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Permit bond

Illinois Permit Bond

Illinois has no statewide general permit bond. Counties and cities set their own; for example, the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways requires a $20,000 bond, plus insurance, before it issues individual highway permits.

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Bond at a glance
Illinois Permit BondPermit bond
Set by cities and counties
Set byCity or county
ExampleCook County DOTH: $20,000 bond for individual permits (commercial, residential and government)
Required byThe city or county issuing the permit
How it works

Three steps to your bond.

  1. 01Apply onceTell us about your business and what the bond is for. One application covers most contractor bonds.
  2. 02The surety reviews itPropeller Bonds, our surety partner, reviews your application and sets the terms. We show you the terms before you commit.
  3. 03Sign and fileSign the bond and file it with whoever requires it: the project owner, agency or court. We help with the filing.
About this bond

What a permit bond is

Some cities and counties require a bond before they issue a building or work permit. It guarantees you'll follow local codes and the permit conditions, and pays the agency if you don't, for example if public property is damaged.

In Illinois

Illinois has no statewide general permit bond. Counties and cities set their own; for example, the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways requires a $20,000 bond, plus insurance, before it issues individual highway permits.

  • Chicago's public way work license uses a letter of credit and a certificate of insurance naming the City as additional insured.

You need this bond if you're

  • A contractor pulling permits where the city or county requires a bond
  • Demolition and house-moving contractors
  • Sign, sewer and grading contractors
  • Owner-builders in some jurisdictions

What the surety looks at

Basic business details and credit.

FAQs

Common questions.

Does Illinois require permit bonds?

Permit bonds are set by each city or county, not usually by state law. The permit office tells you the amount and the bond form.

What does it cost?

You pay a premium, not the bond amount. The surety sets the premium after it reviews your application, usually as a percentage of the bond amount. We show you the terms before you commit.

How do I get one through BLDAssure?

Apply once with us. We collect the details the surety needs, Propeller Bonds (our surety partner) reviews the application and issues the bond, and we help you file it with whoever requires it.

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Other Illinois bonds.

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Permit bond

Illinois Right-of-Way Bond

Work in a public street, sidewalk or highway usually needs an encroachment or right-of-way permit, and many agencies require a bond with it.

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License bond

Illinois Contractor License Bond

Some states, and many cities and counties, make contractors post a bond to get or renew a license.

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Development bond

Illinois Subdivision Bond

Cities and counties often require a developer to bond the public improvements in a new subdivision or site plan, like streets, sidewalks, storm drains, sewer and water lines, before they approve the final map or permits.

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By state

Permit bonds in other states.

Alabama permit bondAlaska permit bondArizona permit bondArkansas permit bondCalifornia permit bondColorado permit bondConnecticut permit bondDelaware permit bondDistrict of Columbia permit bondFlorida permit bondGeorgia permit bondHawaii permit bondIdaho permit bondIndiana permit bondIowa permit bondKansas permit bondKentucky permit bondLouisiana permit bondMaine permit bondMaryland permit bondMassachusetts permit bondMichigan permit bondMinnesota permit bondMississippi permit bondMissouri permit bondMontana permit bondNebraska permit bondNevada permit bondNew Hampshire permit bondNew Jersey permit bondNew Mexico permit bondNew York permit bondNorth Carolina permit bondNorth Dakota permit bondOhio permit bondOklahoma permit bondOregon permit bondPennsylvania permit bondRhode Island permit bondSouth Carolina permit bondSouth Dakota permit bondTennessee permit bondTexas permit bondUtah permit bondVermont permit bondVirginia permit bondWashington permit bondWest Virginia permit bondWisconsin permit bondWyoming permit bond

Sources

  1. Cook County DOTH: $20,000 bond and insurance requirements (Form 20A)
  2. Chicago CDOT: 2025 Public Way Work License application

General information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm the current requirement with the agency or owner that asks for the bond. Facts checked Oct 23, 2026.

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