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Last updated: General Alaska surety bond information — confirm current requirements with the licensing authority.
Alaska Surety Bonds

Alaska Surety BondsRequirements, Costs & Fast Quotes

In Alaska the surety bond you need is set by the license behind it, and the state leans harder on construction bonding than most: nearly every contractor must register with the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL) and post a bond — $25,000 for a general contractor or $10,000 for a specialty contractor. The other commonly required bonds are the $100,000 motor vehicle dealer bond (Alaska DMV), the $2,500 notary bond (Lieutenant Governor), the bonded certificate of title (1.5× a vehicle's value), the federal $75,000 freight broker bond, and court-set probate bonds. Sureties are licensed by the Alaska Division of Insurance (DCCED). For qualified applicants, premiums typically run 1–3% of the bond amount per year.

$25K
General Contractor
$10K
Specialty Contractor
$2,500
Notary (4-yr)
1–3%
Typical Premium
CBPL / DMV accepted forms
Same-day notary & small bonds
All credit considered

Get Your Alaska Bond

Contractor, dealer, notary, title, freight, and court bonds

Why Alaska Is Different

Alaska Bonds the Builders, Not Just the Trades

Most of the surety demand in Alaska starts in one place: construction. Where a state like Texas has no statewide contractor license at all, Alaska sits at the opposite end — it requires registration and a surety bond for essentially every construction contractor before they can legally bid or build. The bond is filed with CBPL on the state Surety Bond Form (08-4971), and it comes bundled with two other proofs: general liability insurance and, for anyone with employees, workers' compensation. That three-part gate — bond, liability insurance, workers' comp — is the backbone of doing business as a builder in the state.

Official Alaska Requirements

"A general contractor must file a $25,000 surety bond and a specialty contractor a $10,000 surety bond (or an acceptable cash deposit or negotiable security in the same amount) as a condition of registration."
Alaska Division of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing (CBPL) • Construction Contractors registration; Surety Bond Form 08-4971

Don't assume you're exempt. Alaska carves out a narrow allowance for very small repair work, but the threshold is easy to cross once materials and labor are combined. If you are registering as a contractor, confirm your class with CBPL and then match the right Alaska contractor bond before you file — a mismatched bond amount stalls the registration.

Who Regulates Which Alaska Bond

There is no single Alaska bond office. The Division of Insurance (DCCED) licenses the surety company that writes your bond, but the requirement to have a bond comes from whichever authority licenses your activity. That is why a quote depends first on which agency you answer to. Here is the map.

The Alaska Bonds We Write Most

Each bond below has its own Alaska page with the full requirement, filing detail, and a quote path. Start with the one that matches your license.

Contractor Bonds

CBPL registration

$25,000 general or $10,000 specialty, bundled with liability insurance and (with employees) workers' comp. The most common Alaska bond by volume.

Alaska Contractor Bonds

Auto Dealer Bonds

Alaska DMV

$100,000 for motor vehicle dealers; $25,000 for motorcycle-only dealers. Filed on the DMV dealer/buyer's-agent bond form and priced on credit.

Alaska Dealer Bonds

Notary Bonds

Lieutenant Governor

$2,500 for the four-year commission term under AS 44.50.034. No credit check, usually issued same day — the quickest Alaska bond.

Alaska Notary Bonds

Bonded Title Bonds

Alaska DMV

For a vehicle with a missing or defective title: 1.5× the appraised value, three-year non-cancelable term, under AS 28.10.216.

Alaska Title Bonds

Freight Broker Bonds

Federal (FMCSA)

The $75,000 BMC-84 bond every U.S. broker and forwarder posts — the same instrument whether freight moves by barge, air, or the Alaska highway network.

Alaska Freight Broker Bonds

Probate Bonds

Alaska Court System

Required of personal representatives and guardians when the superior court orders one. The amount is set by the court to the size of the estate — no fixed multiplier.

Alaska Probate Bonds
All surety bonds by state How surety bond cost works

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A Bond You Can Calculate

Alaska Bonded Title: One and a Half Times Value

Buy a vehicle in Alaska with no title or a defective one and the DMV can still issue you a certificate of title — if you back it with a surety bond under AS 28.10.216. The bond amount is fixed by a formula, not by underwriting: 1.5× the vehicle's appraised fair-market value, held for a non-cancelable three-year term. If no valid ownership claim surfaces in those three years, the obligation ends and your title stands clean.

You'll need a current appraisal to set the value. Very light vehicles (roughly 500 lbs or less) may skip the bond entirely — confirm with the DMV. See the full walk-through on our Alaska bonded title page.

What an Alaska Bond Actually Costs

Fixed-amount license bonds are cheap and predictable: qualified applicants pay about 1–3% of the bond amount a year, so a $10,000 specialty contractor bond often runs $100–$300 and a $25,000 general contractor bond around $250–$750. The $2,500 notary bond is a flat low fee with no credit pull. Where credit starts to matter is on the larger, underwriting-driven bonds — the $100,000 dealer bond and court or probate bonds — where your premium moves with credit, financials, and claims history. The bars below show how a $25,000 general contractor bond prices across credit tiers.

