California Motor Transportation Broker Bond
Overview
California regulates brokers of construction trucking services through Vehicle Code section 34510.5, which requires a broker of those services to obtain a surety bond of $15,000 from an admitted surety insurer before furnishing or arranging construction transportation. The bond is written in favor of the People of the State of California, for the benefit of any motor carrier or subhauler damaged by the broker's failure to pay for transportation services arranged. The statute even reaches into contracting: a broker must supply proof of the bond to the hiring party before commencing work under the contract.
Who Needs This Bond?
You need this bond if you act as a broker of construction trucking services in California — arranging, for compensation, the transportation services of dump truck operators and other construction motor carriers you do not employ. Section 34510.5 makes the bond a precondition of doing that business: no person may furnish construction transportation broker services without the bond on file. Brokers of other freight in interstate commerce operate under federal authority; this bond is California's own requirement for the construction trucking niche the statute defines.
What is this Bond For?
The bond exists to make sure carriers get paid. It runs to the People of the State of California for the benefit of any motor carrier or subhauler who performed transportation services arranged by the broker and was not paid. A carrier damaged by the broker's failure to pay can pursue recovery against the $15,000 bond. The statute backs this up with penalties for operating without the required bond, making the bond both the carrier's protection and the broker's license to operate lawfully in this space.
When is it Required?
The bond must be in place before the broker furnishes or arranges any construction trucking services — and section 34510.5 adds a contract-level checkpoint: the broker must provide evidence of the current bond (including the surety's name and the bond number) to the party contracting for the services before work begins. The bond then has to remain current for as long as the brokerage operates; a lapse means the broker is operating in violation of the statute.
Where Does it Apply?
This is a statewide California requirement created by the Vehicle Code and applying to construction trucking brokerage performed in California, regardless of the county or the size of the operation. The bond must come from an admitted surety insurer — one authorized to transact surety business in California. It is distinct from federal broker requirements administered by the FMCSA for interstate property brokerage; a business doing both may need to satisfy both regimes.
How to Buy Online
Click 'Buy This Bond Online' on this page and the secure surety portal opens in a new tab. The bond is written at the $15,000 amount section 34510.5 fixes. Complete the short application, review the documents, and pay online; your executed bond — with the surety name and bond number your contracts require you to disclose — is delivered fast.
Why Bond Titan?
Bond Titan is powered by The Southern Agency, a licensed surety agency, and the statutory basis for this bond, including the exact amount and the carrier-payment condition, is linked in the Official Sources section below to California's official legislative information site. Verify the statute, then buy online in minutes.
Official Sources
The requirements described on this page are verified against the official sources below.
- $15,000 surety bond required of brokers of construction trucking services; bond in favor of the People of California for the benefit of unpaid carriers and subhaulers; proof-of-bond disclosure before work begins: California Vehicle Code §34510.5 (verified July 16, 2026)