All general contractor regulation is handled by cities and counties. The largest municipal bond requirements are in Indianapolis ($10,000), Evansville-Vanderburgh County ($25,000), and Lake County ($5,000 minimum).

Common questions

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