How surety bond cost is calculated Get an exact Alaska quote

Alaska Surety Bond Questions

Contractor registration, dealer, notary, bonded title, freight, cost, and who regulates what

Does every contractor in Alaska really have to be bonded?
Effectively yes. Unlike states that only bond specific trades, Alaska requires nearly all construction contractors to register with the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL) and post a surety bond before bidding or working. A general contractor registration requires a $25,000 bond; a specialty contractor registration requires a $10,000 bond. Registration also requires proof of general liability insurance and, if the contractor has employees, workers’ compensation coverage. The bond is filed on the state Surety Bond Form (08-4971). Some very small repair jobs fall under a limited exemption — confirm the current threshold with CBPL before assuming your work is exempt.
What is the difference between the $25,000 and $10,000 Alaska contractor bond?
The amount follows the registration class, not the project size. A general contractor — a builder that takes on whole projects and typically coordinates subcontractors — registers with a $25,000 bond. A specialty contractor, registered to perform a defined trade or scope (for example a single-trade subcontractor), posts a $10,000 bond. Mechanical and plumbing work, home inspection, and certain other categories have their own registration paths through CBPL, so verify which class fits your license before you buy. If you are unsure, tell us the CBPL registration type you are applying for and we will match the correct bond.
How much is the Alaska auto dealer bond and where is it filed?
Alaska motor vehicle dealers file a $100,000 surety bond with the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV); dealers who sell only motorcycles post a reduced $25,000 bond. The bond is executed on the DMV’s motor vehicle dealer / buyer’s agent surety bond form and sits within the state’s motor vehicle dealer registration law (AS 08.66). It protects consumers and the state against title, odometer, and sales-practice violations. Dealer bonds are underwritten on credit and business history, so premiums vary more than a fixed-amount notary bond.
What is the Alaska notary bond amount and term?
Alaska notaries public post a $2,500 surety bond for the four-year commission term under AS 44.50.034. Commissions are issued by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, not by an insurance regulator. The bond protects the public against notarial misconduct and does not require a credit check — it is one of the fastest bonds to issue, typically same day. The bond is not the same as errors-and-omissions insurance; many notaries carry both, but only the $2,500 bond is legally required for the commission.
How is an Alaska bonded (certificate of title) bond calculated?
When a vehicle owner cannot produce a proper title, the Alaska DMV can issue a certificate of title backed by a surety bond under AS 28.10.216. The bond amount equals one and one-half times the vehicle’s appraised value, and it runs for a non-cancelable three-year term. You will need a current fair-market appraisal to set the value. After three years without a valid claim, the bond obligation ends and a clear title stands. Very light vehicles (roughly 500 pounds or less) may be exempt from the bonding step — confirm with the DMV.
Is the Alaska freight broker bond a state bond?
No — it is federal. Any freight broker or freight forwarder operating in or through Alaska posts the $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under 49 U.S.C. § 13906, regardless of home state. Alaska does not add a separate state broker bond on top of it. Because Alaska freight moves heavily by barge, air, and the limited highway network, brokers here often coordinate multi-modal shipments, but the bonding requirement is the same $75,000 federal instrument used nationwide.
How much do Alaska surety bonds cost?
For most license and permit bonds, qualified applicants pay roughly 1–3% of the bond amount per year. A $10,000 specialty contractor bond commonly runs about $100–$300 annually; a $25,000 general contractor bond about $250–$750. Fixed small bonds like the $2,500 notary bond are often a flat low fee with no credit check. Larger or credit-sensitive bonds — the $100,000 auto dealer bond, court and probate bonds — are priced on personal credit, business financials, and claims history, so rates rise for weaker credit. Use our cost guide to see how credit tiers move the premium.
Who regulates surety bonds and the sureties that write them in Alaska?
Two roles sit in different offices. The company that writes your bond — the surety — must be licensed by the Alaska Division of Insurance within the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED). The requirement that you carry a bond comes from whichever authority licenses your activity: CBPL for contractors, the DMV for dealers and titles, the Lieutenant Governor for notaries, and the Alaska Court System for probate and other court bonds. That split is why an Alaska bond quote depends on which agency you answer to.

Official Alaska Resources

Primary state and federal sources for Alaska bond requirements

CBPL — Construction Contractors

General ($25,000) and specialty ($10,000) contractor registration, bonding, insurance, and Surety Bond Form 08-4971

Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Motor vehicle dealer / buyer’s agent bond ($100,000; $25,000 motorcycle-only) and bonded certificate of title (1.5× value) under AS 28.10.216

Office of the Lieutenant Governor — Notaries Public

Notary commissioning and the $2,500 four-year surety bond under AS 44.50.034

Alaska Division of Insurance (DCCED)

Licenses the surety companies authorized to write bonds in Alaska

Alaska Court System — Probate

Personal representative and guardian bonds set case-by-case by the superior court

FMCSA — Broker Financial Responsibility

The $75,000 BMC-84 freight broker bond required nationwide under 49 U.S.C. § 13906

Methodology: Bond amounts, statute citations, and agency assignments on this page were checked against the issuing Alaska agency (CBPL, DMV, the Lieutenant Governor's office, the Alaska Court System) or the governing statute, plus the FMCSA for the federal freight broker bond. Amounts shown as “court-set” or “appraised value” are correctly variable under the governing law. See our editorial standards for the verification process.

Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
Reviewed by
Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
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All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov) and verified before publication. BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-certified, A-minimum rated surety carriers serving all 50 states.

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Other Alaska Bonds

Additional surety bonds available in Alaska

Alaska Notary Bond

Notary public bond

Alaska Contractor License Bond

Contractor licensing

Alaska Auto Dealer Bond

DMV dealer licensing

Alaska Performance Bond

Construction & service contracts

Nearby States

Surety bonds in neighboring states

Washington Surety Bond

Washington requirements, statute, and bond amount

Statewide, all credit

Get Your Alaska Surety Bond

From the $25,000 CBPL contractor bond to the $100,000 dealer bond, the $2,500 notary bond, and court-set probate bonds — one Alaska source, most bonds approved fast.

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