# Who needs a surety bond? *Reviewed 2026-05-15* ## Short answer Surety bonds are required of many licensed businesses and contractors. Common examples include collection agencies, mortgage and lending companies, money transmitters, motor vehicle dealers, contractors on public projects, and businesses applying for many state and local licenses. The requirement comes from a government agency, a court, or a project owner, not from you. You usually need a bond because someone requires it. State and local regulators require license and permit bonds across many industries before they will issue a license. Courts require bonds in certain proceedings. Project owners require contract bonds on construction work, especially public projects. So the question is rarely whether you want a bond; it is whether the license, contract, or filing in front of you names one. If it does, the bond type and amount come straight from that requirement. ## Related - [Surety bond services](/bonds) - [Surety bonds overview](/surety-bonds) - [Contact our team](/contact)